15 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 Tallahassee, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 24, 6:20 AM EST, 2 hours 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 620 AM EST TUE DEC 24 2002 WILL BE UPDATING ZONES AND COASTAL WATERS FORECASTS FOR SHORTLY FOR TORNADO WATCH #805. LAPS ANALYSIS SHOWS INCREASING SURFACE BASED CAPE WORKING E INTO OUR WRN CWFA WHILE KEOX AND KEVX VAD WIND PROFILES ALREADY SHOW IMPRESSIVE 0-1KM SHEAR ALREADY UNDERWAY. .TLH... AL...NONE. GA...NONE. FL...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY ALL MARINE ZONES. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOLLOWS. ***************************************************************** 300 AM EST TUE DEC 24 2002 FORECAST CHALLENGE -- POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER. --SYNOPSIS-- WATER VAPOR IMAGES SHOW UPPER JET LIFTING ACROSS TX AROUND BASE OF BROADENING UPPER TROUGH. STRONG/SEVERE CONVECTION ONGOING OVER MS/LA/ERN TX BENEATH EXIT REGION OF THIS JET. 05Z SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWED LOW OVER LA WITH WARM FRONT AHEAD OF THIS LOW LIFTING OVER CENTRAL MS/AL/GA. OUR LOCAL BUOYS ARE REPORTING DEWPOINTS IN THE LOW/MID 60S (F) SO MOIST RETURN SHOULD CONTINUE OVER THE CWFA. A VERY IMPRESSIVE 24/00Z SOUNDING WAS TAKEN AT NEW ORLEANS WITH AN UNMODIFIED 0-3 KM SR HELICITY OF 1069 J/KG. THE TLH SOUNDING WAS NOT NEARLY SO IMPRESSIVE...BUT DID SHOW INCREASING LOWER TROPOSPHERIC FLOW AND STEEPER MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES. --FORECAST-- MODEL PROGS ON TIMING OF FRONT AND ASSOCIATED CONVECTION REMAINS UNCHANGED FROM PREVIOUS FORECAST...SO VERY FEW CHANGES WERE MADE IN THE ZFP. MENTIONED POSSIBLE SEVERE FOR THE FIRST PERIOD DUE TO STRONG LOWER TROPOSPHERIC WIND PROFILE. AS NOTED IN LATEST SWODY1... PROGGED VERTICAL WIND FIELDS LOOKING MORE UNIDIRECTIONAL THIS AFTERNOON...AND BOUNDARY LAYER TO 6KM SHEAR IS MARKEDLY DECREASED... SO PRIMARY THREAT LOOKS LIKE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. NONETHELESS...06Z RUC FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE VERY IMPRESSIVE 30-40KT 0-1KM SHEAR OVER OUR SE AL ZONES THIS AFTERNOON...SUGGESTING BOW ECHO ASSOCIATED TORNADOES REMAIN A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY. KEPT THE SAME CARRY-OVER POPS FOR TONIGHT. FIRE WEATHER - NO HIGHLIGHTS. MARINE - ALREADY AT SCA CRITERIA OVER OUR WATERS W OF AAF. EXPECT THE SAME SHORTLY E OF AAF SO HAVE WORDED ACCORDINGLY. FEW CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE COASTAL WATERS FORECAST EXCEPT FOR SOME MINOR FIRST PERIOD ADJUSTMENTS. EXTENDED - NO CHANGES MADE. PRELIMINARY NUMBERS... TLH 073/050 056/029 +500 PFN 071/048 055/035 +300 DHN 069/044 049/030 +300 ABY 068/046 052/030 +400 VLD 072/052 056/030 +500 CTY 076/054 060/030 8600 .TLH... AL...NONE. GA...NONE. FL...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY ALL MARINE ZONES. TJT
ALZ065>069-FLZ007>019-026>029-034-GAZ120>131-142>148-155>161-250930- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 430 AM EST TUE DEC 24 2002 THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND EASTERN PANHANDLE...AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE... SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA THROUGH THIS EVENING. THE BEST THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE OVER SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND THE EASTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE...HOWEVER THE REMAINING OUTLOOK AREA MAY ALSO SEE SEVERE WEATHER. THE MAIN EXPECTED THREAT IS DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...ALTHOUGH ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE...MAINLY OVER SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND THE EASTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES FOR HIGH WINDS AND SEAS WILL BE IN EFFECT THROUGH CHRISTMAS MORNING FOR THE COASTAL WATERS. .RIP CURRENTS... DUE TO STRONG ONSHORE WINDS...THE THREAT FOR RIP CURRENTS WILL BE MODERATE TO HIGH TODAY...ESPECIALLY BEFORE NOON DURING THE EBB TIDE. THE RIP CURRENT THREAT WILL DECREASE SIGNIFICANTLY LATER TONIGHT WHEN WINDS SHIFT TO AN OFFSHORE DIRECTION. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... WITH THE APPROACHING SEVERE WEATHER...SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE REQUIRED LATER TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... CHRISTMAS THROUGH MONDAY...WINDS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS SHOULD DROP BELOW SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY LEVELS WEDNESDAY. FREEZING TEMPERATURES WILL BE POSSIBLE EACH MORNING THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES EACH OF THESE AFTERNOONS WILL ENHANCE THE SPREAD OF ANY WILDFIRES THAT DEVELOP. FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE VIA OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TLH/ OR LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL TELEVISION OR RADIO STATIONS. 48-TURNAGE
ALZ065>069-FLZ007>018-026-027-GAZ120>131-142>147-155>159-241700- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 625 AM EST TUE DEC 24 2002 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...MOST OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...MOST OF THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND PANHANDLE...AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS... EFFECTIVE UNTIL NOON EST TUESDAY (1100 AM CST TUESDAY MORNING). THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: IN ALABAMA...COFFEE...GENEVA...DALE...HENRY...AND HOUSTON. IN FLORIDA...WALTON...HOLMES...WASHINGTON...BAY...JACKSON... CALHOUN...GULF...GADSDEN...LIBERTY...FRANKLIN...LEON...WAKULLA...AND JEFFERSON. IN GEORGIA...QUITMAN...CLAY...EARLY...MILLER...SEMINOLE...RANDOLPH... CALHOUN...BAKER...DECATUR...TERRELL...DOUGHERTY...MITCHELL...GRADY... LEE...WORTH...COLQUITT...THOMAS...TURNER...TIFT...COOK...BROOKS...BEN HILL...AND IRWIN. REMEMBER A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PEOPLE IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. 48-TURNAGE
ALZ065>069-FLZ007>018-026-027-GAZ120>131-142>147-155>159-242000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL 835 AM EST TUE DEC 24 2002 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...MOST OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...MOST OF THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND PANHANDLE...AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS... EFFECTIVE UNTIL NOON EST TUESDAY (1100 AM CST TUESDAY MORNING). STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE ARE MOVING RAPIDLY EAST AT 45 MPH. TORNADO TOUCHDOWNS HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPORTED IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA.. POSSIBLE TOUCHDOWNS HAVE OCCURRED IN THE FLORIDA PANAHANDLE IN WALTON COUNTY. AS THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVES EAST ACROSS THE REGION THE FOCUS OF THE SEVERE WEATHER WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA AND THE FLORIDA BIG BEND. PERSONS LIVING IN THESE AREAS ARE URGED TO STAY TUNED TO LOCAL MEDIA SOURCES INCLUDING NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR UPDATES ON THIS DANGEROUS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION. BE PREPARED TO ACTION IF WARNINGS ARE ISSUED. -BOLDEN
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
15 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Straight-line winds inflicted minor roof damage to several homes. Numerous trees and power lines were toppled. Approximately 400 customers were without power, from the town of Sasser south to the county line. Reported by a SKYWARN spotter and GEMA.
Six homes were heavily damaged and 20 homes received minor damage along a path from just southwest of Palmyra to Leesburg. A school and church also sustained damage. There were numerous downed trees and power lines. A state of emergency was declared. Reported by a SKYWARN spotter and GEMA.
Downed trees and power lines reported by the Mitchell County Sheriff.
Numerous trees and power lines were down. A church sustained minor roof damage. Reported by the Colquitt County Sheriff and the Moultrie Observer.
Straight-line winds knocked down numerous trees and power lines, and peeled the roof of a home. Many residents along the South Georgia Parkway and Cordele Highway were without power for several hours. Reported by the Worth County EMA.
Numerous trees and power lines were down throughout the city. Several trees fell on houses near U.S. Highway 125 north of Tifton. A home lost part of its roof. Reported by Tift County 911.
Downed trees and power lines reported by GEMA.
A home was damaged, as well as numerous downed trees and power lines. A large portion of Thomasville was without power for several hours. Reported by GEMA.
Downed trees and power lines reported by the Brooks County Sheriff.
Downed trees and power lines reported by the Ben Hill County Sheriff.
A small tornado briefly touched town which destroyed a mobile home, damaged several barns and uprooted trees. The tornado also hit a mobile home industrial park, where a dozen homes were severely damaged. Reported by the Irwin County Sheriff.
Numerous downed trees reported by GEMA.
Numerous downed trees, with some blocking county roads. Reported by the Cook County Sheriff.
Numerous downed trees and power lines. Power was disrupted along the Inner Perimeter Road corridor for several hours. Reported by the Lowndes County EMA.
Public reported downed trees and power lines in the Mann Road area south of Lakeland and Empire Church area north of Lakeland.
A 63-mph wind gust was recorded by an Air Force weather observer.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Georgia, 2002Warnings in Georgia, December 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: 5325855, 5325737, 5325853, 5325852, 5325953, 5325854, 5325856, 5325857, 5325858, 5325859, 5325865, 5325860, 5325861, 5325862, 5325864, 5325863.