Hail in Georgia, October 8, 2003

Name: Hail in Georgia, October 8, 2003
Start: 2003-10-08T19:40
End: 2003-10-08T19:40
Location: Georgia

October 8, 2003 · NWS JAX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

County road maintenance supervisor reported golfball size hail just south of Homerville.

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: 1

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 happened

The episode as NWS JAX wrote it up.

County road maintenance supervisor reported golfball size hail just south of Homerville.

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 Jacksonville, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 8, 1:25 PM EST, 6 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 8, 1:25 PM EST, 6 hours 15 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
225 PM EDT WED OCT 8 2003

CURRENTLY...UPPER TROF HAS INDEED BECOME NEGATIVELY TILTED AND NOW
EXTENDS FROM THE N MS VALLEY TO SE GA. WK UPPER LOW CONTINUES TO BE
EVIDENT OVER E GA/SC. DRY AIR CONTINUES TO FILTER IN FROM THE NW IN
THE UPPER LEVELS. AT THE SFC...WK RIDGE CONTINUES OVER THE E
SEABOARD...WITH A COASTAL TROF EXTENDING FROM SC TO S FL. LOW CLOUDS
HAVE FINALLY THINNED OVER INTERIOR NE FL...WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS
AND TSTMS FIRING ALONG EDGE OF OLD FOG BANK DUE TO DIF HEATING.
OTHER SHOWERS AND STORMS EXTEND FROM NR JESUP TO DOUGLAS IN RESPONSE
TO TAIL OF VORT MAX.

PUBLIC...WILL CONTINUE TREND OF TAPERING POPS THIS EVENING. THU
SHOULD BE FAIRLY NICE DAY (AND...THE MOST CERTAIN PORTION OF THE
FCST) EXPECT LOW-END CHANCE TSTMS OVER SUWANNEE VALLEY DURING
THE AFTN. MODELS GENERALLY AGREE THAT CURRENT SHORT WAVE WILL
DAMPEN...WITH ANOTHER STRONG ONE DIGGING INTO THE SE FRI. ALTHO
THERE ARE DIFFERENCES IN UPPER PATTERN BETWEEN GFS AND ETA SUITES...
THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES SHOW UP AT THE SFC. GFS CONTINUING TO
INDICATE SFC LOW DEVELOPMENT OVER THE GOMEX IN RESPONSE TO THE UPPER
LOW (AN UNUSUAL POSITION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT GIVEN THE UPPER
PATTERN). THE ETA CONTINUES TO SHOW SFC LOW DEVELOPMENT OFF THE ATLC
COAST...NOW DUMBELLING 2 SFC LOWS JUST E OF THE UPPER FEATURE. UKMET
...ECMWF AND NOGAPS LEAN TOWARD THE ETA SOLUTION...AND WE WILL AS
WELL.

WHAT THIS MEANS IS GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT IN THE WX THRU THE DAY SAT.
EXACT FCST REMAINS UNCERTAIN ATTM. GFS ENSEMBLE MOS DEVIATION GIVES
A CLUE AS TO THE INSTABILITY IN THIS MODEL AROUND THE SAT TIME
FRAME...WITH POPS RANGING FROM 15% TO 60%. WITH THIS IN MIND...WILL
LEAN TOWARD ETA MOS AS WELL UNTIL MODELS GEL ON BETTER SOLUTION.

EXTENDED...MADE LITTLE CHANGE TO EXTENDED...OTHER THAN TO TWEAK
NIGHTTIME MINS BACK UP A FEW DEGS. SHOULDNT HAVE BIT AS QUICKLY ON
MEX GUIDANCE FROM YESTERDAY. HOWEVER...HAVE ONLY BUMPED ABOUT 3 DEGS
TO ALLOW FOR FURTHER LATER REFINEMENT. STILL LOOKS TO BE FAIRLY COOL
OVER INTERIOR AREAS BY EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH MINIMAL POPS.

MARINE...E SWELL CONTINUES. HOWEVER...IT REMAINS BELOW 6 FT...SO NO
HEADLINES. WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR POSSIBILITY OF GULF SFC
LOW DEVELOPMENT...BUT HAVE GONE WITH ETA ATTM.

FIRE WX...NO CONCERNS.

THANX FOR COORD TLH

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
AMG 62 82 64 80 / 30 20 10 40
SSI 69 80 67 78 / 30 10 10 20
JAX 67 82 68 82 / 30 10 10 30
SGJ 72 80 71 80 / 20 10 10 30
GNV 65 84 66 83 / 30 20 30 40
OCF 65 85 66 84 / 30 30 30 40

JAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...NONE.
GA...NONE.

CARROLL/CAMP

Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 8, 10:05 AM EST, 9 hours 35 minutes before

FLZ020>025-030>033-035>038-040-GAZ132>136-149>154-162>166-082300-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
1105 AM EDT WED OCT 8 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST FLORIDA AND SOUTHEAST
GEORGIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...

...MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS...
...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA...
WITH THE BEST CHANCES ACROSS SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. SOME OF THESE STORMS
WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MPH...HAIL
AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. LOCALIZED FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN LOW LYING
AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS...IS POSSIBLE.

DUE TO PERSISTENT LONG PERIOD EASTERLY SWELLS...THE RISK FOR
DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS WILL BE ABOVE NORMAL. SEE THE LATEST SURF
ZONE FORECAST FOR MORE INFORMATION.

NO OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...

A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IS ALSO EXPECTED AGAIN ON THURSDAY.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY...POSSIBLY
CONTINUING INTO PART OF SATURDAY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND GUSTY
WINDS ARE EXPECTED.

NO OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
JACKSONVILLE WEBSITE ON THE INTERNET AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/JAX.

ARS/CARROLL

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 8, 6:42 PM EST, 58 minutes before

FLZ040-090030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
742 PM EDT WED OCT 8 2003

...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MARION COUNTY
FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORM WINDS...EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING AND HAIL VALID
UNTIL 830 PM EDT...

AT 742 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM CENTERED 4 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BURBANK...OR ABOUT
6 MILES NORTHEAST OF OCALA...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. THIS STRONG
THUNDERSTORM WILL ALSO AFFECT AREAS AROUND BURBANK...LYNNE AND SILVER
SPRINGS SHORES THROUGH 830 PM EDT. HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN
DIAMETER...EXCESSIVE CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS OF 45
TO 55 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG WITH POSSIBLE MINOR DAMAGE. PERIODS
OF VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES...AND CAUSE MINOR
FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS. TAKE SHELTER IF LIGHTNING IS IN YOUR
AREA.

ZAPPE

WWUS82 KJAX 082343 RRA
SPSJAX
FLZ025-090045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
742 PM EDT WED OCT 8 2003

...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR DUVAL COUNTY
FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORM WINDS VALID UNTIL 845 PM...

AT 742 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT 2 MILES SOUTHEAST OF FORT
CAROLINE...OR ABOUT 4 MILES WEST OF MAYPORT...WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST
AT 15 MPH. THIS CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO AFFECT
AREAS AROUND UNF...TALLYRAND...TALBOT ISLAND...MAYPORT...LITTLE
TALBOT ISLAND...FORT CAROLINE...ARLINGTON AND SAN PABLO THROUGH 845
PM EDT. HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER...EXCESSIVE
CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH CAN BE
EXPECTED ALONG WITH POSSIBLE MINOR DAMAGE.  IN ADDITION...PERIODS OF
VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES...AND CAUSE MINOR
FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS. TAKE SHELTER IF LIGHTNING IS IN YOUR
AREA.

ENYEDI

Special weather statement, Oct 8, 6:42 PM EST, 58 minutes before

FLZ025-090045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
742 PM EDT WED OCT 8 2003

...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR DUVAL COUNTY
FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORM WINDS VALID UNTIL 845 PM...

AT 742 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT 2 MILES SOUTHEAST OF FORT
CAROLINE...OR ABOUT 4 MILES WEST OF MAYPORT...WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST
AT 15 MPH. THIS CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO AFFECT
AREAS AROUND UNF...TALLYRAND...TALBOT ISLAND...MAYPORT...LITTLE
TALBOT ISLAND...FORT CAROLINE...ARLINGTON AND SAN PABLO THROUGH 845
PM EDT. HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER...EXCESSIVE
CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH CAN BE
EXPECTED ALONG WITH POSSIBLE MINOR DAMAGE.  IN ADDITION...PERIODS OF
VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES...AND CAUSE MINOR
FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS. TAKE SHELTER IF LIGHTNING IS IN YOUR
AREA.

ENYEDI

Special weather statement, Oct 8, 7:06 PM EST, 34 minutes before

FLZ025-033-090045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
806 PM EDT WED OCT 8 2003

...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR NORTHERN ST.
JOHNS COUNTY FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORM WINDS...EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING AND
HAIL VALID UNTIL 845 PM EDT...

AT 806 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM CENTERED OVER PONTE VEDRA BEACH...MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. THIS STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL ALSO AFFECT AREAS
AROUND SAN PABLO...PONTE VEDRA BEACH...PALM VALLEY...JACKSONVILLE
BEACH AND SAWGRASS THROUGH 845 PM EDT. HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN
DIAMETER...EXCESSIVE CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS OF 45
TO 55 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG WITH POSSIBLE MINOR DAMAGE. IN
ADDITION...PERIODS OF VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL REDUCE
VISIBILITIES...AND CAUSE MINOR FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS. TAKE
SHELTER IF LIGHTNING IS IN YOUR AREA.

ZAPPE

Special weather statement, Oct 8, 7:07 PM EST, 33 minutes before

FLZ023-030-031-090100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
807 PM EDT WED OCT 8 2003

...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR
BAKER...BRADFORD AND UNION COUNTIES FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORM WINDS
VALID UNTIL 900 PM...

AT 807 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CENTERED 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF
ELLERBEE...OR ABOUT 7 MILES NORTH OF RAIFORD...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT
10 MPH. THIS CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO AFFECT AREAS
AROUND ELLERBEE...RAIFORD AND JOHNSTOWN THROUGH 900 PM EDT. HAIL UP
TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER...EXCESSIVE CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING
AND GUSTY WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG WITH POSSIBLE
MINOR DAMAGE. IN ADDITION...PERIODS OF VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL
REDUCE VISIBILITIES...AND CAUSE MINOR FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS.
TAKE SHELTER IF LIGHTNING IS IN YOUR AREA.

ENYEDI

Local storm report, Oct 8, 7:21 PM EST, 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE, FL
448 PM EDT WED OCT 8 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0410 PM    BRUNSWICK                 GA   HEAVY RAINFALL
10/08/03   GLYNN                          TWO INCH RAINFALL
                                          ACCUMULATION WITHIN AN
                                          HOUR...RESULTING IN STREET
                                          FLOODING AT THE
                                          INTERSECTION OF 1ST STREET
                                          AND NORWICH. REPORTED BY
                                          SKYWARN SPOTTER.

0700 PM  FORT CAROLINE               FL   HEAVY RAINFALL
10/0803  DUVAL                            OFF DUTY NWS EMPLOYEE
                                          REPORTED STREET FLOODING
                                          AT THE INTERSECTION OF
                                          FORT CAROLINE AND MONUMENT
                                          ROAD. SFC OBS AND RADAR
                                          ESTIMATES INDICATE HOURLY
                                          ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 INCHES
                                          IN THAT AREA.

0807 PM  HOMERVILLE                  GA   GOFLBALL SIZE HAIL
10/08/03 CLINCH                           EMERGENCY MANAGER
                                          REPORTED THE LARGE HAIL AT
                                          THE AIRPORT AND AT OTHER
                                          LOCATIONS NEAR AND IN
                                          HOMERVILLE.

0817 PM  HOMERVILLE                  GA   GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL
10/08/03 CLINCH                           GENERAL PUBLIC REPORTED
                                          AT LEAST GOLFBALL SIZE
                                          HAIL OUTSIDE HER HOME.

ECZ/ABE

Local storm report, Oct 8, 7:22 PM EST, 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE, FL
822 PM EDT WED OCT 8 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0410 PM    BRUNSWICK                 GA   HEAVY RAINFALL
10/08/03   GLYNN                          TWO INCH RAINFALL
                                          ACCUMULATION WITHIN AN
                                          HOUR...RESULTING IN STREET
                                          FLOODING AT THE
                                          INTERSECTION OF 1ST STREET
                                          AND NORWICH. REPORTED BY
                                          SKYWARN SPOTTER.

0700 PM  FORT CAROLINE               FL   HEAVY RAINFALL
10/0803  DUVAL                            OFF DUTY NWS EMPLOYEE
                                          REPORTED STREET FLOODING
                                          AT THE INTERSECTION OF
                                          FORT CAROLINE AND MONUMENT
                                          ROAD. SFC OBS AND RADAR
                                          ESTIMATES INDICATE HOURLY
                                          ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 INCHES
                                          IN THAT AREA.

0807 PM  HOMERVILLE                  GA   GOFLBALL SIZE HAIL
10/08/03 CLINCH                           EMERGENCY MANAGER
                                          REPORTED THE LARGE HAIL AT
                                          THE AIRPORT AND AT OTHER
                                          LOCATIONS NEAR AND IN
                                          HOMERVILLE.

0817 PM  HOMERVILLE                  GA   GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL
10/08/03 CLINCH                           GENERAL PUBLIC REPORTED
                                          AT LEAST GOLFBALL SIZE
                                          HAIL OUTSIDE HER HOME.

ECZ/ABE

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Clinch

When: October 8, 7:40 PM EST
Where: Clinch County, 2 mi S of Homerville
Measured: 2.5 in hail
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates: 31.000, -82.750

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Georgia in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in Georgia, October 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5374667.