Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1994

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 16, NWS Atlanta, GA

March 27, 1994Whitfield County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 27, 1994, 6:00 PM EST for Whitfield County, Georgia. It was in force for 30 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 27, 1994, 6:00 PM EST (23:00 UTC)
Expired
Mar 27, 1994, 6:30 PM EST
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

County Whitfield County, GA

The nearest sounding before it

Athens Municipal, GA (KAHN), launched 12:00Z, 11.0 hours before the alert went out and 180 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 1994-03-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 9 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 1994-03-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 530 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
9 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-138 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
528 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
70 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
530 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
654 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KCHA 272300
SVRCHA
GAC313-272330-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHATTANOOGA TN
600 PM EST SUN MAR 27 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHATTANOOGA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  630 PM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
 
   ...WHITFIELD COUNTY
 
AT 555 PM EST...THE CHATTANOOGA WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM IN WESTERN WHITFIELD COUNTY ABOUT 5 MILES WEST OF
DALTON.
 
THE STORM IS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 60 MILES PER HOUR AND
PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD BE READY TO TAKE COVER
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.
 
THIS STORM SHOULD PASS JUST NORTH OF DALTON.
 
 
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.  REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.  REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

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, Mar 27, 3:38 PM EST, 2 hours 22 minutes before
GAZ008-009-010-014-015-016-017-018-023-024-025-026-027-028-029-
035-036-037-038-047-048-049-050-051-272130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY ...COR...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
328 PM EST SUN MAR 27 1994

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST FOR ALL COUNTIES
   OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA...

AT 328 PM EST...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...SOME VERY INTENSE...WERE
OCCURRING ACROSS THE HIGHLANDS OF NORTH GEORGIA AND EXTENDED INTO
NORTH4EAST ALABAMA...SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE...SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA
AND NORTHWEST SOUTH CAROLINA. THE MOST INTENSE STORMS WERE IN
WESTERN OCONEE COUNTY OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND 20 MILES EAST OF ROME
GEORGIA.

MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT NEAR 60 MILES AN HOUR.
Local storm report, Mar 27, 4:01 PM EST, 1 hour 59 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
355PM SUN MAR 27 1994

COUNTY........LUMPKIN

SOURCE........ HAM RADIO NETWORK

TIME.......... APPROX 3 PM

LOCATION......OAK GR ROAD HWY 19 N FROMn DAHLONEGA

TYPE STORM....SEVERE THUNDERSTORM

HAIL..........NONE REPORTED

DAMAGE........POWER LINES DOWN ROAD BLOCKED TREES DOWN..

INJURIES...... UNKNOWN
Special weather statement, Mar 27, 4:29 PM EST, 1 hour 31 minutes before
GAZ008-009-010-014-015-016-017-018-023-024-025-026-027-028-029-
035-036-037-038-047-048-049-050-051-272130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
428 PM EST SUN MAR 27 1994

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST FOR ALL COUNTIES
   OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA...EXCEPT HART AND ELBERT UNTIL 9 PM EST.

AT 425 PM EST...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...SOME VERY INTENSE...WERE
OCCURRING ACROSS THE HIGHLANDS OF NORTH GEORGIA AND EXTENDED INTO
NORTHWEST SOUTH CAROLINA. THE MOST INTENSE STORMS WERE IN PICKENS
AND GRENVILLE COUNTIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 60 MILES AN HOUR.

OTHER RAIN COVER PARTS OF NORTHEAST ALABAMA...SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE...
AND THE WESTERN CAROLINAS.
Local storm report, Mar 27, 5:20 PM EST, 40 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
515 PM SUN MAR 27 1994

COUNTY........LUMPKIN

SOURCE........ LUMPKIN COUNTY EMA

TIME.......... APPROX 3 PM TO 5 PM

LOCATION......LUMPKIN COUNTY@

TYPE STORM....TORNADO

HAIL..........

DAMAGE........

INJURIES......2 FATALITIES...50 TO 75 INJURED. DETAILS UNKNOWN
              AT THIS TIME.
Special weather statement, Mar 27, 5:29 PM EST, 31 minutes before
GAZ008-009-010-014-015-016-017-018-023-024-025-026-027-028-029-
035-036-037-038-047-048-049-050-051-272130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
525 PM EST SUN MAR 27 1994

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST FOR ALL COUNTIES
   OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA...EXCEPT HART AND ELBERT UNTIL 9 PM EST.
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING UNTIL 5:45 PM EST FOR HABERSHAM...
   WHITE AND LUMPKIN COUNTIES.

AT 525 PM EST...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...SOME VERY INTENSE...WERE
OCCURRING ACROSS THE HIGHLANDS OF NORTH GEORGIA AND EXTENDED INTO
NORTHWEST SOUTH CAROLINA. THE MOST INTENSE STORMS WERE IN GREENVILLE
COUNTY OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EASfT AT 60 MILES AN HOUR.

OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS INDICATED OVER EAST TENNESSEE...EAST
ALABAMA...AND THE WESTERN CAROLINAS.
Local storm report, Mar 27, 5:59 PM EST, 1 minute before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
555 PM EST SUN MAR 27 1994

COUNTY..... PICKENS COUNTY
SOURCE..... FIRE CHIEF, WOODSTOCK, GA.
TYPE....... TORNADO
WIDTH...... AT ONE POINT 1/2 MILE AS IT CROSSED A ROAD
LENGTH..... UNKNOWN
TIME....... 153 PM EST
LOCATION... IN PICKENS COUNTY JUST NORTH OF THE PICKENS-CHEROKEE CO.
            LINE NORTH OF WOODSTOCK
DAMAGE..... 40 TO 50 HOUSES DAMAGED OR DESTROYED

INJURIES... NUMEROUS...4 CRITICAL...EVACUATED BY HELICOPTER

DEATHS...   FOUR

NOFFSINGER, FIC

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 27, 2:05 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCCatoosa, Walker, Whitfield55 min
Mar 27, 2:20 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCDawson, Lumpkin, White40 min
Mar 27, 2:27 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCFloyd33 min
Mar 27, 2:37 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCHabersham, Rabun, White53 min
Mar 27, 2:37 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCLumpkin53 min
Mar 27, 3:01 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBartow, Gordon29 min
Mar 27, 3:20 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCBartow, Cherokee, Gordon, Pickens25 min
Mar 27, 3:22 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCFloyd, Polk38 min
Mar 27, 3:41 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCGilmer34 min
Mar 27, 3:42 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHabersham, Hall48 min
Mar 27, 3:51 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBartow, Pickens39 min
Mar 27, 4:03 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCStephens27 min
Mar 27, 4:22 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCHabersham, White38 min
Mar 27, 4:22 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCRabun38 min
Mar 27, 4:51 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHabersham, White54 min
Mar 27, 4:51 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCLumpkin54 min
Mar 27, 6:58 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCFloyd, Polk32 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Georgia, 1994Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1994

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.