12 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 2 lightning, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 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 Aug 20, 2:11 PM EST, 1 hour 54 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 237 PM EDT TUE AUG 20 2002 OVERVIEW: OVERRIDING FACTOR FOR SHORT TERM WILL BE PERSISTENT WEST-EAST ANCHORED UPPER RIDGE FROM MIDWEST TO MID-ATLANTIC...WHICH WILL AMPLIFY SLIGHTLY TO THE SOUTH ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA. LITTLE TO NO CHANGE IN OVERALL PATTERN THROUGH SHORT TERM. WEAK DISTURBANCES IN THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE ARE THE KEY TO PINPOINTING CONVECTION IN THE SHORT TERM. WEAK...DIFFUSE...BOUNDARY WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH SOUTH NEXT TWO DAYS AS SURFACE HIGH SPREADS EAST TOWARD MID-ATLANTIC. SLIGHT DROP IN THICKNESS VALUES MAY LEAD TO MINOR SURFACE COOLING TUE-WED...WHILE DRYING FROM THE NORTHEAST LEADS TO LOWER POPS. SHORT TERM: DIURNAL CONVECTION LESS THAN WE HAVE SEEN IN SEVERAL DAYS...AS SURFACE BOUNDARY/WIND SHIFT LINE SINKS FURTHER SOUTH AND DRIER AIR BEGINS TO ADVECT INTO NORTH/CENTRAL GA FROM THE NORTHEAST. P.E. TO POPS ALSO SUGGEST DRYING FROM THE NE IN THE SHORT TERM. ETA/AVN MOS ADVERTISE QUITE A BIT MORE COOLING THAN FWC ON DAY 2...SO WILL COMPROMISE FOR DAY 2. BY THU...BOUNDARY BEGINS RETURNING NORTH...ALONG WITH MOISTURE...HEAT...AND HUMIDITY AND INCREASING POPS. WILL REMOVE MENTION OF POPS FOR N/NE GA FOR WED AS IT APPEARS THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH DRYING (WEDGE APPEARANCE?) TO PRECLUDE POPS IN THOSE AREAS WED. WILL KEEP SLIGHT CHANCE SOUTHERN AREAS NEARER BOUNDARY...BUT EVEN THERE EXPECT LESS WEDNESDAY. FOR THURSDAY...WILL RETURN DIURNAL CONVECTION TO ALL AREAS AS BOUNDARY RETREATS NORTHWARD. EXTENDED: FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE EXTENDED...LITTLE CHANGE. HOWEVER...MRF ADVERTISES AMPLIFYING TROUGH IN THE EAST OVER THE WEEKEND...WHICH SHOULD PUSH A FRONT INTO THE REGION. FRONT LIKELY WILL STALL ACROSS CENTRAL PORTION OF CWA...AND THUS SERVE AS A BOUNDARY FOR ENHANCED CONVECTION. PATTERN THROUGH DAY 7 STRIKINGLY SIMILAR TO THAT OBSERVED LATE LAST WEEK. HOWEVER...UKMET NOT ADVERTISING SUCH EASTERN TROUGH AMPLIFICATION AND ECMWF CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN MRF/AVN. AGAIN SITUATION SIMILAR TO LATE LAST WEEK...SO EXPECT CONTINUED/PERHAPS ENHANCED DIURNAL CONVECTION...WITH LITTLE SENSIBLE WEATHER CHANGE OTHERWISE. FORECAST CONFIDENCE: MODERATE IN SHORT TERM GIVEN SOME UNCERTAINTY AS TO THE EXTENT OF THE DRY AIR. MODERATE IN EXTENDED BECAUSE OF UNCERTAINTY IN THE MODELS. FCSTID = 19 ATL 72 92 70 88 / 20 10 10 20 AHN 69 92 68 89 / 20 10 10 10 GVL 71 90 69 87 / 20 10 10 10 RMG 69 94 68 91 / 30 10 10 20 CSG 74 94 73 92 / 30 20 10 20 MCN 72 94 71 92 / 20 20 10 20 .ATL... GA...NONE. RAB OUR DETAILED COUNTY FORECASTS ARE AVAILABLE AT FOUS52 KFFC. OUR AREA FORECAST FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA CITIES IS AVAILABLE AT FLUS42 KFFC.
GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-202130- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 1135 AM EDT TUE AUG 20 2002 ...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT OVER WEST GEORGIA... .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK...NEARLY STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY OVER CENTRAL GEORGIA WILL HELP TO SPARK SOME ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORM OVER NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .PRIMARY HAZARD... ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER GEORGIA TODAY. THEY WILL BE MOST NUMEROUS CENTRAL AND WEST. THE BEST CHANCE OF GENERAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL BE SOUTH OF A LINE FROM LAGRANGE TO THOMASTON TO MILLEDGEVILLE TO GIBSON. A FEW OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...WITH THE PRIMARY THREAT BEING DAMAGING WINDS...INTENSE LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL. THE BEST CHANCE OF ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL BE WEST OF A LINE FROM DALTON TO CARTERSVILLE TO GAY TO AMERICUS LINE. THE MOST LIKELY TIME FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL BE BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 3 PM AND 7 PM. .DISCUSSION... DAYTIME HEATING WILL COMBINE WITH AN ALREADY MOIST ATMOSPHERE...THE FOCUSING MECHANISM OF THE SURFACE TROF ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA AND COOLING ALOFT OVER ALABAMA THAT WILL SPREAD EAST TO CAUSE INCREASING INSTABILITY. DEWPOINTS WILL REMAIN IN THE 70S. CAPE WILL BE INCREASING TO THE 1500 TO 2000 RANGE OVER WEST AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. HELICITY VALUES ARE FORECAST TO BE AROUND 100. LIFTED INDICES WILL LOWER INTO THE -4 TO -6 RANGE. THIS MAY LEAD TO ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...WITH WINDS OF 55 MPH OR GREATER AND HAIL TO THE SIZE OF DIMES. .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 WEBSITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/FFC.
The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 99 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:04 UTC.
12 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 2 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
The Floyd county 911 center reported that power lines were down near Wax Lake.
The Floyd county 911 center reported dime size hail near Wax Lake.
The Polk county 911 center reported that two trees were blown down on Campbell Road.
A storm spotter reported pea size hail.
The Pulaski county Emergency Management Director reported dime size hail.
The public reported pea size hail.
The Greene county Emergency Management Director reported that a few trees were blown down.
The Dooly county 911 center reported dime size hail.
The Dooly county 911 center reported that some trees were blown down.
The Troup county 911 center reported that some trees were blown down.
The Madisonian Newspaper reported that lightning struck and set on fire a historic home in town on Washington Street. Many of its contents were antiques and irreplaceable. The structure and its contents were destroyed. The county's 911 communication system was also struck and knocked out of service by lightning.
The Madison county Emergency Management Director reported that major damage was caused by thunderstorm winds across the north part of the county, particularly along and near Bostwick Road. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down or uprooted throughout the north part of the county. One tree caused significant damage to a home when it fell through the roof and also collapsed the front porch. A nearby parked vehicle also sustained damage during this incident. Several homes sustained minor to moderate damage when shingles or portions of their roofs were blown off, including one home with a tin roof which was partially ripped off and another with siding damage. A mobile home was also totally destroyed by downed trees and wind damage.
The public reported dime size hail.
The Dooly county 911 center reported that some trees were blown down.
The Sumter county 911 center reported that trees and power lines were down in Americus and trees were down in both Leslie and Desoto.
The Sumter county 911 center reported dime to nickel size hail in Americus, Desoto, and Leslie.
The Schley county sheriff reported that about 15 trees were down, some blocking roads. One tree was down on a home as well. This information was also confirmed by the Americus Times-Recorder.
The Americus Times-Recorder reported that at least four homes were struck by lightning. Two of the homes sustained minor to moderate damage because of fire, while the other two received only minimal damage to appliances. One home on Wildwood Circle sustained moderate damage as all of the roof rafters were burned and another on Wild Azalea Drive in the Rockhill Subdivision sustained minor damage. On Mayo Street an air conditioning unit was set on fire and a ceiling fan was set on fire at a fourth house on Forsyth St.
The Americus Times-Recorder and the county 911 center reported that thunderstorm winds blew down trees and power lines in the city. In addition, a small private airplane was flipped over by winds at Souther Field. Trees were also blown down in Plains. The Sumter county Emergency Manager also reported that a barn was blown down.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, August 2002
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: 5318202, 5318203, 5318204, 5317436, 5318206, 5318207, 5318321, 5317428, 5318205, 5317429, 5318319, 5318320, 5317430, 5317431, 5317432, 5317433, 5317434, 5318318, 5317435.