Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 436, NWS Atlanta, GA

August 15, 1997Madison County, Oglethorpe County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 15, 1997, 7:44 PM EDT for Madison County, Oglethorpe County, Georgia. It was in force for 31 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
Aug 15, 1997, 7:44 PM EDT (23:44 UTC)
Expired
Aug 15, 1997, 8:15 PM EDT
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Madison County, GA, Oglethorpe County, GA

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 15, 8:00 PM EDTThunderstorm WindDanielsville, GAMadison county 911 reported several trees were blown down by thunderstorm winds.
Aug 15, 8:10 PM EDTThunderstorm WindLexington, GAOglethorpe county 911 reported several trees were blown down by thunderstorm winds.

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 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 144 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 1997-08-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 104 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 1997-08-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 62 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
104 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-154 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
945 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
12 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
62 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
64 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 152339 RRA
SVRATL
GAC195-221-160015-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
744 PM EDT FRI AUG 15 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  815 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA
 
   ...SOUTHERN MADISON COUNTY...OGLETHORPE COUNTY
 
AT 740 PM RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM BETWEEN LEXINGTON AND COMER
MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.
 
 
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...LIGHTNING POSES A SERIOUS DANGER.
STAY INDOORS AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS. DON'T USE TELEPHONES OR
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES, UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY. IF BOATING OR
SWIMMING...GET TO LAND QUICKLY AND FIND SHELTER. IF IN THE OPEN FIND
A LOW SPOT AWAY FROM TREES, FENCES, AND POLES.
 
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, Aug 15, 4:50 PM EDT, 2 hours 54 minutes before
GAZ074>076-085>088-097>101-108>119-125-127>141-143>166-152200-

EXCESSIVE HEAT ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
450 PM EDT FRI AUG 15 1997

A HEAT ADVISORY WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTH
GEORGIA SATURDAY AFTERNOON. A WARM MOIST AIRMASS WILL CONTINUE OVER
THE SOUTHEAST STATES THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

COUNTIES IN THE ADVISORY AREA ARE GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM
COLQUITT TO ABBEVILLE TO GIBSON. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW TO
MID 90S COMBINED WITH HUMIDITIES OF 55 TO 65 PERCENT WILL PRODUCE HEAT
INDICES BETWEEN 105 AND 100 DEGREES IN THE ADVISORY AREA.

THE HEAT INDEX IS A MEASURE OF THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE AND
HUMIDITY ON THE HUMAN BODY. WITH PROLONGED EXPOSURE AND/OR PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY THESE DANGEROUS HEAT INDICES CAN CAUSE HEAT CRAMPS AND HEAT
EXHAUSTION THAT CAN LEAD TO HEAT STROKE. THOSE INVOLVED IN OUTDOOR
ACTIVITIES SHOULD TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER AND
OTHER NON-ALCOHOLIC FLUIDS. REDUCE PHYSICAL ACIVITIES AND SPEND MORE
TIME IN AIR CONDITIONING. ELDERLY PERSONS AND PETS ARE MORE
PRONE TO THE EFFECTS OF THESE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS.

SINCE HEAT INDEX VALUES WERE DEVISED FOR SHADY...LIGHT WIND CONDITIONS
...EXPOSURE TO FULL SUNSHINE CAN INCREASE VALUES UP TO 15 DEGREES.

DH
Special weather statement, Aug 15, 4:53 PM EDT, 2 hours 51 minutes before
GAZ074>076-085>088-097>101-108>119-125-127>141-143>166-152200-

EXCESSIVE HEAT ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
450 PM EDT FRI AUG 15 1997

A HEAT ADVISORY WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTH
GEORGIA SATURDAY AFTERNOON. A WARM MOIST AIRMASS WILL CONTINUE OVER
THE SOUTHEAST STATES THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

COUNTIES IN THE ADVISORY AREA ARE GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM
COLQUITT TO ABBEVILLE TO GIBSON. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW TO
MID 90S COMBINED WITH HUMIDITIES OF 55 TO 65 PERCENT WILL PRODUCE HEAT
INDICES BETWEEN 105 AND 100 DEGREES IN THE ADVISORY AREA.

THE HEAT INDEX IS A MEASURE OF THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE AND
HUMIDITY ON THE HUMAN BODY. WITH PROLONGED EXPOSURE AND/OR PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY THESE DANGEROUS HEAT INDICES CAN CAUSE HEAT CRAMPS AND HEAT
EXHAUSTION THAT CAN LEAD TO HEAT STROKE. THOSE INVOLVED IN OUTDOOR
ACTIVITIES SHOULD TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER AND
OTHER NON-ALCOHOLIC FLUIDS. REDUCE PHYSICAL ACIVITIES AND SPEND MORE
TIME IN AIR CONDITIONING. ELDERLY PERSONS AND PETS ARE MORE
PRONE TO THE EFFECTS OF THESE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS.

SINCE HEAT INDEX VALUES WERE DEVISED FOR SHADY...LIGHT WIND CONDITIONS
...EXPOSURE TO FULL SUNSHINE CAN INCREASE VALUES UP TO 15 DEGREES.

DH
Special weather statement, Aug 15, 4:57 PM EDT, 2 hours 47 minutes before
GAZ074>076-085>088-097>101-108>119-125-127>141-143>166-161100-

EXCESSIVE HEAT ADVISORY...CORRECTION TO EXPIRATION TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
450 PM EDT FRI AUG 15 1997

A HEAT ADVISORY WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTH
GEORGIA SATURDAY AFTERNOON. A WARM MOIST AIRMASS WILL CONTINUE OVER
THE SOUTHEAST STATES THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

COUNTIES IN THE ADVISORY AREA ARE GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM
COLQUITT TO ABBEVILLE TO GIBSON. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW TO
MID 90S COMBINED WITH HUMIDITIES OF 55 TO 65 PERCENT WILL PRODUCE HEAT
INDICES BETWEEN 105 AND 100 DEGREES IN THE ADVISORY AREA.

THE HEAT INDEX IS A MEASURE OF THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE AND
HUMIDITY ON THE HUMAN BODY. WITH PROLONGED EXPOSURE AND/OR PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY THESE DANGEROUS HEAT INDICES CAN CAUSE HEAT CRAMPS AND HEAT
EXHAUSTION THAT CAN LEAD TO HEAT STROKE. THOSE INVOLVED IN OUTDOOR
ACTIVITIES SHOULD TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER AND
OTHER NON-ALCOHOLIC FLUIDS. REDUCE PHYSICAL ACIVITIES AND SPEND MORE
TIME IN AIR CONDITIONING. ELDERLY PERSONS AND PETS ARE MORE
PRONE TO THE EFFECTS OF THESE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS.

SINCE HEAT INDEX VALUES WERE DEVISED FOR SHADY...LIGHT WIND CONDITIONS
...EXPOSURE TO FULL SUNSHINE CAN INCREASE VALUES UP TO 15 DEGREES.

DH

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 15, 3:45 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCrawford45 min
Aug 15, 3:45 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMacon45 min
Aug 15, 4:00 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCPeach45 min
Aug 15, 4:19 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBibb, Houston41 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.