Georgia, 1998

Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, April 17, 1998

April 17, 1998 · NWS FFC · 21 events in 16 counties and zones

12 thunderstorm wind, 9 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$186,000
Crop damage
$50,000
Events
21

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 thunderstorm wind, 9 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Macon

When
April 17, 4:53 PM EST to 5:04 PM EST
Where
Macon County, Ideal to Montezuma
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
32.370, -84.180

The Macon county sheriff's office reported 1 inch hail.

Hail, Bibb

When
April 17, 5:38 PM EST to 5:50 PM EST
Where
Bibb County, Macon
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
32.820, -83.650

There were a couple of public reports of dime size hail.

Hail, Crawford

When
April 17, 5:40 PM EST
Where
Crawford County, 7 mi NE of Knoxville
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
32.780, -83.920

Hail, Bibb

When
April 17, 6:00 PM EST to 6:05 PM EST
Where
Bibb County, 5 mi SE of Macon
Measured
1 in hail
Property damage
$3,000
Coordinates
32.770, -83.580

Several reports of dime to quarter size hail were received. Roof damage was also reported.

Hail, Wilkinson

When
April 17, 6:10 PM EST
Where
Wilkinson County, Gordon
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
32.880, -83.330

Hail, Twiggs

When
April 17, 6:15 PM EST to 6:20 PM EST
Where
Twiggs County, Dry Branch
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
32.750, -83.630

Dime to quarter size hail was reported.

Hail, Washington

When
April 17, 6:55 PM EST to 6:57 PM EST
Where
Washington County, Sandersville
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
32.980, -82.800

Dime and larger size hail was reported.

Hail, Jefferson

When
April 17, 7:32 PM EST
Where
Jefferson County, Louisville
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
33.000, -82.400

Thunderstorm Wind, Schley

When
April 17, 8:45 PM EST
Where
Schley County, 3 mi S of Ellaville
Property damage
$3,000
Coordinates
32.180, -84.300

Thunderstorm winds knocked numerous trees down along highway 19 causing power outages.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sumter

When
April 17, 8:50 PM EST
Where
Sumter County, 10 mi ESE of Americus
Property damage
$1,000
Coordinates
32.020, -84.080

Several trees were knocked down. One large tree fell across power lines which caused several power poles to fall.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dooly

When
April 17, 9:35 PM EST to 9:45 PM EST
Where
Dooly County, Lilly to Vienna
Property damage
$40,000
Coordinates
32.150, -83.880

A trailer was blown off its foundation in Lilly. Numerous trees were knocked down from Byromville to Vienna and over to Pinehurst. A barn or outbuilding was destroyed about 15 miles northeast of Vienna near highway 230. Small hail was also reported.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pulaski

When
April 17, 9:55 PM EST to 10:05 PM EST
Where
Pulaski County, Hawkinsville to 6 mi NW of Hawkinsville
Property damage
$50,000
Crop damage
$50,000
Coordinates
32.280, -83.570

Sight survey by a NWS employee showed the damage path continued out of Houston county into Pulaski county. Over 150 pecan trees in 2 separate orchards were blown down. Very large oak and pine trees were also knocked down. An unoccupied mobile home was flipped and landed 30 to 40 feet away. It was upright and intact, but destroyed. The EMA director indicated a total of 17 homes were damaged or destroyed. Most of the damage came from falling trees. Power outages also resulted when trees fell on power lines.

Thunderstorm Wind, Houston

When
April 17, 9:55 PM EST
Where
Houston County, 2 mi SE of Hayneville
Property damage
$50,000
Coordinates
32.370, -83.600

Sight survey by a NWS employee indicated a downburst from a severe thunderstorm destroyed a mobile home on County Line Road 12 miles south-southeast of Perry. About 20 large mature oak, cedar and pine trees were blown down. A very old graveyard was damaged by uprooting of huge oak trees. A number of residents reported damage to vehicles and structures, fallen power lines and obstructions on roadways. Sound descriptions indicated the possibility of a funnel but there was no evidence of a tornado.

Thunderstorm Wind, Bleckley

When
April 17, 10:10 PM EST to 10:20 PM EST
Where
Bleckley County, Cochran to Cary
Property damage
$1,000
Coordinates
32.380, -83.350

Thunderstorm winds knocked down 5 to 7 trees in and near Cochran on county and city roads.

Thunderstorm Wind, Laurens

When
April 17, 10:30 PM EST to 10:35 PM EST
Where
Laurens County, Dexter to 2 mi of Dudley
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
32.450, -83.070

About 30 trees were blown down along the track of the storm. The most serious was about 2 miles northwest of Dexter, where the trees fell in a pattern that suggested a funnel. The EMA director and 2 sheriff's deputies reported seeing funnel clouds, displayed by nearly continuous lightning. No evidence of a tornado was found when a NWS employee surveyed the area. The windows were blown out of a church on New Bethel Road near Dudley.

Thunderstorm Wind, Laurens

When
April 17, 10:59 PM EST
Where
Laurens County, Dublin
Property damage
$2,000
Coordinates
32.530, -82.900

Trees were blown down causing power outages.

Hail, Pulaski

When
April 17, 11:15 PM EST
Where
Pulaski County, Hawkinsville
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
32.280, -83.470

Thunderstorm Wind, Pulaski

When
April 17, 11:15 PM EST
Where
Pulaski County, Hawkinsville
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
32.280, -83.470

Numerous trees were downed by thunderstorm winds, some falling on power lines causing power outages. Roofs were taken off houses. Quarter size hail was also reported.

Thunderstorm Wind, Johnson

When
April 17, 11:15 PM EST to 11:21 PM EST
Where
Johnson County, Wrightsville
Property damage
$2,000
Coordinates
32.730, -82.720

The sheriff's office reported thunderstorm winds knocked trees down, some of which caused power outages as they fell on power lines.

Thunderstorm Wind, Emanuel

When
April 17, 11:25 PM EST
Where
Emanuel County, Adrian
Property damage
$2,000
Coordinates
32.530, -82.600

Some power lines were blown down near the town of Adrian.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When
April 17, 11:28 PM EST
Where
Jefferson County, Wadley
Property damage
$2,000
Coordinates
32.870, -82.400

Several trees were blown down and there were power outages near Wadley.

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Georgia in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, April 1998

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5639955, 5639957, 5639956, 5639958, 5639959, 5639960, 5639961, 5639962, 5639963, 5639964, 5640051, 5640052, 5640054, 5640053, 5640055, 5640056, 5640057, 5640058, 5640059, 5640060, 5640061.