Alert archive / Georgia / Flash Flood Warnings in 1991

Flash Flood Warning 7, NWS Atlanta, GA

March 3, 1991Richmond County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this flash flood warning at Mar 3, 1991, 1:00 PM EST for Richmond County, Georgia. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 3, 1991, 1:00 PM EST (18:00 UTC)
Expired
Mar 3, 1991, 4:00 PM EST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

County Richmond County, GA

The nearest sounding before it

Athens Municipal, GA (KAHN), launched 12:00Z, 6.0 hours before the alert went out and 131 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 1991-03-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Athens Municipal, GA at 12:00Z on 1991-03-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 183 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
NaN m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
183 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
336 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 KAGS 031800
FFWAGS
GAC245-032100-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
FLASH FLOOD WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUGUSTA GA
100 PM EST SUN MAR 3 1991

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 400 PM EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY

   IN THE EAST CENTRAL PART OF GEORGIA
      RICHMOND

AT 1245 PM EMERGENCY MANGEMENT OFFICIALS INDICATED THAT SEVERAL
CREEKS AND STREAMS WERE FLOODING AND SOME ROADS HAD BEEN WASHED
OUT.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY.  THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO
CROSS SAFELY.  VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE
ABANDONED QUICKLY.  MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS
IMMINENT.  MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES.  DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO CROSS BRIDGES...DIPS...OR LOW SPOTS IF WATER COVERS
THE ROADWAY.  NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A SMALL
ONE...ON FOOT.  TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood 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, Mar 3, 7:19 AM EST, 5 hours 41 minutes before
GAZ008-011-012-031300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
715 AM EST SUN MAR 3 1991

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 27 IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR COOK AND
COLQUITT COUNTIES OF SOUTH GEORGIA.  HOWEVER...OTHER COUNTIES
FARTHER EAST ARE STILL INCLUDED IN THE WATCH UNTIL 11 AM EST...

AT 712 AM EST WEATHER RADAR INDICATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WERE FROM NEAR VALDOSTA EAST TO BRUNSWICK AND NORTHEAST TO AROUND
SAVANNAH.  MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
THROUGHOUT THE AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR FLASH FLOODING THE
REMAINDER OF TONIGHT.  ALSO REMEMBER THAT CONDITIONS REMAIN
FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
IN EXTREME SOUTHERN GEORGIA THE NEXT FEW HOURS.  PLEASE CONTINUE TO
LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER NEWS MEDIA FOR FURTHER
STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Mar 3, 7:21 AM EST, 5 hours 39 minutes before
GAZ008-011-012-031300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA
715 AM EST SUN MAR 3 1991

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 27 IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR COOK AND
COLQUITT COUNTIES OF SOUTH GEORGIA.  HOWEVER...OTHER COUNTIES
FARTHER EAST ARE STILL INCLUDED IN THE WATCH UNTIL 11 AM EST...

AT 712 AM EST WEATHER RADAR INDICATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WERE FROM NEAR VALDOSTA EAST TO BRUNSWICK AND NORTHEAST TO AROUND
SAVANNAH.  MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
Special weather statement, Mar 3, 7:53 AM EST, 5 hours 7 minutes before
GAZ006-008-009-031500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
755 AM EST SUN MAR 3 1991

...MOST RAIN AND THUNDESTORMS HAVE MOVED OUT OF CENTRAL GEORGIA FOR
   THE TIME BEING...MORE ON THE WAY LATER TODAY...

AT 745 AM RADAR LOCATED A LARGE AREA OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER
THE EASTERN THIRD OF THE STATE MOVING EAST AT 60 MPH.

WHILE MOST OF THE ACTIVE WEATHER HAS MOVED OUT OF CENTRAL GEORGIA
IT WAS CONTINUING IN THE EASTERN THIRD OF GEORGIA AND REDEVELOPING
OVER WEST GEORGIA.

THERE WILL BE A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME THIS MORING WITH LITTLE OR NO
CLOUDINESS.  HOWEVER...WEATHER WAS CONTINUING TO DEVELOP OVER ALABAMA
AND WEST GEORGIA AND WILL MOVE INTO AND DEVELOP OVER CENTRAL GEORGIA
LATER THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON.

THERE HAS BEEN FROM ONE TO TWO INCHES OF RAINFALL OVER THE AREA...AND
A FEW SPOTS WITH EVEN HEAVIER RAINFALL.  RAINFALL TOTAL AT THE WEATHER
OFFICE IN MACON SHOWS 4.78 INCHES OF RAINFALL THIS MONTH SO FAR.  THAT IS
4.25 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL WITH 1.45 INCH HAVING BEEN RECEIVED SINCE EARLY
THIS MORNING.

THE GROUND IS SATURDATED. LOW LYING AREAS AND AREAS WHICH ARE FLOOD PRONE
MAY HAVE PROBLEMS WITH ANY MORE RAIN TODAY.  PERSONS IN THESE AREAS ARE
REMINDED TO REMAIN ALERT TO WEATHER CONDITIONS AND NEARBY WATER LEVELS.
Special weather statement, Mar 3, 9:56 AM EST, 3 hours 4 minutes before
GAZ009-031600-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA
955 AM EST SUN MAR 3 1991

...THUNDERSTORMS REDEVELOPING IN SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...

AT 950 AM RADAR LOCATED A THUNDERSTORM MOVING TOWARD ASBURN IN
TURNER COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST
AT 45 MPH.

BECAUSE OF THE FAST SPEED OF THIS THUNDERSTORM STRONG GUSTY WINDS
CAN BE EXPECTED AS IT MOVES THROUGH TURNER COUNTY. BRIEF HEAVY RAIN
WILL ALSO OCCUR...WITH POSSIBLE STREET FLOODING.
Special weather statement, Mar 3, 12:38 PM EST, 22 minutes before
GAZ002-004-031945-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
1237 PM EST SUN MAR 3 1991

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLOOWING COUNTIES OF NORTHEAST
GEORGIA UNTIL 500 PM EST...GREENE...MORGAN...OCONEE...TALIAFERRO...
   AND WALTON...

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TODAY FOR EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA MAINLY
   NORTH OF A LINE FROM CEDARTOWN TO DAWSONVILLE TO TOCCOA...

AT 1235 PM EST THE ATHENS RADAR INDICATED SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND NORTHWEST SOUTH CAROLINA.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WERE LOCATED ABOUT
20 MILES NORTHEAST OF MACON...30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF AUGUSTA...JUST
SOUTH OF WASHINGTON AND NEAR SWAINSBORO...ALL IN GEORGIA.

ELSEWHERE RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WERE
DETECTED ACROSS MUCH OF GEORGIA AND EXTENDED INTO SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE
AND THE WESTERN CAROLINAS.

MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 3, 11:00 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCDodge60 min
Mar 3, 11:49 AM ESTTornado WarningFFCHouston32 min
Mar 3, 11:51 AM ESTTornado WarningFFCHouston54 min
Mar 3, 11:59 AM ESTTornado WarningFFCTwiggs46 min
Mar 3, 12:43 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCLaurens, Wilkinson47 min
Mar 3, 1:08 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCTreutlen37 min
Mar 3, 3:44 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCRichmond2 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Georgia, 1991Every flash flood warning in 1991

Sources

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