Alert archive / Georgia / Tornado Warnings in 2008
Tornado Warning 73, NWS Atlanta, GA
NWS Atlanta, GA issued this tornado warning at May 20, 2008, 5:51 PM EDT for Bartow County, Cherokee County, Georgia. It was in force for 15 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- May 20, 2008, 5:51 PM EDT (21:51 UTC)
- Expired
- May 20, 2008, 6:06 PM EDT
- In force
- 15 min
- Issued by
- NWS Atlanta, GA
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
Counties Bartow County, GA, Cherokee County, GA
The radar
The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 87 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:52 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.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 6:00 PM EDT | HAIL 0.88 | 2 N White, GA |
Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.
The watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2:59 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 7 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 9.9 hours before the alert went out and 87 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 572 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -199 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 979 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 42 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 225 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 251 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 2.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WFUS52 KFFC 202151
TORFFC
GAC015-057-202230-
/O.NEW.KFFC.TO.W.0073.080520T2151Z-080520T2230Z/
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
551 PM EDT TUE MAY 20 2008
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A
* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
SOUTHERN CHEROKEE COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA
EASTERN BARTOW COUNTY IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
* UNTIL 630 PM EDT
* AT 548 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 6 MILES NORTH OF
CASSVILLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 38 MPH.
* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO PINE
LOG...EMERSON...RED TOP MOUNTAIN STATE PARK...CHEROKEE...CANTON...
HOLLY SPRINGS AND WOODSTOCK.
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.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT
TUESDAY 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 3413 8437 3412 8442 3409 8442 3408 8454
3411 8462 3409 8462 3408 8468 3409 8471
3430 8492 3439 8479 3419 8433
TIME...MOT...LOC 2151Z 303DEG 33KT 3431 8481
$$2 follow-up statements
000
WWUS52 KFFC 202201
SVSFFC
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
600 PM EDT TUE MAY 20 2008
GAC015-057-202230-
/O.CON.KFFC.TO.W.0073.000000T0000Z-080520T2230Z/
CHEROKEE GA-BARTOW GA-
600 PM EDT TUE MAY 20 2008
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM EDT FOR EASTERN
BARTOW AND SOUTHERN CHEROKEE COUNTIES...
AT 557 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A POSSIBLE TORNADO. THIS WAS LOCATED NEAR WHITE...MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 38 MPH. RADAR INDICATED THE ROTATION IN THIS STORM HAD
WEAKENED...BUT IS STILL A DANGEROUS STORM. GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL IS
STILL LIKELY WITH THIS STORM.
OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
EMERSON...RED TOP MOUNTAIN STATE PARK...CHEROKEE...HOLLY SPRINGS...
LEBANON AND WOODSTOCK.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT
TUESDAY EVENING FOR NORTHERN GEORGIA.
IF YOU SEE WIND DAMAGE...LARGE HAIL OR SIGNIFICANT FLOODING...WAIT
UNTIL AFTER THE STORM HAS PASSED...AND THEN CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE TOLL FREE AT 1 8 6 6 7 6 3 4 4 6 6.
LAT...LON 3418 8435 3413 8437 3412 8442 3409 8442
3408 8454 3411 8460 3408 8465 3409 8471
3424 8484 3435 8475 3419 8433
TIME...MOT...LOC 2200Z 303DEG 33KT 3426 8473
$$000
WWUS52 KFFC 202206
SVSFFC
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
606 PM EDT TUE MAY 20 2008
GAC015-057-202216-
/O.CAN.KFFC.TO.W.0073.000000T0000Z-080520T2230Z/
CHEROKEE GA-BARTOW GA-
606 PM EDT TUE MAY 20 2008
...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EASTERN BARTOW AND SOUTHERN CHEROKEE
COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...
THE THUNDERSTORM ROTATION HAS WEAKENED AND NO LONGER SUSPECTED TO BE
PRODUCING A TORNADO. HOWEVER...STRONG GUSTY WINDS UP TO 60 MPH...
AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL ARE STILL POSSIBLE WITH THIS CLUSTER OF SEVERE
STORMS.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT
TUESDAY 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 3418 8435 3413 8437 3412 8442 3409 8442
3408 8454 3411 8460 3408 8465 3409 8471
3424 8484 3435 8475 3419 8433
TIME...MOT...LOC 2206Z 301DEG 33KT 3424 8456
$$The office that day
Everything else NWS Atlanta, GA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 4:20 AM EDT | Wind Advisory | FFC | Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga and 31 more | 15 hr |
| May 20, 3:48 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Coweta, Fayette | 33 min |
| May 20, 3:59 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Dade, Walker | 46 min |
| May 20, 4:02 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Clayton, Fayette, Henry, Spalding | 43 min |
| May 20, 4:21 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Butts, Henry, Jasper, Newton | 39 min |
| May 20, 4:29 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Fannin, Murray, Whitfield | 61 min |
| May 20, 4:31 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Catoosa, Walker | 29 min |
| May 20, 4:39 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Chattooga, Walker | 51 min |
| May 20, 4:47 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Morgan, Putnam | 43 min |
| May 20, 4:59 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Butts, Jasper, Monroe | 36 min |
| May 20, 5:08 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Bartow, Floyd, Gordon | 67 min |
| May 20, 5:11 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Greene | 25 min |
| May 20, 5:13 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Glascock, Warren | 32 min |
| May 20, 5:16 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Taliaferro | 44 min |
| May 20, 5:24 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Baldwin, Jones, Putnam | 51 min |
| May 20, 5:27 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Chattooga, Floyd | 78 min |
| May 20, 5:31 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Bartow, Cherokee, Gordon, Pickens | 44 min |
| May 20, 5:33 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Jefferson | 26 min |
| May 20, 5:39 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Fannin, Gilmer, Lumpkin, Union | 17 min |
| May 20, 5:49 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Baldwin, Hancock, Washington | 41 min |
| May 20, 6:02 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Glascock, Jefferson, Washington | 58 min |
| May 20, 6:08 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Cherokee, Cobb, Forsyth, Fulton | 52 min |
| May 20, 6:25 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Bartow, Paulding | 50 min |
| May 20, 6:31 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Jefferson, Washington | 29 min |
| May 20, 6:33 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | FFC | Cherokee, Cobb, Fulton | 27 min |
| May 20, 6:35 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Haralson, Polk | 55 min |
| May 20, 6:40 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Gwinnett | 65 min |
| May 20, 6:44 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | FFC | DeKalb, Gwinnett | 46 min |
| May 20, 6:51 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | FFC | Haralson, Polk | 34 min |
| May 20, 7:02 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Newton, Rockdale, Walton | 58 min |
| May 20, 7:05 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton | 40 min |
| May 20, 7:14 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | FFC | Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton | 31 min |
| May 20, 7:19 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Carroll, Douglas, Haralson, Paulding | 56 min |
| May 20, 7:41 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Morgan, Oconee | 34 min |
| May 20, 7:58 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FFC | Greene, Morgan, Oglethorpe, Putnam | 47 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.