Alert archive / Georgia / Tornado Warnings in 1990

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Atlanta, GA

March 16, 1990Newton County, Walton County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this tornado warning at Mar 16, 1990, 6:46 PM EST for Newton County, Walton County, Georgia. It was in force for 59 min. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Mar 16, 1990, 6:46 PM EST (23:46 UTC)
Expired
Mar 16, 1990, 7:45 PM EST
In force
59 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Newton County, GA, Walton County, GA

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 16, 7:00 PM ESTThunderstorm Wind 0Newton, GA
Mar 16, 7:05 PM ESTThunderstorm Wind 0Walton, GA
Mar 16, 7:50 PM ESTThunderstorm Wind 0Newton, GA

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Athens Municipal, GA (KAHN), launched 12:00Z, 11.8 hours before the alert went out and 55 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Athens Municipal, GA at 12:00Z on 1990-03-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 18 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Athens Municipal, GA at 12:00Z on 1990-03-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 352 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
18 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-85 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
663 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
65 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
352 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
390 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KAHN 162347
TORAHN
GAC217-297-170045-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
646 PM EST FRI MAR 16 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ATHENS HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  745 PM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA
 
   ...SOUTHERN NEWTON COUNTY...NORTHWESTERN WALTON COUNTY
 
AT 635 PM A TORNADO WAS REPORTED ON THE GROUND IN ROCKDALE COUNTY
MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. THIS TORNADO COULD POSSIBLY
MOVE INTO SOUTHERN WALTON OR NORTHWEST NEWTON COUNTIES
WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR.
 
 
 
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Atlanta, GA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 16, 7:25 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCPolk5 hr
Mar 16, 7:52 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCFannin, Gilmer, Gordon, Murray, Pickens5 hr
Mar 16, 7:52 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCChattooga, Floyd5 hr
Mar 16, 7:52 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCHaralson5 hr
Mar 16, 7:52 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCBartow5 hr
Mar 16, 10:53 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCBartow, Floyd, Gordon, Pickens, Polk6 hr
Mar 16, 10:53 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCFannin, Gilmer, Murray6 hr
Mar 16, 10:53 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCChattooga6 hr
Mar 16, 10:53 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCHaralson6 hr
Mar 16, 4:37 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCBartow, Floyd, Haralson, Polk5 hr
Mar 16, 4:37 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCGilmer, Gordon, Pickens5 hr
Mar 16, 4:37 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCFannin, Murray5 hr
Mar 16, 4:37 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCChattooga5 hr
Mar 16, 4:47 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCDade, Walker4 hr
Mar 16, 4:47 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCCatoosa, Whitfield4 hr
Mar 16, 5:40 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCFulton50 min
Mar 16, 6:31 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCRockdale29 min
Mar 16, 6:54 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCCobb, Douglas, Fulton4 hr
Mar 16, 6:54 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCDeKalb4 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Georgia, 1990Every tornado warning in 1990Tornadoes in 1990

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.