Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2009

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 231, NWS Atlanta, GA

May 3, 20098 counties in Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 3, 2009, 6:12 PM EDT for 8 counties in Georgia. It was in force for 63 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: May 3, 2009, 6:12 PM EDT (22:12 UTC)
Expired: May 3, 2009, 7:15 PM EDT
In force: 63 min
Issued by: NWS Atlanta, GA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Chattahoochee County, GA, Macon County, GA, Marion County, GA, Schley County, GA, Stewart County, GA, Sumter County, GA, Taylor County, GA, Webster County, GA

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

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 3, 4:42 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	4 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 10.2 hours before the alert went out and 140 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 149 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -13 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 523 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 104 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 182 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.1
Supercell composite: 0.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS52 KFFC 032212
SVRFFC
GAC053-193-197-249-259-261-269-307-032315-
/O.NEW.KFFC.SV.W.0231.090503T2212Z-090503T2315Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
612 PM EDT SUN MAY 3 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA
  WEST CENTRAL MACON COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA
  MARION COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA
  SCHLEY COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA
  EASTERN STEWART COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA
  WESTERN SUMTER COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA
  SOUTHWESTERN TAYLOR COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA
  WEBSTER COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA

* UNTIL 715 PM EDT

* AT 611 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS UP
  TO 60 MPH.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM
  20 MILES NORTHWEST OF BUENA VISTA TO 13 MILES NORTHWEST OF RICHLAND
  TO 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF RICHLAND...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  WESTON...PRESTON...ELLAVILLE AND PLAINS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING DESTRUCTIVE WINDS. SEEK 
SHELTER NOW INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS

IF YOU SEE WIND DAMAGE...LARGE HAIL OR SIGNIFICANT FLOODING...WAIT
UNTIL 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.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT SUNDAY
EVENING FOR NORTHERN GEORGIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3195 8443 3192 8444 3193 8485 3223 8470
      3253 8465 3256 8418 3224 8421 3191 8436
      3192 8439
TIME...MOT...LOC 2212Z 269DEG 33KT 3248 8480 3223 8481
          3197 8495

$$

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.

NWS Atlanta, GA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 3, 3:42 PM EDT, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 3, 3:42 PM EDT, 2 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
342 PM EDT SUN MAY 3 2009

.SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/...
CURRENT RADAR LOOP SHOWS A NICE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING
NORTHEAST THROUGH CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AL AT 50MPH. THIS LINE IS A
VERY ACTIVE AND FAST MOVING LINE WITH SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND
POSSIBLE TORNADOES ASSOCIATED WITH IT. THIS LINE SHOULD BE ENTERING
WEST CENTRAL GA BY 20-21Z. THE MODELS ARE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT
SHOWING THE CLOSED LOW CENTER OVER THE MS/AR/TN BORDERS MOVING NE TO
THE AL/TN/GA BORDERS BY 00Z MON. IT IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE UP THE
EAST COAST AND INTO THE MID ATLANTIC STATES BY 18Z MON. ITS TRAILING
FRONT SWEEPS THROUGH GA TONIGHT THROUGH MON BRINGING A LOT OF
PRECIPITATION ALONG WITH SEVERE WEATHER. QPF NUMBERS ARE SHOWING
ANOTHER 1.5 TO 2.5 INCHES FALLING ACROSS EXTREME N AND NW GA WHERE
WE HAVE A FLOOD WATCH GOING ALREADY. THE MAIN WEST-EAST ORIENTED
FRONT REMAINS STALLED JUST NORTH OF THE CWA AND CONTINUES TO SERVE
AS THE MAIN FOCUSING MECHANISM FOR SHRA/TSRA DEVELOPMENT.  A STRONG
LOW LEVEL JET IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA BETWEEN 00Z-18Z
MON COMBINED WITH CAPES IN THE 1000-1500 RANGE AND LIS AROUND -2
TO -3 AS THIS LINE OF STORMS MOVES ACROSS OUR AREA. THE OVERALL
UPPER DYNAMICS WILL BE IN PLACE HELPING TO SUPPORT WIDESPREAD SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE STATE ALSO. AS THE UPPER SHORT WAVE MOVES
TOWARD THE MID-ATLANTIC EARLY MON...THE FRONTAL SYSTEM TO OUR NORTH
FINALLY PUSHES SOUTH INTO THE CWA...FURTHER SERVING TO ENHANCE
SHRA/TSRA DEVELOPMENT MON AND MON NIGHT.

.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
ANOTHER WEAKER SHORT WAVE MOVES EAST OUT OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND
INTO THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. TUE NIGHT/WED. THE MOST LIKELY AREA FOR
CONVECTION TUE WOULD BE NEAR THE OLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY ACROSS THE SE
PART OF THE CWA. MORE WAVES CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST OUT OF THE
SOUTHERN PLAINS THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK BRINGING A SHRA/TSRA
THREAT TO THE AREA EVERYDAY THROUGH THE EXTENDED. THERE IS A RIDGE
THAT BUILDS INTO THE AREA OUT OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS SAT BUT WITH
THE CURRENT PATTERN IN PLACE NOT SURE IF THIS WILL HAPPEN WILL
CONTINUE WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SAT AT THIS POINT.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
ATHENS          61  79  60  79  59 /  60  60  30  20  20
ATLANTA         64  74  62  79  61 /  60  60  20  20  20
BLAIRSVILLE     58  68  51  77  54 /  90  50  20  10  20
CARTERSVILLE    61  76  57  81  57 /  90  60  20  10  20
COLUMBUS        66  81  65  84  65 /  50  60  30  30  10
GAINESVILLE     61  71  59  79  58 /  80  60  30  10  20
MACON           65  81  64  83  64 /  30  70  40  30  20
ROME            63  78  58  82  61 / 100  50  20  10  20
PEACHTREE CITY  61  76  60  79  58 /  50  60  30  30  10
VIDALIA         64  83  64  83  63 /  10  50  40  40  20

&&

.FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 5 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE
FOLLOWING ZONES: BARROW...BARTOW...BUTTS...CARROLL...
CHATTAHOOCHEE...CHATTOOGA...CHEROKEE...CLAYTON...COBB...COWETA...
CRAWFORD...DEKALB...DOUGLAS...FAYETTE...FLOYD...FORSYTH...
GORDON...GREENE...GWINNETT...HARALSON...HARRIS...HEARD...HENRY...
JASPER...JONES...LAMAR...MACON...MARION...MERIWETHER...MONROE...
MORGAN...MUSCOGEE...NEWTON...NORTH FULTON...OCONEE...PAULDING...
PIKE...POLK...PUTNAM...ROCKDALE...SCHLEY...SOUTH FULTON...
SPALDING...STEWART...SUMTER...TALBOT...TALIAFERRO...TAYLOR...
TROUP...UPSON...WALTON...WEBSTER.

FLOOD WATCH THROUGH MONDAY MORNING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
CATOOSA...CHATTOOGA...DADE...FANNIN...FLOYD...GILMER...GORDON...
MURRAY...TOWNS...UNION...WALKER...WHITFIELD.

&&

01

Hazardous weather outlook, May 3, 11:19 AM EDT, 6 hours 53 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
1119 AM EDT SUN MAY 3 2009

GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086-
089>098-102>113-041200-
BALDWIN-BANKS-BARROW-BARTOW-BIBB-BLECKLEY-BUTTS-CARROLL-CATOOSA-
CHATTAHOOCHEE-CHATTOOGA-CHEROKEE-CLARKE-CLAYTON-COBB-COWETA-
CRAWFORD-CRISP-DADE-DAWSON-DEKALB-DODGE-DOOLY-DOUGLAS-EMANUEL-
FANNIN-FAYETTE-FLOYD-FORSYTH-GILMER-GLASCOCK-GORDON-GREENE-
GWINNETT-HALL-HANCOCK-HARALSON-HARRIS-HEARD-HENRY-HOUSTON-JACKSON-
JASPER-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-JONES-LAMAR-LAURENS-LUMPKIN-MACON-
MADISON-MARION-MERIWETHER-MONROE-MONTGOMERY-MORGAN-MURRAY-
MUSCOGEE-NEWTON-NORTH FULTON-OCONEE-OGLETHORPE-PAULDING-PEACH-
PICKENS-PIKE-POLK-PULASKI-PUTNAM-ROCKDALE-SCHLEY-SOUTH FULTON-
SPALDING-STEWART-SUMTER-TALBOT-TALIAFERRO-TAYLOR-TELFAIR-TOOMBS-
TOWNS-TREUTLEN-TROUP-TWIGGS-UNION-UPSON-WALKER-WALTON-WARREN-
WASHINGTON-WEBSTER-WHEELER-WHITE-WHITFIELD-WILCOX-WILKES-
WILKINSON-
1119 AM EDT SUN MAY 3 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHERN AND
WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT OVER CENTRAL GEORGIA.

.SYNOPSIS...
A STATIONARY FRONT WITH RICH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TO ITS SOUTH WILL
REMAIN IN PLACE OVER NORTH GEORGIA WHILE AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM
MOVE TOWARD THE AREA TONIGHT.

.PRIMARY HAZARDS...
THE PRIMARY HAZARDS FROM THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL...
DAMAGING WINDS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND
FLOODING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTHWEST GEORGIA THROUGH
TONIGHT. IF INSTABILITY AND VERTICAL WIND SHEAR INCREASES MORE
THAN EXPECTED...ISOLATED TORNADOES MAY ALSO BE POSSIBLE. THE MOST
LIKELY TIME FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE BETWEEN 4 PM AND 4 AM
AND WILL BE MOST LIKELY OVER AREAS NORTH AND WEST OF A COLUMBUS TO
ATHENS LINE.

.DISCUSSION...
INSTABILITY AND VERTICAL WIND SHEAR WILL BE SUFFICIENT FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. CAPE IS EXPECTED TO
REACH 1500 THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WHILE VERTICAL WIND SHEAR
REMAINS WEAK TO MODERATE. COVERAGE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
MAY BE ISOLATED IN THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING AS THE UPPER
LEVEL STORM SYSTEM REMAINS TO THE WEST OF THE AREA. BY MID
EVENING... WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO BE MOVING INTO
THE STATE FROM THE WEST...POSSIBLY IN THE FORM OF AN INTENSE
SQUALL LINE WHERE DAMAGING WINDS OVER 70 MPH AND ISOLATED
TORNADOES MAY BE POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE ON MONDAY AS THE STORM
SYSTEM AND FRONT SLOWLY MOVES THROUGH THE STATE. OTHERWISE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE EACH DAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTERS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR ACTIVATION ESPECIALLY BETWEEN 4 PM
AND MIDNIGHT ACROSS NORTHERN AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 3, 5:30 PM EDT, 42 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
530 PM EDT SUN MAY 03 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0520 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     N CEDARTOWN             34.02N 85.26W
05/03/2009                   POLK               GA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED FUNNEL CLOUD NEAR WALMART ON HWY
            27 IN CEDARTOWN.

&&

GRIFFITH

Special weather statement, May 3, 5:36 PM EDT, 36 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
536 PM EDT SUN MAY 3 2009

GAZ006-008-009-032215-
536 PM EDT SUN MAY 3 2009

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR PEA SIZED HAIL AND 40 MPH WINDS IN
UNION...TOWNS AND FANNIN COUNTIES UNTIL 615 PM EDT...

AT 536 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER HEMP...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE PEA SIZED HAIL...FREQUENT
CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AS IT MOVES ACROSS
UNION...TOWNS AND FANNIN COUNTIES THROUGH 615 PM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS
IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE HEMP...DIAL...HURST...LOVING...
MORGANTON...MINERAL BLUFF...JONES CREEK...NOTTELY DAM...IVY LOG...
BLAIRSVILLE...GUMLOG...ALEXANDERS MILL AND TRACK ROCK. BRIEF HEAVY
DOWNPOURS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS.

Local storm report, May 3, 6:01 PM EDT, 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
601 PM EDT SUN MAY 03 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0555 PM     TSTM WND GST     COLUMBUS                32.47N 84.97W
05/03/2009  M54.00 MPH       MUSCOGEE           GA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            EQUIPMENT ON TOP OF ST. FRANCIS HOSPITAL REPORTED GUST TO
            54 MPH.

&&

GRIFFITH

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 3, 3:44 PM EDT	River Flood Warning	FFC	Gordon, Murray, Whitfield	17 hr
May 3, 4:22 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Carroll, Haralson, Heard, Paulding, Polk, Troup	83 min
May 3, 4:42 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	FFC	Floyd, Haralson, Polk	63 min
May 3, 4:50 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Fannin, Gilmer	40 min
May 3, 5:10 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Chattahoochee, Harris, Meriwether, Muscogee, Stewart, Troup	80 min
May 3, 5:32 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	FFC	Bartow, Floyd, Polk	43 min
May 3, 5:40 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Carroll, Coweta, Douglas, Fulton, Haralson, Heard and 2 more	65 min
May 3, 5:55 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette and 6 more	65 min
May 3, 6:00 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Lamar, Meriwether, Pike, Talbot, Taylor, Upson	60 min
May 3, 6:06 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	FFC	Coweta, Fayette, Fulton	39 min
May 3, 6:14 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Forsyth and 3 more	61 min
May 3, 6:26 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	FFC	Bartow, Cherokee, Gordon, Pickens	34 min
May 3, 6:32 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Butts, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Henry, Jasper, Lamar and 5 more	58 min
May 3, 6:35 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Bibb, Crawford, Lamar, Monroe, Taylor, Upson	55 min
May 3, 6:42 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Cherokee, Dawson, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall and 1 more	52 min
May 3, 7:11 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Bibb, Butts, Crawford, Jasper, Jones, Monroe and 2 more	64 min
May 3, 7:14 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Barrow, Butts, Gwinnett, Jasper, Morgan, Newton and 3 more	38 min
May 3, 7:17 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Forsyth, Gwinnett, Hall and 5 more	58 min
May 3, 7:37 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Baldwin, Greene, Hancock, Jones, Putnam, Twiggs and 1 more	53 min
May 3, 7:39 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Clarke, Greene, Hancock, Madison, Morgan, Oconee and 2 more	50 min
May 3, 7:42 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Banks, Jackson, Madison	48 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Georgia, 2009 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2009

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.