Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 324, NWS Atlanta, GA

June 18, 1997Johnson County, Washington County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 18, 1997, 1:36 PM EDT for Johnson County, Washington County, Georgia. It was in force for 39 min. 2 reports 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
Jun 18, 1997, 1:36 PM EDT (17:36 UTC)
Expired
Jun 18, 1997, 2:15 PM EDT
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Johnson County, GA, Washington County, GA

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jun 18, 2:00 PM EDTThunderstorm WindSandersville, GASeveral trees were downed on Georgia Highway 15 (southbound).
Jun 18, 2:05 PM EDTThunderstorm WindWrightsville, GATwo trees were knocked down on Georgia Highways 15 and 57.

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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jun 18, 1:15 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 5.6 hours before the alert went out and 175 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 12:00Z on 1997-06-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 128 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 1997-06-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 139 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
128 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-87 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
907 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
139 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
164 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
1.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KATL 181738 RRA
SVRATL
GAC167-303-181815-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
136 PM EDT WED JUN 18 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  215 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA
 
   ...JOHNSON COUNTY...WASHINGTON COUNTY
 
AT 133 PM RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM EASTERN
WILKINSON COUNTY TO LAURENS COUNTY. THIS LINE OF STORMS WAS MOVING EAST
AT 30 MPH.
 
THESE STORMS DOWNED TREES OVER SOUTHERN WILKINSON COUNTY.
 
 
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. BOATERS, GOLFERS, AND OTHERS
INVOLVED IN OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES SHOULD SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.
 
IF YOU EXPERIENCE STORM DAMAGE TO STRUCTURES OR TREES...OR HAIL THE
SIZE OF DIMES OR LARGER...PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE BY CALLING 770-486-8535.

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, Jun 18, 12:07 PM EDT, 1 hour 29 minutes before
GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086-
091>098-103>113-182100-

NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
1207 PM EDT WED JUN 18 1997

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTH AND CENTRAL
GERGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

HIGH VALUES OF CONVECTIVE AVAILABLE POTENTIAL ENERGY...AS WELL AS LOW
WET BULB ZERO LEVELS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF GEORGIA WILL CREATE
AN ENVIRONMENT FAVORABLE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  STRONG STORMS WILL BEGIN OVER CENTRAL
AND SOUTH GEORGIA WHERE A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS AND HIGHER
INSTABILITY EXIST...THEN LATER DEVELOPING OVER PORTIONS OF NORTH
GEORGIA AS A SHORTWAVE BRINGS STRONG DYNAMIC LIFT OVER THE AREA.

SPOTTERS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT IN CASE ACTIVATION IS NEEDED. EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL SHOULD MONITOR THE SITUATION BY BEING ALERT TO
FURTHER STATEMENTS...SHORT TERM FORECASTS...AS WELL AS ANY WATCHES OR
WARNINGS ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE.

99
Special weather statement, Jun 18, 12:10 PM EDT, 1 hour 26 minutes before
GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086-
091>098-103>113-182100-

NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
1207 PM EDT WED JUN 18 1997

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTH AND CENTRAL
GERGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

HIGH VALUES OF CONVECTIVE AVAILABLE POTENTIAL ENERGY...AS WELL AS LOW
WET BULB ZERO LEVELS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF GEORGIA WILL CREATE
AN ENVIRONMENT FAVORABLE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  STRONG STORMS WILL BEGIN OVER CENTRAL
AND SOUTH GEORGIA WHERE A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS AND HIGHER
INSTABILITY EXIST...THEN LATER DEVELOPING OVER PORTIONS OF NORTH
GEORGIA AS A SHORTWAVE BRINGS STRONG DYNAMIC LIFT OVER THE AREA.

SPOTTERS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT IN CASE ACTIVATION IS NEEDED. EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL SHOULD MONITOR THE SITUATION BY BEING ALERT TO
FURTHER STATEMENTS...SHORT TERM hFORECASTS...AS WELL AS ANY WATCHES OR
WARNINGS ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE.

99

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 18, 12:57 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBleckley, Twiggs33 min
Jun 18, 1:13 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCWilkinson32 min
Jun 18, 1:25 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCLaurens35 min
Jun 18, 1:56 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCEmanuel, Treutlen49 min
Jun 18, 2:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCJefferson27 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Georgia, 1997Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1997

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.