Damaging Winds in Georgia, March 3, 2001

Name: Damaging Winds in Georgia, March 3, 2001
Start: 2001-03-03T01:45
End: 2001-03-03T23:35
Location: Georgia

March 3, 2001 · NWS FFC · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

5 thunderstorm wind, 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 2
Property damage: $256,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Atlanta, GA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 2, 10:02 PM EST, 3 hours 43 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 2, 10:02 PM EST, 3 hours 43 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
930 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2001

COMPLEX WEATHER PATTERN UNFOLDING FOR THE NEXT 24-36 HOURS ACROSS
NORTH/CENTRAL GA.  FIRST...LARGE AREA OF RAIN...AND A FEW EMBEDDED
THUNDERSTORMS...CONTINUES TO SPREAD ACROSS THE CENTRAL PORTION OF
THE STATE THIS EVENING.  PRECIPITATION JUST SOUTH OF WEAK WARM
FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND ALONG 0 LI LINE.  ADDITIONAL SUPPORT GIVEN BY
SIGNIFICANT PVA CENTER MOVING ENE FROM CENTRAL AL AND +4 TO +8
OMEGAS.  MESO-ETA MODEL SHOWS CONSIDERABLE STABILIZATION ACROSS FFC
CWA OVERNIGHT...EVEN IN THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS.  DYNAMICS ALL POINT
TO DIMINISHED INTENSITY OF PCPN OVERNIGHT.  MOISTURE WILL REMAIN
ABUNDANT AS ATMOSPHERE BECOMES MORE SATURATED OVERNIGHT WITH MOIST
PACIFIC FLOW ALOFT CONTINUING...SO RAIN A GOOD BET.  QPF VALUES
OVERNIGHT IN THE 0.5 - 0.75 INCH RAIN MOST AREAS...WITH FFG VALUES
STILL 3-4 IN/6 HR RANGE...SO NOT CONCERNED ABOUT FLOOD THREAT
TONIGHT.  WILL PRETTY MUCH GO ALONG WITH CURRENT FORECAST FOR
TONIGHT.

SATURDAY RAPIDLY BECOMES A DIFFERENT STORY.  STRONG SURFACE LOW
DEVELOPS OVERNIGHT NEAR LCH AND MOVES TO NEAR BHM BY SAT EVE...AND
THEN NORTH OF ATL AFTER MIDNIGHT SAT.  AREA OF NEGATIVE LI'S MOVE
NORTH AFTER 15Z...WITH -3 LI REACHING CSG-MCN AND -2 LI'S REACHING
ATL-AHN.  0 LI LINE MOVES AS FAR NORTH AS RMG...WITH STABLE AIR
CONFINED TO EXTREME N/NE SECTIONS BY AFTERNOON.  VV ALSO BECOMES
SIGNIFICANT (+4 TO +8)...AGAIN MAINLY S/SW PART OF CWA BY
AFTERNOON.  AT THIS POINT...MAIN THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER IN MY
OPINION WILL BE BETWEEN 18Z-00Z AND SOUTH OF LGC-MCN LINE...WITH
POSSIBLE ISOLATED SEVERE NORTH TO ATL-AHN.  BEST CAPE/DIVERGENCE
ALOFT REMAIN EVEN FURTHER SOUTH...MAINLY TLH/JAX CWAS AND THAT IS
WHERE THE HIGHEST SEVERE THREAT SHOULD BE.  QPF VALUES ARE THE
HIGHEST IN THE NW PART OF CWA SATURDAY...WITH GENEROUS 1-2 INCH
TOTALS THOSE AREAS.  HEAVIEST RAIN AREA WILL NOT BE IN SYNC WITH
SEVERE WEATHER DYNAMICS...WITH HEAVIEST RAIN FALLING NORTH OF
FRONTAL BOUNDARY IN MORE STABLE SURFACE AIR.  DRY SLOT WORKS INTO
S/CENTRAL PORTIONS OF CWA BETWEEN 00-06Z SUN...BRINGING AN END TO
THE MAIN PCPN...BUT SOME WRAP AROUND WILL WORK SOUTH LATER.  FAR
NORTH MAY STAY WET ALL NIGHT SATURDAY.

NEXT POINT OF INTEREST IS POTENTIAL WEDGE DEVELOPING NE SECTIONS.
OVERNIGHT...WINDS WILL BECOME MORE EASTERLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN
SECTIONS OF THE STATE AS SURFACE LOW DEVELOPS ALONG GULF...WITH BOUNDARY
SHIFTING SOUTH TO BETWEEN ATL-AHN AND CSG-MCN OVERNIGHT.  THIS WILL
FURTHER STABILIZE NORTHERN SECTIONS OVERNIGHT.

TEMPERATURES APPEAR ON TRACK AS WELL FOR TONIGHT...SO DO NOT PLAN
ANY MAJOR CHANGES HERE EITHER.

SUNDAY BRINGS A RETURN TO WINTER FOR N/CENTRAL GA.  TEMPERATURES
WILL DROP TO THEIR LOWEST LEVELS IN OVER 3 WEEKS.  AS MENTIONED
EARLIER...PCPN THREAT IN COLD AIR APPEARS MINIMAL AT THIS TIME...BUT
FLURRIES IN THE NORTHEAST NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION.  FREEZING
TEMPERATURES APPEAR TO BE A GOOD BET FOR THE ENTIRE CWA BY MON
MORNING AND AGAIN TUE MORNING...WITH A HARD FREEZE (NEAR 20)
NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS.  DRY CONDITIONS SHOULD PREVAIL UNTIrL THE NEXT
SYSTEM AFFECTS THE REGION NEXT WEEK.  LOOKS LIKE PATTERN FOR THE
NEXT WEEK OR SO WILL BE ONE OF SLOW MOVING CUTOFF LOWS IN AN ACTIVE
SOUTHERN STREAM.

.ATL...
GA...NONE.

RAB

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 2, 8:45 PM EST, 5 hours before

GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086-
089>098-102>113-030800-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
845 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2001

...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE ACROSS WEST CENTRAL
GEORGIA TONIGHT...

.SYNOPSIS...
A WARM FRONT ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA WILL LIFT SLOWLY NORTH TONIGHT.
ALONG AND SOUTH OF THIS FRONT THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE MODERATELY
UNSTABLE WITH SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING.

.PRIMARY HAZARD...
ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE SOUTH AND WEST OF A LINE
FROM LA GRANGE TO FORSYTH TO JEFFERSONVILLE TO ABBEVILLE. DAMAGING
WIND IS THE PRIMARY THREAT.

.DISCUSSION...
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND MOVE ACROSS
WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA TONIGHT. WITH DEW POINTS IN THE 60S AND LIFTED INDICES
IN THE ZERO TO MINUS 3 RANGE...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH
DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE.

.FOR SPOTTERS...
SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL SHOULD MONITOR
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION.

&&

FOR THE GRAPHICAL HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK AND OTHER WEATHER
INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/FFC.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Crisp

When: March 3, 1:45 AM EST to 1:50 AM EST
Where: Crisp County, 2 mi W of Coney
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $250,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 31.950, -83.917

The Cordele Dispatch reported that trees and power lines were blown down across the county, but especially in the Cordele and Lake Blackshear areas. On Lakeshore Court at Lake Blackshear, a tree fell on a house and caved in the bedroom wall injuring a man and his wife who were sleeping. Three other homes on Lakeshore Court were also damaged when trees fell on them. In addition, a boat house was completely destroyed by the wind and a tree fell on a pickup truck causing considerable damage. At the Falcon Run Golf course, a shed which housed golf carts, was completely destroyed. Several of the golf carts inside were damaged or destroyed as well. In addition, the tops were snapped out of pine trees all across the golf course and several homes around the course were damaged as well.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dooly

When: March 3, 10:40 PM EST
Where: Dooly County, Vienna
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 32.100, -83.783

The Dooly county 911 center reported that two trees were blown down on the Pinehurst Highway in Vienna.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wilcox

When: March 3, 10:45 PM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Wilcox County, Rochelle
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 31.950, -83.450

The Wilcox county 911 center reported 4 to 5 trees down from Rochelle to Abbeville.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dodge

When: March 3, 11:00 PM EST
Where: Dodge County, Eastman
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 32.200, -83.183

The Dodge county 911 center reported that the wing of a glider parked at the Eastman airport was damaged.

Thunderstorm Wind, Treutlen

When: March 3, 11:35 PM EST
Where: Treutlen County, Soperton
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 32.383, -82.600

The Truetlen county 911 center reported that a power line was blown down.

What these are

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

Every storm in Georgia in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Georgia, March 2001

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: 5238644, 5238728, 5238729, 5238730, 5238731.