Alert archive / Georgia / Tornado Warnings in 1998

Tornado Warning 43, NWS Atlanta, GA

April 16, 1998Catoosa County, Walker County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this tornado warning at Apr 16, 1998, 11:20 PM EDT for Catoosa County, Walker County, Georgia. It was in force for 35 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
Apr 16, 1998, 11:20 PM EDT (03:20 UTC)
Expired
Apr 16, 1998, 11:55 PM EDT
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Catoosa County, GA, Walker County, GA

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 16, 11:20 PM EDTTornado F1Flintstone, GAPolice and fire officials reported a tornado. It apparently touched down briefly destroying 3 trailers, 2 barns and a car. The roof was torn off of a house. Trees and power lines were downed. The intensity, width and length were estimated.
Apr 16, 11:35 PM EDTThunderstorm WindKeith, GAThe sheriff's department reported roof damage to a house and numerous trees down in the community of Keith, about 4 miles east of Ringold.

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 16, 10:15 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 3.3 hours before the alert went out and 174 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 1998-04-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1217 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 00:00Z on 1998-04-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 280 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
1217 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
573 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
69 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
280 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
368 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
3.0
Supercell composite
10.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

584 
WFUS1 KATL 170322 RRA
TORATL
GAC047-295-170355-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
1120 PM EDT THU APR 16 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CATOOSA COUNTY IN NORTHWESTERN GEORGIA
  WALKER COUNTY IN NORTHWESTERN GEORGIA

* UNTIL 1155 PM EDT

* SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO ARE...
    CHICKAMAUGA NAT BATTLEFIELD AROUND 1120 PM EDT
    FORT OGLETHORPE             AROUND 1120 PM EDT
    BOYNTON                     AROUND 1125 PM EDT
    GRAYSVILLE                  AROUND 1125 PM EDT
    RINGGOLD                    AROUND 1125 PM EDT
    KEITH                       AROUND 1130 PM EDT

* AT 1110 PM EDT...  4 MILES NORTHWEST OF CHICKAMAUGA... A TORNADO
  WAS INDICATED BY DOPPLER RADAR... MOVING EAST 55 MPH.



IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...GO TO AN INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS
A CLOSET OR BATHROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. AVOID WINDOWS. USE
BLANKETS...PILLOWS...OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. IF YOU
EXPERIENCE STORM DAMAGE TO STRUCTURES OR TREES...OR HAIL THE
SIZE OF DIMES OR LARGER...PLEASE REPORT IT BY CALLING THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE AT 770-486-8535.

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, 11:33 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, 8:20 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHouston, Peach35 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

Tornado Warnings in Georgia, 1998Every tornado warning in 1998Tornadoes 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.