Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2009

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS Atlanta, GA

February 18, 2009Greene County, Hancock County, Putnam County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 18, 2009, 10:10 PM EST for Greene County, Hancock County, Putnam County, Georgia. It was in force for 28 min. 3 reports 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
Feb 18, 2009, 10:10 PM EST (03:10 UTC)
Expired
Feb 18, 2009, 10:38 PM EST
In force
28 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Greene County, GA, Hancock County, GA, Putnam County, GA

The radar

The Robins AFB radar (KJGX), 69 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:12 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
Feb 18, 10:40 PM ESTTSTM WND DMGSparta, GA*** 1 FATAL *** POSSIBLE TORNADO...SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO SEVERAL HOMES AND A CHURCH DESTROYED IN THE HICKORY GROVE COMMUNITY. 1 FATALITY OCCURRED WHEN A PERSON WAS THROWN FROM HIS MOBILE HOME LOCATED IN THE HICKORY GROVE COMMUNITY. EVENT TIME WAS BASED ON RADA
Feb 18, 10:40 PM ESTTORNADO 35 Ese Sparta, GA*** 1 FATAL, 3 INJ *** EF3 - TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN 5 ESE MI. OF SPARTA AND CONTINUED TO INTO WARREN AND GLASCOCK COUNTY...ENDING 6 MILES WNW OF GIBSON. TOTAL PATH LENGTH 8 MILES. MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH 500 YARDS WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS OF 140 MPH. A CHURCH AND
Feb 18, 10:48 PM ESTTSTM WND DMG3 E Sparta, GA*** 2 INJ *** POSSIBLE TORNADO. EMA DIRECTOR REPORTS THAT A HOME WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED EAST OF SPARTA BETWEEN THERE AND THE WARREN COUNTY LINE. TWO RESIDENTS IN THE HOME WERE INJURED.

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Feb 18, 3:32 PM ESTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 3.2 hours before the alert went out and 134 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 2009-02-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 185 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 2009-02-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 479 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
185 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
831 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
94 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
479 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
475 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.6
Supercell composite
2.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS52 KFFC 190310
SVRFFC
GAC133-141-237-190400-
/O.NEW.KFFC.SV.W.0039.090219T0310Z-090219T0400Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
1010 PM EST WED FEB 18 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  PUTNAM COUNTY IN CENTRAL GEORGIA
  SOUTH CENTRAL GREENE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA
  HANCOCK COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA

* UNTIL 1100 PM EST

* AT 1007 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZED HAIL...AND
  DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
  EATONTON...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  SPARTA.

DOPPLER RADAR HAS INDICATED ROTATION WITHIN THIS STORM. ALTHOUGH
CURRENT DATA DOES NOT INDICATE THE EXISTENCE OF A TORNADO...A TORNADO
MAY STILL DEVELOP. IF A TORNADO IS SPOTTED...ACT QUICKLY AND MOVE TO
A PLACE OF SAFETY INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE...SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR
SMALL INTERIOR ROOM.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EST WEDNESDAY EVENING
FOR GEORGIA.

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.

LAT...LON 3316 8288 3320 8354 3340 8353 3343 8288
      3324 8287 3317 8287
TIME...MOT...LOC 0310Z 270DEG 41KT 3329 8341

$$
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS52 KFFC 190338
SVSFFC

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
1038 PM EST WED FEB 18 2009

GAC133-141-237-190348-
/O.CAN.KFFC.SV.W.0039.000000T0000Z-090219T0400Z/
HANCOCK GA-PUTNAM GA-GREENE GA-
1038 PM EST WED FEB 18 2009

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL GREENE...PUTNAM
AND HANCOCK COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE THUNDERSTORM HAS WEAKENED AND IS NO LONGER EXPECTED TO PRODUCE 
SEVERE WEATHER. HOWEVER...STRONG GUSTY WINDS UP TO 45 MPH...VERY 
HEAVY RAIN...AND SMALL HAIL ARE STILL POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 AM EST
THURSDAY MORNING FOR SOUTHERN 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 3316 8288 3320 8354 3340 8353 3343 8288
      3324 8287 3317 8287
TIME...MOT...LOC 0338Z 270DEG 41KT 3329 8303

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 18, 7:07 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHaralson, Polk38 min
Feb 18, 7:21 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCClayton, Fayette, Fulton21 min
Feb 18, 7:22 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCGreene, Hancock, Putnam53 min
Feb 18, 7:31 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHaralson, Paulding21 min
Feb 18, 7:38 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCDeKalb, Henry29 min
Feb 18, 7:40 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCarroll, Heard35 min
Feb 18, 7:53 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCGlascock, Hancock, Jefferson, Warren, Washington56 min
Feb 18, 7:56 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCCoweta, Heard29 min
Feb 18, 8:03 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHenry, Jasper, Morgan, Newton, Rockdale42 min
Feb 18, 8:11 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCJasper, Morgan, Newton33 min
Feb 18, 8:22 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCCoweta, Meriwether, Spalding38 min
Feb 18, 8:27 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCHeard, Troup34 min
Feb 18, 8:27 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCGreene, Jasper, Morgan, Putnam38 min
Feb 18, 8:43 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCGreene, Morgan, Oconee30 min
Feb 18, 8:55 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCCoweta, Meriwether32 min
Feb 18, 8:56 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCFayette, Spalding29 min
Feb 18, 9:04 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMacon, Marion, Schley, Taylor27 min
Feb 18, 9:15 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHeard31 min
Feb 18, 9:20 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCButts, Henry, Jasper40 min
Feb 18, 9:23 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCFayette, Lamar, Spalding52 min
Feb 18, 9:24 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCrawford, Houston, Macon, Peach, Taylor17 min
Feb 18, 9:38 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCoweta, Meriwether, Troup52 min
Feb 18, 9:58 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCButts, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, Monroe37 min
Feb 18, 10:06 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCButts, Jasper, Jones, Monroe, Putnam36 min
Feb 18, 10:18 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHarris, Meriwether, Troup42 min
Feb 18, 10:37 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBaldwin, Hancock, Jones, Putnam, Washington35 min
Feb 18, 10:41 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCBaldwin, Hancock, Jones, Putnam, Washington28 min
Feb 18, 10:46 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCGlascock, Hancock, Jefferson, Warren, Washington44 min
Feb 18, 10:48 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCGlascock, Hancock, Jefferson, Warren, Washington42 min
Feb 18, 10:55 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCEmanuel23 min
Feb 18, 11:11 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCGlascock, Hancock, Jefferson, Washington45 min
Feb 18, 11:34 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBibb, Crawford, Jones, Monroe30 min
Feb 19, 12:02 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBaldwin, Bibb, Jones, Twiggs, Wilkinson28 min
Feb 19, 12:25 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCJohnson, Laurens, Washington, Wilkinson4 min
Feb 19, 2:03 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCToombs12 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Georgia, 2009Every 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.