Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 217, NWS Atlanta, GA

April 17, 1998Houston County, Peach County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 17, 1998, 8:20 AM EDT for Houston County, Peach County, Georgia. It was in force for 35 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
Apr 17, 1998, 8:20 AM EDT (12:20 UTC)
Expired
Apr 17, 1998, 8:55 AM EDT
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Houston County, GA, Peach County, GA

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 17, 8:30 AM EDTHail 1.75Warner Robins, GALarge hail ranging from dime to golfball size was reported by the public and a police officer.

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
Apr 17, 8:00 AM EDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 118 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 1998-04-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1255 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 1998-04-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 165 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
1255 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
526 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
165 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
227 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.8
Supercell composite
6.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

139 
WUUS1 KATL 171222 RRA
SVRATL
GAC153-225-171255-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
820 AM EDT FRI APR 17 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  HOUSTON COUNTY IN CENTRAL GEORGIA
  PEACH COUNTY IN CENTRAL GEORGIA

* UNTIL 855 AM EDT

* SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM ARE...
   PABST                       AROUND 820 AM EDT
   KATHLEEN                    AROUND 820 AM EDT
   WARNER ROBINS               AROUND 820 AM EDT

* AT 819 AM EDT...  9 MILES WEST OF PERRY... A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
  WAS INDICATED BY DOPPLER RADAR... MOVING EAST 55 MPH.


A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT IN OR NEAR THE WARNED AREA.
REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE
TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING. REMAIN CALM BUT BE
ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS. 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.

KM/VW

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, Apr 17, 3:46 AM EDT, 4 hours 34 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
346 AM EDT FRI APR 17 1998

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

213 AM     CLEVELAND                 GA   0.75 INCH HAIL
4/17/98    WHITE

1117 PM    E OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN     GA   WIND DAMAGE
4/16/98    WALKER                         *** 2 INJ ***
                                          3 TRAILERS DESTROYED...
                                          2 BARNS DESTROYED...CAR
                                          DESTROYED...1 ROOF OFF A
                                          HOUSE...TREES AND POWER LINES
                                          DOWN

1240 AM    WHITE                     GA   WIND DAMAGE
4/17/98    BARTOW                         SEVERAL TREES DOWN

335 AM     GAINESVILLE               GA   0.75 INCH HAIL
4/17/98    HALL
Special weather statement, Apr 17, 6:15 AM EDT, 2 hours 5 minutes before
GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086-
091>098-103>113-171500-

NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
615 AM EDT FRI APR 17 1998

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTH AND
CENTRAL GEORGIA TODAY AND TONIGHT.

A COLD FRONT NOW ENTERING NORTHWEST GEORGIA WILL MOVE INTO THE
CENTRAL PART OF THE STATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN BECOME STATIONARY.
THIS WILL KEEP THE ATMOSPHERE UNSTABLE OVER THE STATE BRINGING
WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD
BE SEVERE...ESPECIALLY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN NORTH GEORGIA
SHOULD MONITOR LOCAL WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY FOR POSSIBLE
ACTIVATION THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

17
Special weather statement, Apr 17, 6:15 AM EDT, 2 hours 5 minutes before
GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086-
091>098-103>113-171500-

NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
615 AM EDT FRI APR 17 1998

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTH AND
CENTRAL GEORGIA TODAY AND TONIGHT.

A COLD FRONT NOW ENTERING NORTHWEST GEORGIA WILL MOVE INTO THE
CENTRAL PART OF THE STATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN BECOME STATIONARY.
THIS WILL KEEP THE ATMOSPHERE UNSTABLE OVER THE STATE BRINGING
WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD
BE SEVERE...ESPECIALLY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN NORTH GEORGIA
SHOULD MONITOR LOCAL WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY FOR POSSIBLE
ACTIVATION THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

17

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 16, 10:47 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCDade33 min
Apr 16, 11:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCatoosa, Walker32 min
Apr 16, 11:20 PM EDTTornado WarningFFCCatoosa, Walker35 min
Apr 16, 11:33 PM EDTTornado WarningFFCChattooga, Floyd32 min
Apr 16, 11:57 PM EDTTornado WarningFFCFloyd18 min
Apr 17, 12:13 AM EDTTornado WarningFFCBartow47 min
Apr 17, 12:41 AM EDTTornado WarningFFCCherokee, Pickens49 min
Apr 17, 12:53 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCFannin, Union32 min
Apr 17, 1:04 AM EDTTornado WarningFFCDawson, Lumpkin51 min
Apr 17, 1:24 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCGordon, Pickens46 min
Apr 17, 1:32 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHall33 min
Apr 17, 1:54 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCDawson, Lumpkin31 min
Apr 17, 2:07 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHall, White48 min
Apr 17, 3:02 AM EDTTornado WarningFFCCherokee, Pickens33 min
Apr 17, 3:22 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningFFCLumpkin, White4 hr
Apr 17, 3:22 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningFFCDawson4 hr
Apr 17, 5:16 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCherokee, Forsyth34 min
Apr 17, 7:25 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMarion, Schley35 min
Apr 17, 7:49 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMacon36 min
Apr 17, 7:59 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCSchley21 min
Apr 17, 8:34 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBleckley, Twiggs36 min
Apr 17, 8:47 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCWilkinson33 min
Apr 17, 4:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMarion32 min
Apr 17, 5:16 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBibb, Jones34 min
Apr 17, 5:22 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMacon, Marion, Schley48 min
Apr 17, 6:11 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHouston, Macon34 min
Apr 17, 6:17 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBibb, Crawford33 min
Apr 17, 6:24 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCSchley36 min
Apr 17, 6:55 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBibb, Twiggs45 min
Apr 17, 7:05 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCWilkinson35 min
Apr 17, 7:36 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCWashington49 min
Apr 17, 7:42 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCWilkinson18 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Georgia, 1998Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1998

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.