Alert archive / Georgia / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 9, NWS Atlanta, GA

February 18, 2009Carroll County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this tornado warning at Feb 18, 2009, 5:02 PM EST for Carroll County, Georgia. It was in force for 43 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, 5:02 PM EST (22:02 UTC)
Expired
Feb 18, 2009, 5:45 PM EST
In force
43 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Carroll County, GA

The radar

The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 67 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:03 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, 5:05 PM ESTHAIL 1.75Clem, GAGOLF BALL SIZED HAIL REPORTED. BROKEN WINDSHIELDS.
Feb 18, 5:25 PM ESTFUNNEL CLOUDBowdon, GAPOSSIBLE TORNADO REPORTED.
Feb 18, 5:33 PM ESTHAIL 0.75Carrollton, GAEMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE REPORTED PENNY SIZED HAIL.

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 12:00Z, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 73 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 2009-02-18Temperature 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 2009-02-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 605 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
588 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
66 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
605 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
895 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 182202
TORFFC
GAC045-182245-
/O.NEW.KFFC.TO.W.0009.090218T2202Z-090218T2245Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN CARROLL COUNTY IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA

* UNTIL 545 PM EST

* AT 458 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 18 MILES WEST OF
  BOWDON...MOVING EAST AT 60 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO MOUNT
  ZION...ROOPVILLE AND CARROLLTON.

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 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 3366 8526 3366 8525 3365 8491 3344 8500
      3343 8530 3354 8532 3354 8533 3358 8533
      3363 8534 3365 8534
TIME...MOT...LOC 2202Z 275DEG 53KT 3357 8550

$$
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS52 KFFC 182218
SVSFFC

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

GAC045-182245-
/O.CON.KFFC.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-090218T2245Z/
CARROLL GA-
518 PM EST WED FEB 18 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 545 PM EST FOR SOUTHERN
CARROLL COUNTY...

AT 416 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR BOWDON...MOVING 
EAST AT 50 MPH. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. TORNADOES AND HAIL TO 
THE SIZE OF SOFTBALLS HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS STORM. MOVE TO A 
SAFE PLACE NOW

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
BLACKJACK MOUNTAIN...MOUNT ZION...TYUS...JOHN TANNER STATE PARK...
ROOPVILLE...CARROLLTON...LOWELL...CLEM AND TREASURE LAKE.

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 3366 8526 3366 8525 3365 8491 3344 8500
      3343 8530 3354 8532 3354 8533 3358 8533
      3363 8534 3365 8534
TIME...MOT...LOC 2218Z 279DEG 43KT 3354 8530

$$
000 
WWUS52 KFFC 182231
SVSFFC

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

GAC045-182245-
/O.CON.KFFC.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-090218T2245Z/
CARROLL GA-
530 PM EST WED FEB 18 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 545 PM EST FOR CENTRAL
CARROLL COUNTY...

AT 526 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AND STORM 
SPOTTERS CONTINUED TO INDICATE A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 
ABOUT 2 MILES EAST OF BOWDON...MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH. A TORNADO HAS 
BEEN REPORTED IN BOWDON WITH THIS STORM. MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE NOW
 
THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING TORNADO DAMAGE AND HAIL TO THE 
SIZE OF GOLFBALLS. 

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
ROOPVILLE...CARROLLTON...LOWELL...CLEM AND TREASURE LAKE.

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 3365 8520 3365 8491 3364 8492 3344 8500
      3347 8527 3355 8528
TIME...MOT...LOC 2230Z 275DEG 46KT 3354 8514

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 18, 3:43 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBartow, Chattooga, Floyd, Gordon52 min
Feb 18, 3:52 PM ESTWind AdvisoryFFCBaldwin, Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Bibb, Bleckley and 90 more27 hr
Feb 18, 4:19 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCChattahoochee, Marion, Muscogee41 min
Feb 18, 4:22 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCBartow, Cherokee38 min
Feb 18, 4:52 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCHarris, Talbot38 min
Feb 18, 4:53 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCCherokee, Forsyth, Fulton37 min
Feb 18, 5:06 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCMarion, Schley, Taylor24 min
Feb 18, 5:31 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCCarroll, Coweta, Douglas, Fulton44 min
Feb 18, 5:32 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCTalbot, Taylor27 min
Feb 18, 5:33 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCMacon, Taylor22 min
Feb 18, 5:36 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCobb, DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett54 min
Feb 18, 5:43 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCDeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett34 min
Feb 18, 5:54 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCClayton, Coweta, Fayette, Fulton, Henry, Spalding51 min
Feb 18, 5:59 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCGwinnett, Walton46 min
Feb 18, 6:01 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCrawford, Houston, Peach44 min
Feb 18, 6:13 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCCarroll47 min
Feb 18, 6:19 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCHouston, Twiggs26 min
Feb 18, 6:21 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCClarke, Greene, Morgan, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Walton54 min
Feb 18, 6:22 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCarroll, Haralson38 min
Feb 18, 6:33 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCButts, Henry, Jasper, Newton42 min
Feb 18, 6:44 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCBleckley, Laurens, Twiggs25 min
Feb 18, 6:48 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCWilkinson22 min
Feb 18, 6:50 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCJasper, Putnam55 min
Feb 18, 6:54 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCarroll, Coweta, Douglas, Fulton18 min
Feb 18, 6:58 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCGreene, Oglethorpe, Taliaferro, Warren, Wilkes77 min

Nearby

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