Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 49, NWS Tallahassee, FL

May 21, 1990Mitchell County, Georgia

NWS Tallahassee, FL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 21, 1990, 6:47 PM EDT for Mitchell County, Georgia. It was in force for 58 min. 1 report 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
May 21, 1990, 6:47 PM EDT (22:47 UTC)
Expired
May 21, 1990, 7:45 PM EDT
In force
58 min
Issued by
NWS Tallahassee, FL
Area
Whole counties

County Mitchell 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
May 21, 7:00 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Mitchell, 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

Apalachicola Mun, FL (KAQQ), launched 12:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 183 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, Apalachicola Mun, FL at 12:00Z on 1990-05-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2077 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, Apalachicola Mun, FL at 12:00Z on 1990-05-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 36 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
2077 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
759 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
36 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
97 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
2.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KCSG 212248
SVRCSG
GAC205-212345-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
647 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN COLUMBUS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  745 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTHWEST GEORGIA
 
   ...MITCHELL COUNTY
 
AT 645 PM EDT WEATHER RADARS IN COLUMBUS AND WAYCROSS INDICATED
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR CAMILLA IN MITCHELL COUNTY GEORGIA.
THIS STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.
 
 
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG BUILDING.  DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS.  DON'T USE TELEPHONES
OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLE)SS IN AN EMERGENCY UNTIL THE STORM
HAS PASSED.  MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 21, 4:52 PM EDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before
FLZ004-212140-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE APALACHICOLA FL
450 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR GULF COUNTY UNTIL
   10 PM EDT...

AT 425 PM EDT...SEVERAL THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE LOCATED
OVER SOUTHEAST ALABAMA ONE ENTERING COVINGTON COUNTY THE OTHER WAS LOCATED
30 MILES NORTH OF DOTHAN ALABAMA. ELSEWHERE...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY
RAIN COVERED SECTIONS OF SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA.

OVER THE GULF...SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED FROM PENSACOLA
TO OFFSHORE OF APALACHICOLA AND EXTENDED OUT 100 MILES.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, May 21, 5:19 PM EDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
FLZ003-005-006-007-GAZ011-012-212215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
518 PM EDT (418 PM CDT) MON MAY 21 1990

AT 515 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM 20 MILES NORTHEAST OF TALLAHASSEE TO JUST WEST
OF VALDOSTA GA TO CAIRO GA TO DOTHAN AL. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 25 MPH.
THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WAS NORTHEAST OF TALLAHASSEE NEAR MICCOUSKEE.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...VERY HEAVY
RAINFALL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL AS THEY MOVE
THROUGH THE AREA DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS ON THESE
THUNDERSTORMS.

ADB
Special weather statement, May 21, 5:38 PM EDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
FLZ004-212240-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE APALACHICOLA FL
538 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR GULF AND FRANKLIN COUNTY
   UNTIL 10 PM EDT...

AT 525 PM EDT...SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE
LOCATED IN SOUTHWEST GEORGIA...30 MILES SOUTH OF ALBANY IN GRADY COUNTY
AND ALONG THE FLORIDA/GEORGIA STATE LINE 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF TALLAHASSEE.

ELSEWHERE..SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER SOUTHEAST ALABAMA
SOUTH GEORGIA.

SHOWERS OVER THE GULF WERE LOCATED FROM OFFSHORE OF PENSACOLA TO OFFSHORE
OF CEDAR KEY AND EXTENDED OUT BEYOND 125 MILES.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, May 21, 6:18 PM EDT, 29 minutes before
FLZ003-005-006-007-GAZ011-012-212315-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
618 PM EDT (518 PM CDT) MON MAY 21 1990

AT 615 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A CLUSTER OF
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM 10 MILES SOUTH OF MONTICELLO FL TO JUST
NORTH OF THOMASVILLE GA TO 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ALBANY GA. MOVEMENT
WAS EAST AT 25 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL
WERE NOTED IN THE VICINITY OF CAIRO GA...IN GRADY COUNTY.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL AS THEY MOVE
THROUGH THE AREA DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER NEWS MEDIA FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION ON THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

ADB
Special weather statement, May 21, 6:44 PM EDT, 3 minutes before
FLZ004-212340-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE APALACHICOLA FL
638 PM EDT MON MAY 21 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR GULF AND FRANKLIN
   COUNTY UNTIL 10 PM EDT...

AT 625 PM EDT...SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN
WERE LOCATED IN SOUTHWEST GEORGIA AND SOUTHEAST ALABAMA. OVER SOUTHWEST
GEORGIA... 20 MILES SOUTH OF ALBANY GEORGIA IN MITCHELL COUNTY... AND
IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF CRESTVIEW FLORIDA IN COVINGTON
ALABAMA.

ELSEWHERE... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER SOUTHEAST
ALABAMA... SOUTH GEORGIA... AND EXTENDED INTO THE FLORIDA PANAHANDLE.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE GULF... WERE LORCATED FROM OFFSHORE OF
PENSACOLA TO OFFSHORE OF APALACHICOLA AND EXTENDED OUT BEYOND 125 MILES.
MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tallahassee, FL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 21, 2:41 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAELee, Worth49 min
May 21, 3:48 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAEChattahoochee, Muscogee57 min
May 21, 4:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAESumter60 min
May 21, 4:57 PM EDTTornado WarningTAESumter33 min
May 21, 5:51 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAEMacon54 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Georgia, 1990Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.