Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 442, NWS Atlanta, GA

August 17, 1997Taliaferro County, Wilkes County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 17, 1997, 6:38 PM EDT for Taliaferro County, Wilkes County, Georgia. It was in force for 52 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 17, 1997, 6:38 PM EDT (22:38 UTC)
Expired
Aug 17, 1997, 7:30 PM EDT
In force
52 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Taliaferro County, GA, Wilkes County, GA

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 17, 6:40 PM EDTThunderstorm WindLyneville, GAGeorgia State Patrol reported two trees were blown down..
Aug 17, 6:45 PM EDTThunderstorm WindRayle, GARayle EMC reported several large trees were blown down.

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, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 160 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 1997-08-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2630 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 1997-08-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -32 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
2630 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-40 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
669 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
5 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-32 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
19 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 172235 RRA
SVRATL
GAC265-317-172330-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
638 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  730 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA
 
   ...TALIAFERRO COUNTY...WILKES COUNTY
 
AT 635 PM EDT RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 15 MILES WEST OF
WASHINGTON IN NORTHERN TALIAFERRO COUNTY. THE STORM WAS MOVING TO THE
EAST AT 15 MPH.
 
 
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.
 
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

Local storm report, Aug 17, 1:50 PM EDT, 4 hours 48 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
147 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 1997

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

830 PM     S KATHLEEN                GA   WIND DAMAGE
8/16/97    HOUSTON                        TREES DOWN ON HOUSES AND
                                          CARS ALONG HWY 129. REPORTED
                                          BY HOUSTON 911.

830 PM     18 ESE MACON              GA   WIND DAMAGE
8/16/97    TWIGGS                         TREES DOWN ON MYRICKS MILL RD
                                          OFF HWY 80. REPORTED BY
                                          TWIGGS 911.
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 5:43 PM EDT, 55 minutes before
GAZ027-036-038-172245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION TO HEADLINE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
543 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR CLARKE COUNTY EXPIRED AT 545 PM...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED DIME TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL ON THE
EAST SIDE OF ATHENS AND EASTERN CLARKE COUNTY FROM 520 TO 530 PM.
THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING EAST INTO OGLETHORPE COUNTY AT 20 MPH.
THE WEATHER OBSERVER AT THE ATHENS AIRPORT REPORTED 46 MPH WIND
GUSTS AT 540 PM.

THE THUNDERSTORM IS IN ITS DISSIPATING STAGE BUT WIND GUSTS UP
TO 40 MPH...HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL CONTINUE OVER
OGLETHORPE COUNTY THROUGH 630 PM.

KDF
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 5:45 PM EDT, 53 minutes before
GAZ027-036-038-172245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
543 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM FOR CLARKE COUNTY EXPIRED AT 545 PM...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED DIME TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL ON THE
EAST SIDE OF ATHENS AND EASTERN CLARKE COUNTY FROM 520 TO 530 PM.
THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING EAST INTO OGLETHORPE COUNTY AT 20 MPH.
THE WEATHER OBSERVER AT THE ATHENS AIRPORT REPORTED 46 MPH WIND
GUSTS AT 540 PM.

THE THUNDERSTORM IS IN ITS DISSIPATING STAGE BUT WIND GUSTS UP
TO 40 MPH...HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL CONTINUE OVER
OGLETHORPE COUNTY THROUGH 630 PM.

KDF
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 5:53 PM EDT, 45 minutes before
GAZ027-036-038-172245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION TO HEADLINE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
543 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR CLARKE COUNTY EXPIRED AT 545 PM...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED DIME TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL ON THE
EAST SIDE OF ATHENS AND EASTERN CLARKE COUNTY FROM 520 TO 530 PM.
THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING EAST INTO OGLETHORPE COUNTY AT 20 MPH.
THE WEATHER OBSERVER AT THE ATHENS AIRPORT REPORTED 46 MPH WIND
GUSTS AT 540 PM.

THE THUNDERSTORM IS IN ITS DISSIPATING STAGE BUT WIND GUSTS UP
TO 40 MPH...HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL CONTINUE OVER
OGLETHORPE COUNTY THROUGH 630 PM.

KDF
Local storm report, Aug 17, 6:22 PM EDT, 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
622 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 1997

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

523 PM     2E ATHENS                 GA   1.00 INCH HAIL
8/17/97    CLARKE                         NUMEROUS REPORTS FROM
                                          PUBLIC.

KDF
Local storm report, Aug 17, 6:23 PM EDT, 15 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
622 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 1997

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

523 PM     2E ATHENS                 GA   1.00 INCH HAIL
8/17/97    CLARKE                         NUMEROUS REPORTS FROM
                                          PUBLIC.

KDF

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 16, 8:12 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHouston, Twiggs33 min
Aug 17, 5:19 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCClarke26 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.