Alert archive / Georgia / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 29, NWS Atlanta, GA

February 18, 2009Coweta County, Meriwether County, Spalding County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this tornado warning at Feb 18, 2009, 8:22 PM EST for Coweta County, Meriwether County, Spalding County, Georgia. It was in force for 38 min. 4 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, 8:22 PM EST (01:22 UTC)
Expired: Feb 18, 2009, 9:00 PM EST
In force: 38 min
Issued by: NWS Atlanta, GA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Coweta County, GA, Meriwether County, GA, Spalding County, GA

The radar

The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 22 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:26 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
Feb 18, 8:30 PM EST	TSTM WND DMG	Moreland, GA	POSSIBLE TORNADO. TWELVE TO 15 HOMES DAMAGED SOUTH OF MORELAND NEAR THE MERIWETHER COUNTY LINE AND GEORGIA HIGHWAY 54...HINES ROAD...AND BEAR CREEK ROAD. A ROOF WAS BLOWN OFF A SCHOOL. THE DAMAGE WAS SOUTH OF GEORGIA HIGHWAY 16.
Feb 18, 8:30 PM EST	TORNADO 2	2 Wnw Luthersville, GA	EF2 - PATH OF DAMAGE 15 MILES LONG BEGINNING AT 923 BRADBERRY ROAD THEN CONTINUED MOSTLY EASTWARD ACROSS FAR SOUTHERN COWETA COUNTY AND THEN CONTINUED INTO SPALDING COUNTY. PATH WIDTH UP TO ONE MILE WIDE. STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO SEVERAL HOMES...ONE WITH ITS ROOF
Feb 18, 8:30 PM EST	TORNADO 2	Moreland, GA	PATH OF DAMAGE SEVEN TO EIGHT MILES LONG BEGINNING AT 923 BRADBERRY ROAD...APPROXIMATELY THREE MILES WEST OF U.S. 27...THEN CONTINUING EAST-NORTHEAST ACROSS FAR SOUTHERN COWETA COUNTY. STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO AT LEAST A DOZEN HOMES...SOME SUBSTANTIAL. PATH WIDTH
Feb 18, 8:50 PM EST	TORNADO 2	4 E Haralson, GA	EF2 - PATH OF DAMAGE FROM THE COWETA/SPALDING COUNTY LINE...ABOUT 4 MILES EAST OF HARALSON...MOVING EASTWARD FOR APPROXIMATELY 4.5 MILES...ENDING APPROXIMATELY 9 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF GRIFFIN. THE TORNADO REMAINED JUST SOUTH OF GEORGIA HIGHWAY 16 THROUGHOUT.

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
Feb 18, 3:32 PM EST	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 1.4 hours before the alert went out and 28 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: 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 
WFUS52 KFFC 190122
TORFFC
GAC077-199-255-190200-
/O.NEW.KFFC.TO.W.0029.090219T0122Z-090219T0200Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
822 PM EST WED FEB 18 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN COWETA COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA
  NORTHERN MERIWETHER COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA
  EXTREME WEST CENTRAL SPALDING COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA

* UNTIL 900 PM EST

* AT 821 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 6 MILES WEST 
  OF GRANTVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  MORELAND...LUTHERSVILLE...SHARPSBURG...TURIN...HARALSON AND SENOIA.

IF YOU ARE IN A MOBILE HOME OR VEHICLE...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE
A STURDY 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 1100 PM EST WEDNESDAY EVENING
FOR MUCH OF 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 3335 8454 3327 8449 3318 8450 3320 8486
      3322 8486 3322 8493 3325 8494 3327 8493
      3328 8495 3334 8498
TIME...MOT...LOC 0122Z 271DEG 42KT 3325 8490

$$

2 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS52 KFFC 190139
SVSFFC

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

GAC077-199-255-190200-
/O.CON.KFFC.TO.W.0029.000000T0000Z-090219T0200Z/
MERIWETHER GA-SPALDING GA-COWETA GA-
839 PM EST WED FEB 18 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EST FOR
SOUTHEASTERN COWETA...EXTREME WEST CENTRAL SPALDING AND NORTHEASTERN
MERIWETHER COUNTIES...

AT 835 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR LUTHERSVILLE...
MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. TAKE SHELTER NOW

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
SHARPSBURG...TURIN...HARALSON AND SENOIA.

TAKE COVER NOW TORNADOES AT NIGHT ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT
WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EST WEDNESDAY EVENING
FOR MUCH OF 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 3320 8482 3334 8480 3335 8454 3327 8449
      3318 8450
TIME...MOT...LOC 0139Z 274DEG 38KT 3322 8470

$$

000 
WWUS52 KFFC 190152
SVSFFC

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

GAC077-199-255-190200-
/O.CON.KFFC.TO.W.0029.000000T0000Z-090219T0200Z/
MERIWETHER GA-SPALDING GA-COWETA GA-
853 PM EST WED FEB 18 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EST FOR
SOUTHEASTERN COWETA...EXTREME WEST CENTRAL SPALDING AND NORTHEASTERN
MERIWETHER COUNTIES...

AT 849 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR HARALSON...MOVING
EAST AT 35 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL OTHERWISE REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF THE
INDICATED COUNTIES.

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 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 3333 8453 3332 8453 3327 8449 3322 8450
      3321 8449 3321 8450 3318 8450 3319 8464
      3332 8466
TIME...MOT...LOC 0153Z 264DEG 32KT 3324 8454

$$

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Feb 18, 7:07 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Haralson, Polk	38 min
Feb 18, 7:21 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Clayton, Fayette, Fulton	21 min
Feb 18, 7:22 PM EST	Tornado Warning	FFC	Greene, Hancock, Putnam	53 min
Feb 18, 7:31 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Haralson, Paulding	21 min
Feb 18, 7:38 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	DeKalb, Henry	29 min
Feb 18, 7:40 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Carroll, Heard	35 min
Feb 18, 7:53 PM EST	Tornado Warning	FFC	Glascock, Hancock, Jefferson, Warren, Washington	56 min
Feb 18, 7:56 PM EST	Tornado Warning	FFC	Coweta, Heard	29 min
Feb 18, 8:03 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Henry, Jasper, Morgan, Newton, Rockdale	42 min
Feb 18, 8:11 PM EST	Tornado Warning	FFC	Jasper, Morgan, Newton	33 min
Feb 18, 8:27 PM EST	Tornado Warning	FFC	Heard, Troup	34 min
Feb 18, 8:27 PM EST	Tornado Warning	FFC	Greene, Jasper, Morgan, Putnam	38 min
Feb 18, 8:43 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Greene, Morgan, Oconee	30 min
Feb 18, 8:55 PM EST	Tornado Warning	FFC	Coweta, Meriwether	32 min
Feb 18, 8:56 PM EST	Tornado Warning	FFC	Fayette, Spalding	29 min
Feb 18, 9:04 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Macon, Marion, Schley, Taylor	27 min
Feb 18, 9:15 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Heard	31 min
Feb 18, 9:20 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Butts, Henry, Jasper	40 min
Feb 18, 9:23 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Fayette, Lamar, Spalding	52 min
Feb 18, 9:24 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Crawford, Houston, Macon, Peach, Taylor	17 min
Feb 18, 9:38 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Coweta, Meriwether, Troup	52 min
Feb 18, 9:58 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Butts, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, Monroe	37 min
Feb 18, 10:06 PM EST	Tornado Warning	FFC	Butts, Jasper, Jones, Monroe, Putnam	36 min
Feb 18, 10:10 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Greene, Hancock, Putnam	28 min
Feb 18, 10:18 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Harris, Meriwether, Troup	42 min
Feb 18, 10:37 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Baldwin, Hancock, Jones, Putnam, Washington	35 min
Feb 18, 10:41 PM EST	Tornado Warning	FFC	Baldwin, Hancock, Jones, Putnam, Washington	28 min
Feb 18, 10:46 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Glascock, Hancock, Jefferson, Warren, Washington	44 min
Feb 18, 10:48 PM EST	Tornado Warning	FFC	Glascock, Hancock, Jefferson, Warren, Washington	42 min
Feb 18, 10:55 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Emanuel	23 min
Feb 18, 11:11 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Glascock, Hancock, Jefferson, Washington	45 min
Feb 18, 11:34 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Bibb, Crawford, Jones, Monroe	30 min
Feb 19, 12:02 AM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Baldwin, Bibb, Jones, Twiggs, Wilkinson	28 min
Feb 19, 12:25 AM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Johnson, Laurens, Washington, Wilkinson	4 min
Feb 19, 2:03 AM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Toombs	12 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Georgia, 2009 Every tornado warning in 2009 Tornadoes 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.