2 lightning, 1 hail, 1 heavy rain, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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 May 17, 4:30 AM EST, 8 hours 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 530 AM EDT MON MAY 17 2004 .SHORT TERM... OVERALL LITTLE CHANGE FROM THE LAST FEW DAYS. MOS GUIDANCE HAS BEEN A LITTLE TOO HIGH ON POPS AND TOO LOW ON HIGH TEMPERATURES...THUS WENT BELOW GUIDANCE ON POPS AND ABOVE ON HIGHS. BERMUDA LIKE SURFACE HIGH RIDGE WILL PERSIST TODAY AND BUILD WEST SOME TUESDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN CONTUINUED WARM SOUTHERLY FLOW OVER STATE THROUGH TUESDAY. WILL FAVOR WEST AND NORTH PORTIONS OF STATE WITH HIGHER POPS DUE TO GREATER LIFT. ALOFT RIDGE OVER STATE WILL PERSIST WITH LITTLE TO NO CHANGE IN 1000-500MB THICKNESSES. AVAILABLE MOISTURE POOL WILL FAVOR WESTADN NORTH OF SATE FOR CONVECTION ALSO. .LONG TERM... SUMMER LIKE PATTERN WILL PERSIST. SURFACE RIDGE WILL GRADUALLY BUILD WEST INTO THE WEEKEND. ALOFT RIDGE WILL ALSO BUILD INTO WEEKEND...BY EARLY NEXT A SHORT WAVE MOVING THROUGH WEST SOUTHWEST FLOW MAY INCREASE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION. && .AVIATION... SHOULD SEE A VERY SIMILAR DAY TO YESTERDAY. MAY SEE LOW STRATUS DECK AROUND 2500 FT MOVING IN BETWEEN 13 AND 15Z BUT THAT WILL BE SHORT LIVED AND SCATTER OUT BY 16Z. ALL IN ALL CLOUDS SHOULD BE SCT040-SCT060 EXCEPT NEAR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE YOU WILL SEE SOME BKN030-BKN040. NO VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS EXPECTED ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. WINDS STARTING OUT AROUND 100-120 BECOMING 130-140 BY THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR SCT SHRA/TSRA THIS AFTERNOON BUT WILL NOT INCLUDE IN 12Z TAFS && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATLANTA 79 63 79 63 / 30 20 30 20 ATHENS 81 61 81 62 / 30 20 30 20 GAINESVILLE 78 62 79 62 / 40 20 30 30 ROME 82 61 82 63 / 40 20 30 30 COLUMBUS 84 66 84 65 / 30 10 20 20 MACON 87 62 86 63 / 20 10 10 20 && .ATL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 1130 AM EDT MON MAY 17 2004 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-172127- BALDWIN-BANKS-BARROW-BARTOW-BIBB-BLECKLEY-BUTTS-CARROLL-CATOOSA- CHATTAHOOCHEE-CHATTOOGA-CHEROKEE-CLARKE-CLAYTON-COBB-COWETA-CRAWFORD- CRISP-DADE-DAWSON-DE KALB-DODGE-DOOLY-DOUGLAS-EMANUEL-FANNIN-FAYETTE- FLOYD-FORSYTH-GILMER-GLASCOCK-GORDON-GREENE-GWINNETT-HALL-HANCOCK- HARALSON-HARRIS-HEARD-HENRY-HOUSTON-JACKSON-JASPER-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON- JONES-LAMAR-LAURENS-LUMPKIN-MACON-MADISON-MARION-MERIWETHER-MONROE- MONTGOMERY-MORGAN-MURRAY-MUSCOGEE-NEWTON-NORTH FULTON-OCONEE- OGLETHORPE-PAULDING-PEACH-PICKENS-PIKE-POLK-PULASKI-PUTNAM-ROCKDALE- SCHLEY-SOUTH FULTON-SPALDING-STEWART-SUMTER-TALBOT-TALIAFERRO-TAYLOR- TELFAIR-TOOMBS-TOWNS-TREUTLEN-TROUP-TWIGGS-UNION-UPSON-WALKER-WALTON- WARREN-WASHINGTON-WEBSTER-WHEELER-WHITE-WHITFIELD-WILCOX-WILKES- WILKINSON- 1130 AM EDT MON MAY 17 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY. ...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TODAY... .SYNOPSIS... BERMUDA LIKE SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL PERSIST TODAY AND BUILD SLOWLY WESTWARD. THIS WILL RESULT IN CONTINUED WARM SOUTHERLY FLOW OVER STATE THROUGH TUESDAY. THIS RIDGE WILL ALSO ALLOW FOR AN INCREASE IN THE TEMPERATURE...AND THE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE IN THE AIR WHICH WILL LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN INSTABILITY. .PRIMARY HAZARD... THE PRIMARY HAZARD FROM THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LIGHTNING. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER NORTH AND WEST GEORGIA THROUGH THIS EVENING...AND OVER CENTRAL GEORGIA DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THE BEST TIME FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. .DISCUSSION... ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TODAY...AS DAYTIME HEATING WILL COMBINE WITH INCREASING MOISTURE. INSTABILITY WILL BE INCREASE TODAY WITH CAPES EXPECTED TO GET INTO THE 1000 T0 1200 RANGE. SURFACE MOISTURE WILL BE LIMITED WITH DEW POINTS RUNNING IN THE LOWER 60S. ANY THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL BE ISOLATED AND REMAIN LESS THAN SEVERE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAY TWO THROUGH DAY SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED EVERYDAY. && FOR THE GRAPHICAL HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK AND OTHER WEATHER INFORMATION...PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV...AND CLICK ON GEORGIA.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 201 PM EDT MON MAY 17 2004 GAZ020-171830- 201 PM EDT MON MAY 17 2004 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING IN BARTOW COUNTY UNTIL 245 PM EDT... AT 155 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS...PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING...FROM TAYLORSVILLE...TO EUHARLEE...TO BETWEEN KINGSTON AND CARTERSVILLE. THE ACTIVITY IS DRIFTING NORTHEAST AROUND 10 MPH. RADAR INDICATES THAT UP TO 2.0 INCHES OF RAIN MAY HAVE FALLEN IN SPOTS ACROSS SOUTHERN BARTOW COUNTY DURING THE PAST HOUR. THIS HEAVY RAIN MAY CAUSE PONDING OF WATER OR BRIEF FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND FLOOD PRONED AREAS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL RADIO AND TELEVISION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION. RAB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 217 PM EDT MON MAY 17 2004 GAZ031-032-171900- 217 PM EDT MON MAY 17 2004 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING IN EASTERN PAULDING AND WESTERN COBB COUNTIES UNTIL 300 PM EDT... AT 213 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF PAULDING COUNTY FROM BURNT HICKORY RIDGE...TO DALLAS...TO HIRAM...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES UP TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR IN SPOTS. THIS HEAVY RAIN MAY CAUSE PONDING OF WATER OR BRIEF FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND FLOOD PRONED AREAS. IF DRIVING THROUGH THIS AREA...REDUCE SPEED AND AVOID DRIVING THROUGH AREAS OF HIGH WATER. THE WATER DEPTH MAY TOO GREAT FOR YOU TO PROCEED SAFELY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL RADIO AND TELEVISION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION. RAB
The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 68 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:23 UTC.
2 lightning, 1 hail, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
The Atlanta-Journal/Constitution reported that a 37-year old male was struck and killed by lightning while outside working at the Metromont Materials Concrete Plant.
A trained spotter and cooperative observer for the National Weather Service and the Dalton County 911 center reported penny to nickel-sized hail covered the ground up to three inches deep in some spots.
The Bartow County Emergency Management Director reported that very heavy rain, on the order of 2.5 to 3.0 inches in less than one hour, caused localized flooding of Georgia Highway 113 between Taylorsville and Cartersville. Water of the depth of 3 to 4 inches was flowing over the road in spots.
The Atlanta-Journal/Constitution reported that a 34-year old man of Douglasville, who was installing a pool at a private residence, was struck and killed by lightning while leaning against a truck outside at the site. The bolt of lightning struck the ground about 30 feet from where the individual was located at the time. Another individual with the same construction crew had his back singed during the time of this same lightning strike.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning, Paulding | 2004-05-17 | 37 | Male | Heavy Equipment/Construction | Direct |
| Lightning, De Kalb | 2004-05-17 | 34 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, May 2004
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: 5395542, 5395539, 5395540, 5395541.