Alert archive / Georgia / Tornado Warnings in 1999

Tornado Warning 24, NWS Atlanta, GA

May 13, 1999Butts County, Spalding County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this tornado warning at May 13, 1999, 5:08 PM EDT for Butts County, Spalding County, Georgia. It was in force for 17 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
May 13, 1999, 5:08 PM EDT (21:08 UTC)
Expired
May 13, 1999, 5:25 PM EDT
In force
17 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Butts County, GA, Spalding County, GA

The radar

The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 43 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:10 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 13, 5:15 PM EDTHail 1Jenkinsburg, GAThe public reported quarter size hail.
May 13, 5:28 PM EDTHail 1.75Jackson, GAThere were numerous reports from the public of hail, ranging from quarter to bigger than golfball size.

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
May 13, 2:45 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 9.1 hours before the alert went out and 248 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, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 1999-05-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 904 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, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 1999-05-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 33 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
904 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-48 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
590 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
33 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
107 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
0.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

999 
WFUS1 KATL 132107 RRA
TORATL
GAC035-255-132125-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
508 PM EDT THU MAY 13 1999

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  WESTERN BUTTS COUNTY
  EASTERN SPALDING COUNTY

* UNTIL 525 PM EDT

* AT 507 PM ... A TORNADO WAS INDICATED BY DOPPLER RADAR  6
  MILES SOUTHWEST OF JENKINSBURG... MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO ARE...
    JENKINSBURG                 AROUND 525 PM

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION. MOVE IMMEDIATELY TO A SHELTER
BELOW GROUND...OR TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.
AVOID WINDOWS. IF YOU SEE DAMAGE OR LARGE HAIL...CALL THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE AT 770-486-1133 AT EXTENSION 2 0 4.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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, May 13, 4:50 PM EDT, 18 minutes before
GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>073-075-078-079-
132200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
450 PM EDT THU MAY 13 1999

STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA
THIS AFTERNOON.

CLUSTERS OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM BANKS COUNTY...TO
ATLANTA...TO FRANKLIN...WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH. SOME OF
THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS...AND
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY MOVE
THROUGH NEWNAN...COVINGTON...AND JUST TO THE NORTH OF ATHENS BETWEEN
500 PM AND 600 PM.

OTHER STRONG STORMS WERE SCATTERED BETWEEN ATLANTA AND CEDARTOWN...
AND ALSO JUST TO THE NORTH OF COLUMBUS. THESE STORMS WILL ALSO MOVE
EAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH...AND WILL LIKELY CONTAIN HAIL AND TORRENTIAL
DOWNPOURS.

IF THE WEATHER LOOKS THREATENING...SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. REPORT
ANY SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 770-486-1133
AT EXTENSION 2 0 4.
Special weather statement, May 13, 4:50 PM EDT, 18 minutes before
GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>073-075-078-079-
132200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
450 PM EDT THU MAY 13 1999

STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA
THIS AFTERNOON.

CLUSTERS OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM BANKS COUNTY...TO
ATLANTA...TO FRANKLIN...WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH. SOME OF
THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS...AND
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY MOVE
THROUGH NEWNAN...COVINGTON...AND JUST TO THE NORTH OF ATHENS BETWEEN
500 PM AND 600 PM.

OTHER STRONG STORMS WERE SCATTERED BETWEEN ATLANTA AND CEDARTOWN...
AND ALSO JUST TO THE NORTH OF COLUMBUS. THESE STORMS WILL ALSO MOVE
EAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH...AND WILL LIKELY CONTAIN HAIL AND TORRENTIAL
DOWNPOURS.

IF THE WEATHER LOOKS THREATENING...SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. REPORT
ANY SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 770-486-1133
AT EXTENSION 2 0 4.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 13, 12:25 PM EDTTornado WarningFFCFannin20 min
May 13, 1:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCChattooga32 min
May 13, 1:38 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCFloyd, Gordon47 min
May 13, 1:48 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCatoosa, Walker47 min
May 13, 2:01 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBartow34 min
May 13, 2:18 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCherokee47 min
May 13, 2:25 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCPolk50 min
May 13, 2:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCFloyd34 min
May 13, 2:41 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBartow34 min
May 13, 2:56 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCarroll, Heard34 min
May 13, 2:56 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHaralson34 min
May 13, 2:59 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCherokee36 min
May 13, 3:04 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCPaulding51 min
May 13, 3:07 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCWashington48 min
May 13, 3:11 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCDouglas49 min
May 13, 3:17 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCDawson, Forsyth48 min
May 13, 3:28 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCoweta47 min
May 13, 3:32 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCobb, Fulton48 min
May 13, 3:51 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHall49 min
May 13, 3:57 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCClayton, DeKalb48 min
May 13, 3:57 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCFayette48 min
May 13, 4:08 PM EDTTornado WarningFFCForsyth, Hall32 min
May 13, 4:11 PM EDTTornado WarningFFCCoweta19 min
May 13, 4:17 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBarrow, Jackson33 min
May 13, 4:29 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHenry, Rockdale31 min
May 13, 4:45 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBanks, Madison35 min
May 13, 4:51 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCSpalding34 min
May 13, 4:57 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCoweta33 min
May 13, 5:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCClarke, Jackson17 min
May 13, 5:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCEmanuel34 min
May 13, 5:27 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCButts, Jasper33 min
May 13, 5:32 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMadison, Oglethorpe18 min
May 13, 5:48 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCClayton, Henry, Spalding37 min
May 13, 5:52 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCPike33 min
May 13, 5:57 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCJasper33 min
May 13, 6:09 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCLamar36 min
May 13, 6:11 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCPutnam34 min
May 13, 6:18 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMonroe32 min
May 13, 6:29 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCPike, Upson36 min
May 13, 6:31 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCJones34 min
May 13, 6:47 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCatoosa33 min
May 13, 7:05 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCGordon35 min
May 13, 7:14 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCWebster36 min
May 13, 7:16 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMurray34 min
May 13, 7:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCFloyd34 min
May 13, 7:39 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCSumter51 min
May 13, 7:44 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCrisp36 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Georgia, 1999Every tornado warning in 1999Tornadoes in 1999

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.