Alert archive / Tennessee / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1994

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 66, NWS Atlanta, GA

May 15, 1994Hamilton County, Tennessee

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 15, 1994, 4:13 PM EDT for Hamilton County, Tennessee. It was in force for 62 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 15, 1994, 4:13 PM EDT (20:13 UTC)
Expired
May 15, 1994, 5:15 PM EDT
In force
62 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

County Hamilton County, TN

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 8.2 hours before the alert went out and 167 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 1994-05-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 67 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 1994-05-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 106 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
67 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-118 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
636 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
106 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
99 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 
WUUS1 KCHA 152014 RRA
SVRCHA
TNC065-152115-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHATTANOOGA TN
413 PM EDT SUN MAY 15 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHATTANOOGA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  515 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE
 
   ...HAMILTON COUNTY
 
AT 410 PM EDT...THE CHATTANOOGA WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM IN SOUTHERN HAMILTON COUNTY IN THE WESTERN SECTIONS
OF CHATTANOOGA.
 
THE STORM IS MOVING EAST AT 25 MILES PER HOUR AND MAY CONTAIN
HAIL...STRONG WINDS...DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND
VERY HEAVY RAINFALL.
 
 
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG BUILDING.  DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS.  DON'T USE TELEPHONES
OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLESS 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 15, 2:03 PM EDT, 2 hours 10 minutes before
GAZ008>010-014>018-023>029-035>038-047>051-151840-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
205 PM EDT SUN MAY 15 1994

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTHEAST
   GEORGIA UNTIL 800 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA...
DAWSON...UNION...TOWNS...RABUN...LUMPKIN...WHITE...HABERSHAM...
HALL...BANKS...JACKSON...BARROW...WALTON...AND NEWTON.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE DEVELOPING ACROSS PARTS OF NORTHEAST
GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. STAY ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING
WEATHER CONDITIONS. IF YOU ARE IN OR NEAR THUNDERSTORMS SEEK SHELTER
QUICKLY. THUNDERSTORMS MAY HAVE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING..AND POSSIBLE HAIL.
Special weather statement, May 15, 2:05 PM EDT, 2 hours 8 minutes before
GAZ008>010-014>018-023>029-035>038-047>051-151840-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
205 PM EDT SUN MAY 15 1994

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTHEAST
   GEORGIA UNTIL 800 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA...
DAWSON...UNION...TOWNS...RABUN...LUMPKIN...WHITE...HABERSHAM...
HALL...BANKS...JACKSON...BARROW...WALTON...AND NEWTON.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE DEVELOPING ACROSS PARTS OF NORTHEAST
GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. STAY ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING
WEATHER CONDITIONS. IF YOU ARE IN OR NEAR THUNDERSTORMS SEEK SHELTER
QUICKLY. THUNDERSTORMS MAY HAVE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING..AND POSSIBLE HAIL.
Special weather statement, May 15, 3:40 PM EDT, 33 minutes before
GAZ008>010-014>018-023>029-035>038-047>051-152040-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
340 PM EDT SUN MAY 15 1994

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTHEAST
   GEORGIA UNTIL 800 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

AT 330 PM EDT THERE WERE NO THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA HOWEVER
SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER MUCH OF NORTHWEST GEORGIA AND
WILL BE MOVING INTO THE WESTERN SECTIONS OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA IN AN
HOUR OR TWO. IF YOU AREA IN DAWSON...LUMPKIN...AND HALL COUNTIES BE
PREPARED AS THESE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE INTO YOUR AREA. THE STRONGEST
THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA WERE LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF CANTON
...10 MILES WEST OF JASPER...AND JUST SOUTHWEST OF CARTERSVILLE.
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF VERY HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY
WINDS...POSSIBLE HAIL...AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. MOVEMENT WAS
TO THE EAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

ELSEWHERE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED ACROSS EAST TENNESSEE...

NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA
AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. THE STRONGEST OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE
LOCATED 10 MILES EAST OF WAYNESBORO AND 10 MILES NORTHWEST
OF SYLVANIA GEORGIA.
Special weather statement, May 15, 3:42 PM EDT, 31 minutes before
GAZAL048-152050-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS,    GEORGIA
342 PM EDT SUN MAY 15 1994

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL
ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA UNTIL 8 PM EDT...

AT 245 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A FEW SCATTERED AREA'S
OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED NEAR MIDWAY AND HURTSBORO
ALABAMA.  OTHERS WERE LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF DOTHAN ALABAMA.
MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS WAS NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY CONTAIN SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS...DEADLY
LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS OF RAIN.

IF YOU PLAN TO BE OUTDOORS THIS EVENING...CHECK THE LATEST WEATHER
INFORMATION AND KEEP A WEATHER EYE ON THE SKY.
Special weather statement, May 15, 3:43 PM EDT, 30 minutes before
GAZ008>010-014>018-023>029-035>038-047>051-152040-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
340 PM EDT SUN MAY 15 1994

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTHEAST
   GEORGIA UNTIL 800 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

AT 330 PM EDT THERE WERE NO THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA HOWEVER
SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER MUCH OF NORTHWEST GEORGIA AND
WILL BE MOVING INTO THE WESTERN SECTIONS OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA IN AN
HOUR OR TWO. IF YOU AREA IN DAWSON...LUMPKIN...AND HALL COUNTIES BE
PREPARED AS THESE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE INTO YOUR AREA. THE STRONGEST
THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA WERE LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF CANTON
...10 MILES WEST OF JASPER...AND JUST SOUTHWEST OF CARTERSVILLE.
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF VERY HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY
WINDS...POSSIBLE HAIL...AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. MOVEMENT WAS
TO THE EAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

ELSEWHERE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED ACROSS EAST TENNESSEE...

NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA
AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. THE STRONGEST OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE
LOCATED 10 MILES EAST OF WAYNESBORO AND 10 MILES NORTHWEST
OF SYLVANIA GEORGIA.
Special weather statement, May 15, 3:48 PM EDT, 25 minutes before
GAZAL048-152050-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBUS,    GEORGIA
342 PM EDT SUN MAY 15 1994

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL
ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA UNTIL 8 PM EDT...

AT 245 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A FEW SCATTERED AREA'S
OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED NEAR MIDWAY AND HURTSBORO
ALABAMA.  OTHERS WERE LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF DOTHAN ALABAMA.
MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS WAS NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY CONTAIN SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS...DEADLY
LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS OF RAIN.

IF YOU PLAN TO BE OUTDOORS THIS EVENING...CHECK THE LATEST WEATHER
INFORMATION AND KEEP A WEATHER EYE ON THE SKY.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 15, 3:27 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMarion63 min
May 15, 4:48 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBradley42 min
May 15, 5:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCPolk42 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Tennessee, 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.