Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, July 20, 1998

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, July 20, 1998
Start: 1998-07-20T00:17
End: 1998-07-20T20:15
Location: Georgia

July 20, 1998 · NWS FFC · 29 events in 18 counties and zones

17 thunderstorm wind, 11 hail, 1 lightning, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $307,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 29

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

17 thunderstorm wind, 11 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Cobb

When: July 20, 12:17 AM EST to 12:25 AM EST
Where: Cobb County, Austell to 2 mi of Marietta
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 33.820, -84.650

Numerous public reports indicated hail ranging from dime size to as large as baseball size fell in Cobb county. The hail covered the ground in some areas. One large tree was also reportedly blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dawson

When: July 20, 1:44 PM EST
Where: Dawson County, Dawsonville
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 34.420, -84.120

Dawson county 911 reported several trees down and power outages.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hall

When: July 20, 2:05 PM EST to 2:10 PM EST
Where: Hall County, Lula to Gainesville
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 34.380, -83.670

The public reported dime size hail and trees blown down across a road.

Hail, Hall

When: July 20, 2:10 PM EST
Where: Hall County, 7 mi NW of Gainesville
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 34.370, -83.920

Thunderstorm Wind, Dade

When: July 20, 2:12 PM EST
Where: Dade County, Rising Fawn
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 34.750, -85.520

Dade county 911 reported trees down and power outages.

Thunderstorm Wind, Douglas

When: July 20, 3:30 PM EST to 3:35 PM EST
Where: Douglas County, Lithia Spgs to Douglasville
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 33.780, -84.650

The Douglas county EMA director reported lots of damage to several homes and 1 church. The public reported dime size hail and a few trees blown down.

Hail, Clarke

When: July 20, 3:30 PM EST
Where: Clarke County, Athens
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 33.950, -83.380

Thunderstorm Wind, Clarke

When: July 20, 3:30 PM EST
Where: Clarke County, Athens
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 33.950, -83.380

The Flight Service Station in Athens reported nickel size hail and several 100 foot oak trees down. Winds were estimated at 80 mph.

Hail, Douglas

When: July 20, 3:33 PM EST to 3:55 PM EST
Where: Douglas County, Lithia Spgs to Douglasville
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 33.780, -84.650

Hail, Cobb

When: July 20, 3:36 PM EST
Where: Cobb County, Powder Spgs
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 33.850, -84.670

Thunderstorm Wind, Gwinnett

When: July 20, 3:55 PM EST
Where: Gwinnett County, Duluth
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 34.000, -84.150

The public reported 3 trees blown down by thunderstorm winds.

Thunderstorm Wind, Carroll

When: July 20, 4:15 PM EST to 4:20 PM EST
Where: Carroll County, Villa Rica
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 33.730, -84.920

A HAM operator and the public reported trees and power lines down and damage to the roof of a house.

Hail, Fulton

When: July 20, 4:15 PM EST to 4:30 PM EST
Where: Fulton County, Sandy Spgs
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 33.920, -84.380

The public reported dime to half dollar size hail.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lamar

When: July 20, 4:15 PM EST
Where: Lamar County, Barnesville
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 33.050, -84.150

The public reported trees knocked down.

Hail, De Kalb

When: July 20, 4:15 PM EST to 4:30 PM EST
Where: De Kalb County, Brookhaven
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 33.870, -84.320

Thunderstorm Wind, Putnam

When: July 20, 4:40 PM EST
Where: Putnam County, Eatonton to Willard
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates: 33.320, -83.380

The Eatonton Fire department reported several power lines were blown down, causing widespread power outages.

Thunderstorm Wind, Baldwin

When: July 20, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Baldwin County, 7 mi NW of Milledgeville
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 33.150, -83.320

The Baldwin county sheriff's office reported a few trees were knocked down in the northwest part of the county, causing power outages.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lamar

When: July 20, 5:15 PM EST
Where: Lamar County, Aldora to Milner
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 33.050, -84.180

A slow moving thunderstorm continued to produce damaging winds over Lamar county. High winds caused a tractor-trailer to jacknife and overturn at Aldora near the intersection of highways 341 and 18. Road signs were twisted and nearly toppled. Several people in the area reported seeing a funnel cloud. The winds also toppled a brick sign and damaged the roof at a grocery store. A greenhouse at a nursery was also destroyed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Putnam

When: July 20, 5:35 PM EST
Where: Putnam County, Eatonton
Property damage: $500
Reported by: FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates: 33.320, -83.380

The Eatonton fire department reported large limbs were blown down and blocked traffic.

Hail, Coweta

When: July 20, 5:40 PM EST
Where: Coweta County, Thomas Xrds
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 33.400, -84.680

Hail, Coweta

When: July 20, 5:45 PM EST
Where: Coweta County, Sharpsburg
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 33.330, -84.650

The public reported ping pong to golf ball size hail.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jasper

When: July 20, 5:45 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where: Jasper County, Monticello to 5 mi of Monticello
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 33.300, -83.770

Jasper county 911 reported trees were knocked down along highway 16 between Monticello and Jackson.

Hail, Fayette

When: July 20, 5:50 PM EST
Where: Fayette County, Peachtree City
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates: 33.420, -84.450

Thunderstorm Wind, Coweta

When: July 20, 5:52 PM EST
Where: Coweta County, 4 mi S of Newnan
Measured: 62 kt (71 mph)
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 33.320, -84.800

The public reported a wind gust of 72 mph.

Lightning, Coweta

When: July 20, 6:00 PM EST to 6:15 PM EST
Where: Coweta County, Newnan
Property damage: $200,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 33.354, -84.763 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Fires started by lightning damaged residences in Olympia Park subdivision, on Summers-McKoy Road, and on Westside School Road. Also a mobile home on highway 29 was slightly damaged. A shop building and a utility building also suffered damage.

Thunderstorm Wind, Taylor

When: July 20, 6:00 PM EST
Where: Taylor County, Butler
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.550, -84.230

The Taylor county sheriff reported a few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jasper

When: July 20, 6:01 PM EST to 6:15 PM EST
Where: Jasper County, Monticello
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 33.300, -83.680

Jasper county 911 reported trees down along highway 11 and on some back roads.

Thunderstorm Wind, Houston

When: July 20, 8:00 PM EST to 8:15 PM EST
Where: Houston County, Warner Robins
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 32.620, -83.600

Houston county 911 reported dime size hail and trees and power lines down.

Hail, Houston

When: July 20, 8:00 PM EST to 8:15 PM EST
Where: Houston County, Warner Robins
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 32.620, -83.600

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.
Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Georgia in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in Georgia, July 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: 5656791, 5656792, 5656794, 5656793, 5656795, 5656797, 5656800, 5656801, 5656796, 5656798, 5656799, 5656802, 5656803, 5656804, 5656805, 5656806, 5656563, 5656564, 5656565, 5656566, 5656567, 5657387, 5657386, 5656568, 5657391, 5657392, 5657388, 5657389, 5657390.