Alert archive / Georgia / Tornado Warnings in 1991
Tornado Warning 4, NWS Atlanta, GA
NWS Atlanta, GA issued this tornado warning at Mar 29, 1991, 8:37 AM EST for Cobb County, Georgia. It was in force for 38 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Mar 29, 1991, 8:37 AM EST (13:37 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 29, 1991, 9:15 AM EST
- In force
- 38 min
- Issued by
- NWS Atlanta, GA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Cobb County, GA
The nearest sounding before it
Athens Municipal, GA (KAHN), launched 12:00Z, 1.6 hours before the alert went out and 118 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 450 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -10 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 625 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 67 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 293 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 356 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.9
- Supercell composite
- 4.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KATL 291337 TORATL GAC067-291415- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA 837 AM EST FRI MAR 29 1991 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ATLANTA HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 915 AM EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA ...COBB COUNTY RADAR INDICATED A STORM MOVING THROUGH COBB COUNTY TO THE NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. FUNNEL CLOUDS HAVE BEEN SIGHTED WITH THIS STORM NEAR SMYRNA. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION. ACT QUICKLY. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF AVAILABLE. OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE. AVOID WINDOWS. ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado 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 29, 5:55 AM EST, 2 hours 42 minutes before
GAZALL-300000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GEORGIA 600 AM EST FRIDAY MARCH 29 1991 ...OUTBREAK OF TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TODAY INTO TONIGHT OVER MUCH OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES... THE NATIONAL SEVERE STORMS FORECAST CENTER IN KANSAS CITY MISSOURI IS FORECASTING AN OUTBREAK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES TODAY INTO TONIGHT OVER A LARGE PART OF THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. THE STATES WHICH ARE MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THE BRUNT OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO ACTIVITY INCLUDE PARTS OF ALABAMA ...AND MOST OF GEORGIA...SOUTH CAROLINA AND NORTH CAROLINA. A LOW PRESSURE AREA LOCATED OVER MISSISSIPPI THIS MORNING WILL DEEPEN AND MOVE RAPIDLY NORTHEAST TODAY TO A POSITION OVER NORTH CAROLINA BY TONIGHT. A STRONG COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE EASTWARD ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST STATES THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT PROVIDING THE MAIN FOCUS FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. A VERY STRONG UPPER LEVEL JETSTREAM MOVING FROM TEXAS TO NORTH CAROLINA WILL INTERACT WITH A STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW OF WARM AND MOIST AIR FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO. THIS COMBINATION OF CONTRASTING AIR MASSES IS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY INGREDIENTS FOR AN EXPLOSIVE OUTBREAK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES TODAY INTO TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS PARTS OF ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI THIS MORNING WHERE TORNADO WATCHES HAVE ALREADY BEEN ISSUED. DAYTIME HEATING WILL SET THE STAGE FOR INTENSIFICATION OF THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM GEORGIA INTO SOUTH CAROLINA AND NORTH CAROLINA. THE COMBINATION OF A DEEPENING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM...A VERY STRONG JETSTREAM ALOFT AND A MOIST UNSTABLE AIRMASS AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BE SUFFICIENT TO BRING A THREAT OF POTENTIALLY DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES TO THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS AND LARGE HAIL AREA ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. IT IS EMPHASIZED THAT THIS IS A DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION FOR MUCH OF ALABAMA...GEORGIA... SOUTH CAROLINA...AND NORTH CAROLINA. ALL PERSONS IN THE THREATENED AREA ARE URGED TO REVIEW SAFETY RULES ...AND LISTEN TO RADIO..TV..OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WATCHES OR WARNINGS. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION FOR THE AFFECTED AREAS AND SHOULD BE MONITORED VERY CLOSELY.
Special weather statement, Mar 29, 7:16 AM EST, 1 hour 21 minutes before
GAZ005-006-ALZ012-291315- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS GA 713 AM EST FRI MAR 29 1991 ...THUNDERSTORMS INCREASING OVER WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA AND EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA... AT 710 AM EST WEATHER RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS AROUND HURTSBORO AND EUFAULA ALABAMA MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. THESE AND OTHER THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER CENTRAL GEORGIA AND CENTRAL ALABAMA FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS. PEOPLE IN THOSE AREAS...INCLUDING COLUMBUS AND PHENIX CITY...SHOULD BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS MORNING. THE LARGER THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO CONTAIN VERY HEAVY RAINFALL... SMALL HAIL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS. SINCE SEVERE WEATHER MAY DEVELOP OVER CENTRAL GEORGIA AND CENTRAL ALABAMA TODAY...PEOPLE IN THOSE AREAS SHOULD ALSO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO STATIONS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
Special weather statement, Mar 29, 7:29 AM EST, 1 hour 8 minutes before
GAZ001-003-005-291330- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GEORGIA 730 AM EST FRI MAR 29 1991 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST FOR MOST OF NORTH GEORGIA... AT 725 AM EST AN AREA OF RAIN WITH A FEW THUNDERSTORMS COVERED MOST OF NORTH GEORGIA FROM NORTH OF A LINE FROM CLAYTON TO CEDARTOWN. HOWEVER A STRONGER LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS IN ALABAMA JUST WEST OF CEDARTOWN MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. THIS REMAINS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OR TORNADOES COULD DEVELOP VERY QUICKLY. RESIDENTS OF NORTH GEORGIA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO THE WEATHER AND SEEK SAFE SHELTER INDOORS IF THREATENING WEATHER DEVELOPS OR A WARNING IS ISSUED.
Local storm report, Mar 29, 7:31 AM EST, 1 hour 6 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA 730 AM EST FRI MAR 29 1991 WARNING.... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM COUNTY..... FLOYD SOURCE..... PUBLIC REPORT TO FLOYD COUNTY 911 TIME...... BETWEEN 6 AND 630 AM LOCATION... NEAR THE TOWN OF SILVER CREEK DAMAGE..... TREES DOWN ACROSS ROADWAY HAIL....... NONE REPORTED INJURIES... NOT REPORTED REMARKS.... NONE WARNING.... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM COUNTY..... POLK SOURCE..... VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT. TIME....... BETWEEN 6 AND 630 AM LOCATION... TOWN OF ESOM HILL DAMAGE..... NUMEROUS POWER AND PHONE LINES DOWN HAIL....... NONE REPORTED INJURIES... NOT REPORTED REMARKS.... NONE
Special weather statement, Mar 29, 8:08 AM EST, 29 minutes before
GAZ006-291515- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MACON GA 809 AM EST FRI MAR 29 1991 ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST FOR MOST OF NORTH GEORGIA INCLUDING MONROE...JASPER...AND PUTNAM COUNTIES... A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON FOR MOST OF NORTH GEORGIA. AT 8 AM EST WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED ONLY LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN MOVING INTO CENTRAL GEORGIA. HOWEVER...POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST GEORGIA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT AROUND 50 MPH. THE NATIONAL SEVERE STORMS FORECAST CENTER IN KANSAS CITY IS FORECASTING AN OUTBREAK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO A^CTIVITY FOR MOST OF GEORGIA TODAY. PERSONS IN THE THREATENED AREA...INCLUDING ALL OF CENTRAL GEORGIA...ARE URGED TO REVIEW SAFETY RULES AND LISTEN TO RADIO...TV...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WATCHES OR WARNINGS.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Atlanta, GA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 29, 5:48 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Floyd, Polk | 42 min |
| Mar 29, 7:46 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Carroll | 29 min |
| Mar 29, 8:29 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Cobb | 31 min |
| Mar 29, 8:31 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Douglas | 29 min |
| Mar 29, 8:46 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Fulton | 44 min |
| Mar 29, 9:05 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | DeKalb | 40 min |
| Mar 29, 9:16 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Coweta, Fayette | 44 min |
| Mar 29, 9:24 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Gwinnett | 51 min |
| Mar 29, 9:29 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Clayton, Fulton | 46 min |
| Mar 29, 9:32 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Jasper, Monroe | 58 min |
| Mar 29, 9:39 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Butts, Lamar | 51 min |
| Mar 29, 9:41 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Crawford | 64 min |
| Mar 29, 9:55 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Walton | 65 min |
| Mar 29, 10:14 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Banks, Franklin, Habersham, Jackson, Stephens | 61 min |
| Mar 29, 10:14 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Barrow | 61 min |
| Mar 29, 10:20 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Meriwether, Troup | 25 min |
| Mar 29, 11:01 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Elbert, Franklin, Hart, Madison | 119 min |
| Mar 29, 11:01 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Clarke, Oconee, Oglethorpe | 119 min |
| Mar 29, 11:01 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Stephens | 119 min |
| Mar 29, 11:12 AM EST | Tornado Warning | FFC | Monroe | 48 min |
| Mar 29, 11:32 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Jasper, Jones | 58 min |
| Mar 29, 11:32 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Crawford | 58 min |
| Mar 29, 11:50 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Bibb, Houston, Peach | 55 min |
| Mar 29, 12:36 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Twiggs | 69 min |
| Mar 29, 12:45 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Glascock, Jefferson, Washington | 60 min |
| Mar 29, 12:50 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Houston | 55 min |
| Mar 29, 12:50 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Wilkinson | 55 min |
| Mar 29, 1:42 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Burke, Emanuel, Jefferson, Johnson | 33 min |
| Mar 29, 2:24 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Upson | 36 min |
| Mar 29, 2:25 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Burke, Jenkins, Screven | 35 min |
| Mar 29, 3:19 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Bibb, Crawford, Peach | 56 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Georgia, 1991Every tornado warning in 1991Tornadoes 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.