This was the second day of significant effects from tropical storm Fay on the north and central Georgia area as the storm drifted slowly west across the Florida panhandle into far southern Alabama. The outer rain bands brought gusty winds and heavy rain to the far southern and southwestern part of the forecast area.
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 episode as NWS FFC wrote it up.
This was the second day of significant effects from tropical storm Fay on the north and central Georgia area as the storm drifted slowly west across the Florida panhandle into far southern Alabama. The outer rain bands brought gusty winds and heavy rain to the far southern and southwestern part of the forecast area. The strong winds and rain resulted in several trees and some power lines being blown down in areas from Columbus, to Americus and Cordele. Rainfall of three to four inches fell in the southwest counties from Stewart to Crisp, with two to three inch rainfall amounts further north toward Muscogee, Marion, and Schley counties. Since the area overall was in a continuing drought condition, no flooding was reported within the Peachtree City forecast area.
Here are some of the specific wind damage reports that were received from the southwestern counties, all a result of winds associated with the outer rain bands of tropical storm Fay.
The Muscogee County 911 Center reported that a few trees were blown down in the Columbus area. A few of these landed on power lines. About 250 people were left without power.
The Crisp County Emergency Management Director reported that wind gusts of 30 to 35 mph for much of the previous 24 hour period combined with persistent moderate rain had resulted in up to 15 trees being blown down across the county.
The Sumter County Emergency Management Director reported that persistent strong and gusty winds combined with a steady moderate to heavy rain had resulted in up to 30 trees being blown down across the county during the previous 24 hour period.
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 23, 4:28 AM EST, 2 hours 32 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 528 AM EDT SAT AUG 23 2008 .SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH MONDAY/... THE DAILY FORECASTING SAGA WITH FAY CONTINUES...AND IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE DOING SO FOR SEVERAL MORE DAYS. MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT THAT FAY WILL CONTINUE MOVING SLOWLY WEST FROM ITS CURRENT POSITION...ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTH OF TLH...AND SHOULD BE BETWEEN NEW AND BIX BY 12Z MON. BEYOND THIS IS WHERE THE PROBLEMS BEGIN AND HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FFC CWA. MORE ON THAT IN THE LONG TERM SECTION. WHILE THE MODELS ARE GENERALLY IN GOOD AGREEMENT ON THE TRACK OF FAY IN THE SHORT TERM...QPF AMOUNTS AND POPS ARE NOT. GFS CONTINUES TO BE VERY WET AND TOO FAR NORTH WITH LIKELY POPS AND HIGH QPF...WHILE NAM SOMEWHAT DRIER AND KEEPS RAIN CLOSER TO THE CENTER OF FAY. SO FAR...ANY SIGNIFICANT OUTER FEEDER BANDS HAVE ONLY AFFECTED OUR FAR SOUTHERN COUNTIES...AND I SEE NO REASON FOR THIS CHANGE BASED ON THE SHORT TERM PROJECTED TRACK OF FAY. THUS...MOST OF THE SIGNIFICANT RAIN/AND HEAVIER FEEDER BAND SHOULD STAY SOUTH OF CSG-MCN...WITH THIS SHIFTING MORE INTO AL BY TONIGHT AND SUN. AT THIS TIME...I AM STICKING WITH THE OFFICIAL TPC TRACK FOR FAY AND NOT MOVING IT NORTH INTO CENTRAL AL AND THEN BACK SW INTO MS AS THE GFS DOES...WHICH WOULD BRING HEAVIER RAIN FURTHER NORTH TONIGHT AND SUN. 2-DAY TOTAL HPC QPF FOR OUR SW CORNER IN THE 1-2 INCH RAIN...WITH CONSIDERABLY LESSER AMOUNTS FURTHER NE. THIS APPEARS VERY REASONABLE. PLAN TO KEEP HIGHEST/LIKELY POPS CONFINED TO THE S/SW TODAY AND SW TONIGHT AND SUN...WITH SOME DECREASE IN POPS ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF FOR SUN. AREAS NORTH OF ATL-AHN WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TO LITTLE TO NO RAIN THROUGH SUN. HOWEVER...OCCASIONAL SPRINKLES WILL BE LIKELY...AND HAVE INDICATED SO IN THE ZONES WITH A VERY MOIST BL. STILL DO NOT SEE THE NEED FOR A FFA GIVEN THE SHORT TERM EXPECTED QPF IN OUR S ZONES AND THE 6HR FFG VALUES OF 4-5 INCHES ACROSS THAT AREA. CLOUD COVER WILL REMAIN EXTENSIVE...BUT WILL LIKELY BEGIN TO THIN A LITTLE IN THE EASTERN SECTIONS SUN AS FAY MOVES FURTHER WEST. THE SUN MAY CONTINUE TO BREAK THROUGH THE CLOUDS IN THE FAR NORTH...WHERE MOSTLY HIGH CLOUDS WILL DOMINATE. GIVEN THE EXTENSIVE CLOUD SHIELD AND RELATIVELY STABLE MARITIME EASTERLY FLOW...THUNDER WILL CONTINUE TO BE LIMITED AT BEST. NOTE CURRENT LIGHTNING DISPLAY SHOWS NO CG LIGHTNING ANYWHERE ASSOCIATED WITH FAY...AND LOOKING BACK THROUGH THE LIGHTNING DISPLAY FROM FRI...NONE SEEN ANYWHERE EXCEPT IN OUTER FEEDER BANDS OVER CENTRAL/S FL AND THE ATLANTIC. NONE EVER OCCURRED IN GA FRI...DESPITE SEVERAL TOR WARNINGS. OF COURSE...BEING A TROPICAL SYSTEM...BRIEF ISOLD TORNADO SPINUPS CANNOT BE RULED OUT...ESPECIALLY IN OUTER FEEDER BANDS...ESPECIALLY DURING THE HEAT OF THE DAY. THIS WILL BE THE CASE AGAIN TODAY ACROSS OUR S ZONES...WITH THE THREAT SHIFTING A LITTLE FURTHER WEST INTO S AL WITH TIME. AGAIN...THESE MAY OCCUR WITH NO LIGHTNING. PLAN ON DOWNPLAYING ANY MENTION OF TSRA...BUT RW+ WILL BE THE DOMINANT WEATHER TYPE. THIS IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL SUMMERTIME SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM SCENARIO. THE CIRCULATION AROUND FAY AND THE MID-ATLANTIC SFC HIGH WILL CONTINUE TO WARRANT A WIND ADVISORY OVER MUCH OF THE CWA TODAY...EXCEPT FOR THE N AND NE AREAS. PLAN TO EXTEND THE WIND ADVISORY FOR THE WEST CENTRAL AREAS UNTIL 06Z TONIGHT...AND DROP FROM SOME OF THE EC COUNTIES WITH THIS ISSUANCE. TEMPS WILL AGAIN VERY WIDELY FROM S-N...WITH SOUTHERN AREAS REMAINING MOSTLY IN THE 70S UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF FAY...WHILE FAR NORTHERN AREAS NEAR THE TN BORDER WILL AGAIN BE NEAR 90. MAV MOS WAS MORE THAN 5 DEGREES TO WARM IN MOST PLACES FRI...AND THAT LOOKS TO BE THE CASE AGAIN TODAY. FWC MOS MAX TEMPS HAD THE LEAST BIAS AND THEY LOOK THE BEST AGAIN TODAY...SO WILL LEAN IN THAT DIRECTION AND WAY UNDERCUT MAV MOS. EASTERN SECTIONS MAY BE SLIGHTLY WARMER SUN AS FAY MOVES FURTHER WEST...BUT NOT MUCH CHANGE IN WESTERN AREAS. .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... THE FIRST PART OF THE EXTENDED IS VERY PROBLEMATIC AS THE EXACT TRACK OF FAY BEYOND MONDAY REMAINS SOMEWHAT QUESTIONABLE. HOWEVER...THE MODELS APPEAR TO BE IN BETTER AGREEMENT AS TO THE TRACK AND DEMISE OF FAY THEN IN RECENT DAYS. THE GFS/NAM/UKMET/ECMWF ALL MORE OR LESS MOVE FAY INTO FAR EASTERN LA BEFORE TURNING IT TO THE NE. THE MAIN PLAYER IN WHEN/IF FAY WILL BE KICKED OUT IS A SHORT WAVE PROGGED TO MOVE THROUGH THE MIDWEST AND INTO THE GREAT LAKES MON-TUE. THERE IS A TRAILING FRONT WITH THIS SYSTEM THAT IS PROGGED TO SINK DOWN INTO W TN/S AR BY MON. MOS OF THE MODELS HAVE HINGED ON THIS FEATURE PICKING UP THE REMNANTS OF FAY AND TURNING IT BACK TO THE NE...DRAGGING IT ACROSS OUR CWA TUE-WED. THE WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY FOR FAY TO BE PICKED UP BY THIS TROUGH WILL BE VERY SMALL...AS AN UPPER RIDGE QUICKLY ELONGATES FROM OK INTO THE WESTERN TN VALLEY. THE OFFICIAL TPC TRACK...WHICH IS VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH THE GFDL...TURNS FAY NE FURTHER BACK TO THE WEST AND MOVES IT CLOSER TO THE MS RIVER THEN TOWARD NE AL/NW GA. NONE OF THE MODELS ARE KEEPING FAY ON A WESTWARD TRACK INTO TX AS SOME WERE...ESPECIALLY THE GFDL...YESTERDAY. ALL OF THE CURRENT SOLUTIONS WOULD RESULT IN EXTENSIVE SHRA/TSRA ACTIVITY ACROSS ESPECIALLY THE NW HALF OF OUR CWA TUE-WED AS UPPER DYNAMICS INTERACT WITH THE DEEPLY LADEN TROPICAL MOISTURE. THIS WOULD CLEARLY BE THE TIME WHEN FAY HAS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON OUR CWA AND WHEN ANY FFA WOULD BE NEEDED. THE GFS WOULD INDICATE THAT HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING IS POSSIBLE IN NW GA...WHILE THE OFFICIAL TPC TRACK/GFDL WOULD TEMPER THIS SOMEWHAT. FOR NOW...WILL DEFER TO THE OFFICIAL TRACK AND KEEP HIGH CHANCE TO POSSIBLY LIKELY POPS FOR THE CWA MON-WED. AT LEAST ALL OF THE MODELS ARE IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT ON DRYING BEGIN LATE WED AND AND CONTINUING INTO THE WEEKEND AS AN UPPER RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE AREA. THIS WILL RESULT IN SLOWLY INCREASING TEMPS AND DECREASING RAIN CHANCES AND MORE TYPICAL LATE AUGUST WEATHER THAN WE HAVE SEEN FOR THE LAST WEEK OR SO. && .AVIATION... LOOK FOR MVFR CONDITIONS TO DOMINATE MUCH OF THE CWA THROUGH THE PERIOD AS RAIN BANDS ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL STORM FAY ROTATE ACROSS THE AREA. SHOULD CONTINUE TO SEE BEST PRECIP COVERAGE ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA TODAY...BUT BETTER COVERAGE ACROSS THE NORTH THAN ON FRIDAY. TSTORM THREAT AT A MINIMUM AND PLAN TO CARRY VCTS ONLY AT CSG AND MCN THIS AFTERNOON. OTHERWISE...PLAN TO GO WITH TEMPO SHOWERS MOST TAF SITES TODAY INTO THIS EVENING. GUSTY EAST WINDS CONTINUING ...15 TO 20 KTS SUSTAINED WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 KTS STILL LOOK GOOD FOR MOST AREAS. 49 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 80 71 82 71 81 / 20 20 30 20 40 ATLANTA 77 73 79 73 79 / 40 40 50 40 40 BLAIRSVILLE 77 67 79 67 77 / 10 10 10 20 40 CARTERSVILLE 83 72 79 72 79 / 20 30 40 30 40 COLUMBUS 76 73 78 73 84 / 100 100 80 50 40 GAINESVILLE 81 69 81 69 79 / 20 20 30 20 40 MACON 77 73 81 73 85 / 90 60 50 40 40 ROME 84 72 82 72 79 / 20 20 40 50 40 PEACHTREE CITY 77 73 78 73 79 / 50 40 50 50 40 VIDALIA 81 75 85 75 87 / 100 40 40 30 40 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 2 AM EDT SUNDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: CARROLL...CHATTAHOOCHEE...CLAYTON...COBB...COWETA...CRISP... DOOLY...DOUGLAS...FAYETTE...HARALSON...HARRIS...HEARD...MACON... MARION...MERIWETHER...MUSCOGEE...NORTH FULTON...PAULDING... PIKE...POLK...SCHLEY...SOUTH FULTON...SPALDING...STEWART... SUMTER...TALBOT...TAYLOR...TROUP...UPSON...WEBSTER. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: BALDWIN...BIBB...BLECKLEY...BUTTS...CRAWFORD...DEKALB... DODGE...EMANUEL...HENRY...HOUSTON...JASPER...JOHNSON...JONES... LAMAR...LAURENS...MONROE...MONTGOMERY...MORGAN...NEWTON... PEACH...PULASKI...PUTNAM...ROCKDALE...TELFAIR...TOOMBS... TREUTLEN...TWIGGS...WHEELER...WILCOX...WILKINSON. && 19
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 554 AM EDT SAT AUG 23 2008 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-241000- BALDWIN-BANKS-BARROW-BARTOW-BIBB-BLECKLEY-BUTTS-CARROLL-CATOOSA- CHATTAHOOCHEE-CHATTOOGA-CHEROKEE-CLARKE-CLAYTON-COBB-COWETA- CRAWFORD-CRISP-DADE-DAWSON-DEKALB-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- 554 AM EDT SAT AUG 23 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...INCLUDING ISOLATED TORNADOES...ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. GUSTY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA TODAY INTO THIS EVENING. .SYNOPSIS... TROPICAL STORM FAY CENTERED NEAR APALACHICOLA FLORIDA EARLY THIS MORNING...IS EXPECTED TO TRACK SLOWLY WESTWARD ACROSS THE COASTAL AREAS OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TODAY. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE THE PRIMARY HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH ANY SEVERE STORMS THAT DEVELOP. THE BEST CHANCE FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE SOUTH OF A COLUMBUS TO DUBLIN LINE. VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL GEORGIA. .OTHER HAZARDS... WITH HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OFF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST AND TROPICAL STORM FAY DRIFTING ACROSS NORTH FLORIDA...BREEZY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA INTO THIS EVENING. EAST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH ARE POSSIBLE MAINLY SOUTH AND WEST OF LINE FROM CEDARTOWN TO MADISON TO SWAINSBORO. .DISCUSSION... TROPICAL STORM FAY IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DRIFTING WESTWARD ACROSS NORTHERN FLORIDA TODAY. RAIN BANDS ASSOCIATED WITH FAY WILL CONTINUE TO ROTATE ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE RAIN BANDS ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT PORTIONS OF CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. CAPE VALUES WILL REMAIN LOW...GENERALLY AROUND 500...BUT STRONG VERTICAL WIND SHEAR...COMBINED WITH A TROPICAL AIRMASS MAY BE SUFFICIENT FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES TO DEVELOP. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THERE WILL BE A CONTINUING CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MUCH OF THE PERIOD...AS FAY MEANDERS SLOWLY ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST U.S. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST INFORMATION FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Sumter County Emergency Management Director reported that strong winds had resulted in up to 30 trees being blown down across the county during the previous 24 hour period.
The Muscogee County 911 Center reported that a few trees were blown down in the Columbus area. A few of these landed on power lines. About 250 people were left without power.
The Crisp County Emergency Management Director reported that winds gusts ot 30 to 35 mph for much of the previous 24 hour period had resulted in up to 15 trees being blown down across the county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, August 2008
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: 132553, 132551, 132552.