Georgia, 2003

Damaging Winds in Georgia, February 22, 2003

February 22, 2003 · NWS CHS · 13 events in 8 counties and zones

13 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
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
13

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 Charleston, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 22, 9:30 AM EST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 22, 9:30 AM EST, 2 hours 30 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
930 AM EST SAT FEB 22 2003

PUBLIC...WILL MAKE NO CHANGES AT THIS TIME. NEW SWOMCD JUST ISSUED
SAYS NEW WW WILL BE ISSUED SHORTLY FOR OUR AREA. ZONE UPDATE LIKELY
SOON FOR NEW WW.

MARINE...CURRENT ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS IN GOOD SHAPE. NO CHANGES
TO MAKE THIS MORNING.

.CHS...
GA...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 17Z FOR JENKINS...SCREVEN...BULLOCH...
     CANDLER...EVANS...TATTNALL COUNTIES.
     GALE WARNING AMZ374.
     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY AMZ354.
SC...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 17Z FOR ALLENDALE AND HAMPTON COUNTIES.
     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY AMZ330-350-352.
     WIND ADVISORY FOR LAKE MOULTRIE SCZ045.

HSA/JC
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 22, 7:15 AM EST, 4 hours 45 minutes before
GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-042>045-047>050-221200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
715 AM EST SAT FEB 22 2003

...THERE IS A MODERATE RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS
ALL OF SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA
AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.
.SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...THERE IS A MODERATE RISK FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. AT THIS TIME...THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THREAT WILL
BE FROM DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. REFER TO THE LATEST SEVERE
WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

.RIVER FLOODING...RIVER FLOOD WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE
LOWER SANTEE RIVER AT JAMESTOWN AND FOR THE OHOOPEE RIVER AT
REIDSVILLE. REFER TO THE LATEST RIVER FLOOD WARNING AND RIVER FLOOD
STATEMENTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

.LAKE WINDS...A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR LAKE MOULTRIE THIS
AFTERNOON FOR SOUTH WINDS OF 20 TO 30 KNOTS. REFER TO THE LATEST
RECREATIONAL FORECAST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

.MARINE WEATHER....A GALE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE GEORGIA
OFFSHORE WATERS FROM SAVANNAH TO THE ALTAMAHA SOUND OUT 20 TO 60 NM.
SOUTH WINDS OF 30 TO 35 KNOTS ARE EXPECTED BY LATE AFTERNOON OR
EARLY EVENING. REFER TO THE LATEST MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT AND
COASTAL MARINE FORECAST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.
.RIVER FLOODING...RIVER FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE LOWER
SANTEE RIVER NEAR JAMESTOWN AND THE OHOOPEE RIVER AT REIDSVILLE.
REFER TO THE LATEST RIVER FLOOD WARNINGS AND RIVER FLOOD STATEMENTS
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

NO OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED BY LATE MORNING.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Candler

When
February 22, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Candler County, Aline
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.367, -82.167

Trees and limbs were down

Thunderstorm Wind, Tattnall

When
February 22, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Tattnall County, Collins
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.183, -82.117

Several trees were down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jenkins

When
February 22, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Jenkins County, Scarboro
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
32.717, -81.867

Several trees, large limbs and power lines were down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tattnall

When
February 22, 12:10 PM EST
Where
Tattnall County, Mendes
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.000, -81.967

Several trees and large limbs were down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Evans

When
February 22, 12:10 PM EST to 12:15 PM EST
Where
Evans County, Daisy
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.150, -81.833

Several trees were down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Bulloch

When
February 22, 12:15 PM EST to 12:30 PM EST
Where
Bulloch County, Central Portion
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.400, -81.750

Several traffic signs were down and several large limbs.

Thunderstorm Wind, Liberty

When
February 22, 12:30 PM EST to 12:45 PM EST
Where
Liberty County, Central Portion
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
31.850, -81.533

Numerous trees, large limbs, and power lines were down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Bulloch

When
February 22, 12:40 PM EST to 12:55 PM EST
Where
Bulloch County, Portal
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.533, -81.933

Numerous trees, large limbs, power lines and highway signs were down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Bryan

When
February 22, 12:40 PM EST
Where
Bryan County, Pembroke
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.133, -81.617

Several trees were down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Effingham

When
February 22, 12:45 PM EST
Where
Effingham County, Guyton
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.333, -81.383

Several trees, large limbs, and power lines were down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Effingham

When
February 22, 12:55 PM EST
Where
Effingham County, Springfield
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.367, -81.317

Several trees were down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Effingham

When
February 22, 12:59 PM EST
Where
Effingham County, Marlow
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.267, -81.383

Several trees and power lines were down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Effingham

When
February 22, 1:00 PM EST
Where
Effingham County, Egypt
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
32.467, -81.467

Several trees and large limbs were 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

More

Every storm in Georgia in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, February 2003

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: 5342207, 5342208, 5342219, 5342209, 5342214, 5342218, 5342210, 5342211, 5342215, 5342216, 5342212, 5342213, 5342217.