Alert archive / Georgia / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 5, NWS Atlanta, GA

February 17, 20084 counties in Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this tornado warning at Feb 17, 2008, 3:52 PM EST for 4 counties in Georgia. It was in force for 23 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Feb 17, 2008, 3:52 PM EST (20:52 UTC)
Expired
Feb 17, 2008, 4:15 PM EST
In force
23 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Carroll County, GA, Coweta County, GA, Douglas County, GA, Fulton County, GA

The radar

The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 35 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:52 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.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Feb 17, 1:32 PM ESTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 8.9 hours before the alert went out and 38 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 2008-02-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 2008-02-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 320 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1892 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
320 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
438 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 
WFUS52 KFFC 172052
TORFFC
GAC045-077-097-121-172115-
/O.NEW.KFFC.TO.W.0005.080217T2052Z-080217T2115Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
352 PM EST SUN FEB 17 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  DOUGLAS COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA
  SOUTHWESTERN FULTON COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA
  SOUTHEASTERN CARROLL COUNTY IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
  NORTHWESTERN COWETA COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA

* UNTIL 415 PM EST

* AT 348 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 10 MILES
  SOUTHWEST OF CLEM...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  WHITESBURG...MCWHORTER...CHAPEL HILL...UNION CITY...PALMETTO...
  MIDWAY AND FAIRBURN.

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS
THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY
ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO A
BASEMENT OR INTERIOR ROOM ON THE GROUND FLOOR. STAY AWAY FROM
WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR SMALL ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR
PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF YOU ARE IN A MOBILE HOME OR VEHICLE...LEAVE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EST SUNDAY EVENING FOR
NORTHWESTERN GEORGIA.

IF YOU SEE WIND DAMAGE...LARGE HAIL OR SIGNIFICANT FLOODING...WAIT
UNTIL AFTER THE STORM HAS PASSED...AND THEN CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE TOLL FREE AT 1 8 6 6 7 6 3 4 4 6 6.

LAT...LON 3378 8467 3357 8452 3340 8497 3356 8509
TIME...MOT...LOC 2052Z 239DEG 45KT 3344 8509

$$
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS52 KFFC 172101
SVSFFC

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
401 PM EST SUN FEB 17 2008

GAC045-077-097-121-172115-
/O.CON.KFFC.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-080217T2115Z/
COWETA GA-DOUGLAS GA-CARROLL GA-FULTON GA-
401 PM EST SUN FEB 17 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 415 PM EST FOR
SOUTHWESTERN FULTON...SOUTHEASTERN CARROLL...DOUGLAS AND NORTHWESTERN
COWETA COUNTIES...

AT 401 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR CLEM...AND MOVING 
NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
ROSCOE...HANNAH...FAIRPLAY...MCWHORTER...CHAPEL HILL...UNION CITY...
PALMETTO...MIDWAY AND FAIRBURN.

THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. THIS
STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG TO VIOLENT TORNADOES. IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO...TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EST SUNDAY EVENING FOR
NORTHWESTERN GEORGIA. A TORNADO WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL
900 PM EST SUNDAY EVENING FOR NORTHERN GEORGIA.

IF YOU SEE WIND DAMAGE...LARGE HAIL OR SIGNIFICANT FLOODING...WAIT
UNTIL AFTER THE STORM HAS PASSED...AND THEN CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE TOLL FREE AT 1 8 6 6 7 6 3 4 4 6 6.

LAT...LON 3378 8467 3357 8452 3340 8497 3356 8509
TIME...MOT...LOC 2101Z 239DEG 45KT 3352 8495

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 17, 4:21 AM ESTWind AdvisoryFFCBartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Dade, Dawson and 12 more18 hr
Feb 17, 3:21 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCarroll, Haralson, Heard, Paulding24 min
Feb 17, 3:27 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCCarroll, Heard33 min
Feb 17, 3:40 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBartow, Carroll, Douglas, Haralson, Paulding, Polk35 min
Feb 17, 4:07 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBartow, Cherokee, Cobb, Fulton, Paulding23 min
Feb 17, 4:11 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCDouglas, Fulton34 min
Feb 17, 4:27 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCherokee, Dawson, Forsyth, Fulton33 min
Feb 17, 4:39 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCFulton36 min
Feb 17, 4:44 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCStewart36 min
Feb 17, 4:57 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCDeKalb, Gwinnett33 min
Feb 17, 5:02 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCChattahoochee43 min
Feb 17, 5:26 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCMarion33 min
Feb 17, 5:45 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCTaylor45 min
Feb 17, 5:50 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCStewart40 min
Feb 17, 6:12 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCCrawford33 min
Feb 17, 6:26 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMarion, Schley, Sumter, Webster34 min
Feb 17, 6:37 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCBibb38 min
Feb 17, 6:49 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCrisp, Dooly, Macon, Schley, Sumter26 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Georgia, 2008Every tornado warning in 2008Tornadoes in 2008

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.