Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1996

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 299, NWS Atlanta, GA

August 23, 19964 counties in Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 23, 1996, 9:01 PM EDT for 4 counties in Georgia. It was in force for 44 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
Aug 23, 1996, 9:01 PM EDT (01:01 UTC)
Expired
Aug 23, 1996, 9:45 PM EDT
In force
44 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Clayton County, GA, Coweta County, GA, Fayette County, GA, Fulton County, GA

The radar

The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 18 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:03 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 23, 9:30 PM EDTThunderstorm WindFayetteville, 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 1.0 hours before the alert went out and 17 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 1996-08-24Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 454 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 1996-08-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -5 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 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
454 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-9 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1801 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-5 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
37 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 KATL 240109 COR
SVRATL
GAC063-077-113-121-240145-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING ...CORRECTED FOR TYPO
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
901 PM EDT FRI AUG 23 1996

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  945 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...

IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA

   ...CLAYTON COUNTY...COWETA COUNTY...FAYETTE COUNTY
   ...SOUTHERN FULTON COUNTY

AT 855 PM WEATHER DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
FROM HAPEVILLE TO RIVERDALE TO 5 MILES NORTH OF PEACHTREE CITY TO 5
MILES EAST OF NEWNAN...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 5 MPH.

THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCED WINDS OVER 50 MPH THAT HAVE DOWNED TREES AND
POWER LINES IN GWINETT AND DEKALB COUNTIES. FREQUENT LIGHTNING ALSO
ACCOMPANIED THESE STORMS AND HAS PRODUCED SEVERAL HOUSE FIRES.

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER FROM THE WEATHER IN A
STRONG BUILDING.  DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN...
AND DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE ALL POSSIBLE IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
STAY INSIDE AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.



&

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, Aug 23, 6:24 PM EDT, 2 hours 37 minutes before
GAZ039-051-062-232325-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
624 PM EDT FRI AUG 23 1996

...HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING ACCOMPANYING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM
IN WARREN COUNTY THAT WILL MOVE INTO WILKES AND TALIAFERRO
COUNTIES...

AT 625 PM WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF WASHINGTON IN WILKES COUNTY...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 10 MPH.
THIS MOVEMENT WILL TAKE THE STORM INTO WARREN AND TALIAFERRO COUNTIES
WITHIN THE NEXT 30 MINUTES.

THE STORM MAY BE ACCOMPANIED BY HEAVY RAINFALL AT THE RATE OF ONE TO TWO
INCHES AN HOUR...FREQUENT AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUST TO 40 MPH. THE RAIN MAY CAUSE
LOCALIZED FLOODING.

AT SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING STORM...TOWERING THUNDERHEADS...DARKENING
SKIES...LIGHTNING AND INCREASING WINDS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY.
TUNE IN NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR
THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, Aug 23, 6:29 PM EDT, 2 hours 32 minutes before
GAZ039-051-062-232325-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED HEADER
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
624 PM EDT FRI AUG 23 1996

...HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING ACCOMPANYING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM
IN WILKES COUNTY THAT WILL MOVE INTO WARREN AND TALIAFERRO
COUNTIES...

AT 625 PM WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF WASHINGTON IN WILKES COUNTY...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 10 MPH.
THIS MOVEMENT WILL TAKE THE STORM INTO WARREN AND TALIAFERRO COUNTIES
WITHIN THE NEXT 30 MINUTES.

THE STORM MAY BE ACCOMPANIED BY HEAVY RAINFALL AT THE RATE OF ONE TO TWO
INCHES AN HOUR...FREQUENT AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUST TO 40 MPH. THE RAIN MAY CAUSE
LOCALIZED FLOODING.

AT SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING STORM...TOWERING THUNDERHEADS...DARKENING
SKIES...LIGHTNING AND INCREASING WINDS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY.
TUNE IN NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR
THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, Aug 23, 7:12 PM EDT, 1 hour 49 minutes before
GAZ002-003-240015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
711 PM EDT FRI AUG 23 1996

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER SOUTH CATOOSA COUNTY...

AT 710 PM WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A LARGE THUNDERSTORM LOCATED 5 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF RINGGOLD IN CATOOSA COUNTY...AND AFFECTING WALKER COUNTY.
THIS STORM SHOWED LITTLE MOVEMENT...WHICH CAN RESULT IN
LOCALIZED FLOODING DUE TO HEAVY RAINFALL.

THIS STORM WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH.

IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SHELTER IMMEDIATELY IF A
STORM APPROACHES.  MOTORISTS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR REDUCED
VISIBILITIES DURING DOWNPOURS OF0 RAIN.  STREETS MAY FLOOD QUICKLY.
Local storm report, Aug 23, 8:39 PM EDT, 22 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
837 PM EDT FRI AUG 23 1996

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

759 PM     LILBURN                   GA   WIND DAMAGE
8/23/96    GWINNETT                       BLDNG COLLAPSED HOLKUM BRIDGE
                                           RD.  POWER LINES AND NUMEROU
                                          S TREES DOWN.
Local storm report, Aug 23, 8:54 PM EDT, 7 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
855 PM EDT FRI AUG 23 1996

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

820 PM     6W LITHONIA               GA   WIND DAMAGE
8/23/96    DEKALB                         NUMEROUS TREES DOWN IN SOUTH
                                          PORTION OF COUNTY.  SEVERAL
                                          HOMES STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 23, 8:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCClayton, DeKalb34 min
Aug 23, 8:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCFayette34 min
Aug 24, 4:51 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHall39 min
Aug 24, 4:55 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCGwinnett35 min
Aug 24, 5:00 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCarroll30 min
Aug 24, 5:27 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCherokee33 min
Aug 24, 5:54 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCFloyd36 min
Aug 24, 6:00 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCobb, Fulton30 min
Aug 24, 6:14 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCPeach31 min
Aug 24, 6:33 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCClayton, DeKalb, Henry27 min
Aug 24, 6:38 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHaralson, Paulding37 min
Aug 24, 6:47 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCOglethorpe28 min
Aug 24, 6:59 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCWilkes31 min
Aug 24, 7:04 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCClayton, Henry, Spalding26 min
Aug 24, 7:35 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCWilkes25 min
Aug 24, 7:52 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMeriwether, Pike, Upson53 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Georgia, 1996Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1996

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.