Hurricane Gustav was moving west through the eastern Gulf of Mexico. , which kept Hurricane Gustav on a westward track.
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 episode as NWS FFC wrote it up.
Hurricane Gustav was moving west through the eastern Gulf of Mexico. A large upper ridge was anchored over most of the eastern U.S., which kept Hurricane Gustav on a westward track. Although the hurricane remained well south of north and central Georgia, the hurricane was so large that the outer most rain bands fired up during the afternoon resulting in scattered thunderstorms across central Georgia. The thunderstorms produced gusty winds, frequent lightning, and heavy rain. While none became severe, Upson county did experience a lightning fire and downed power lines as a result of one of these thunderstorms.
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 31, 2:55 PM EST, 1 hour 36 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 355 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2008 .SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... LOOKING MORE LIKELY THAT WE WILL BE IMPACTED BY GUSTAV...EVENTUALLY...THEN HANNAH. MORE ON THAT IN THE EXTENDED. THERE ARE MANY COMPLICATING FACTORS IN A CURRENTLY VERY CHAOTIC SYNOPTIC PATTERN THAT WILL INFLUENCE GUSTAV...HANNAH...AND ANY FUTURE SUCH SYSTEMS. FIRST...IS A STRONG SUBTROPICAL RIDGE...NOW OVER THE MIDWEST...THAT IS FORECAST TO AMPLIFY AND SHIFT EASTWARD INTO THE EASTERN U.S. BY TUE...THIS RIDGE WILL EXTEND N-S FROM EASTERN CANADA INTO THE SE U.S. THIS WILL BE A MAJOR PLAYER IN THE STEERING CURRENTS FOR GUSTAV. SECOND A DEEP CLOSED LOW IS EXPECTED TO SINK SOUTHWARD OFF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST IN RESPONSE TO THE BUILDING UPPER RIDGE TO ITS WEST...AND PERHAPS SINK AS FAR SOUTH AS OFF THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST BY TUE-WED. THIS...ALONG WITH THE EASTERN U.S. RIDGE...WILL HELP DETERMINE HANNAHS FATE. FINALLY...THERE IS A DEEP UPPER TROUGH IN THE NW U.S...THAT SHIFTS INTO THE MID U.S. BY TUE-WED...BUT WEAKENS AND LIFTS NE INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS BY WED. THIS WILL BE A MAJOR PLAYER IN THE EVENTUAL DEMISE AND TRACK OF THE REMNANTS OF GUSTAV AND WHETHER OR NOT IT IS LEFT BEHIND MEANDERING ACROSS THE ARKLATEX REGION...OR PULLED NE WITH THE TROUGH AND TRAILING FRONTAL SYSTEM. CONCERN FOR SHORT TERM IS EFFECT OF OUTER CIRCULATION OF GUSTAV WITH POTENTIAL SPIRAL FEEDER BANDS ACROSS THE CWA...ESPECIALLY THE SOUTHERN SECTIONS. THE OUTER CIRRUS SHIELD HAS ALREADY SPREAD N INTO TN. LOOKING AT IR/VIS SATELLITE AND RADAR...SOME SPIRAL FEEDER BAND SHRA/TSRA ACTIVITY ALREADY DEVELOPING WITH DAYTIME HEATING IN AN EAST-WEST BAND NEAR VDI...SOUTH AND EAST. WOULD EXPECT WITH DAYTIME HEATING...THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD INCREASE AND GRADUALLY DEVELOP FURTHER WEST AND NORTH AS GUSTAV CONTINUES ITS NW TRACK THROUGH THE CENTRAL GULF TOWARD LA. GFS SUGGESTS THAT SUCH ACTIVITY COULD WORK ITS WAY AS FAR NORTH AT ATL BY LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING AS GUSTAV CONTINUES ITS NW TRACK THROUGH THE CENTRAL GULF. SHRA/TSRA ACTIVITY IN THE FFC CWA SHOULD DIMINISH RAPIDLY AFTER SUNSET...WITH LITTLE OR NO ACTIVITY EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. COULD NOT TOTALLY RULE OUT A FEW SHRA IN THE SW PART OF THE CWA AS GUSTAV REACHES ITS CLOSEST POINT TO OUR CWA. FOR MON...DRIER AIR BEGINS TO ADVECT SW FROM THE MID-ATLANTIC BUILDING SFC HIGH. THIS IN ESSENCE ACTS LIKE A BACKDOOR FRONT. THIS COMBINED WITH AT LEAST LIMITED POTENTIAL FOR OUTER SPIRAL FEEDER BAND SHRA/TSRA ACTIVITY FROM GUSTAV WARRANTS LOW CHANCE POPS FOR MUCH OF THE CWA MON AFTERNOON...EXCEPT FOR PERHAPS THE NC/NW SECTIONS. FOR TUE...SIGNIFICANTLY DRIER AIR CONTINUES TO WORK SW INTO THE AREA FROM THE MID-ATLANTIC AS SFC HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS UNDER THE BUILDING MID-ATLANTIC UPPER RIDGE. DEWPOINTS...CURRENTLY IN THE UPPER 60S AND LOWER 70S...WILL DROP INTO THE 50S NORTH AND 60S CENTRAL AREAS BY WED. THUS...EXPECT LITTLE OR NO SHRA/TSRA ACTIVITY TUE-WED AS LARGE SCALE SUBSIDENCE DOMINATES WITH GUSTAV TO THE WEST...HANNAH TO THE EAST...AND HIGH PRESSURE SFC/ALOFT OVER THE REGION. FOR TEMPS...LITTLE DIFFERENCE AMONG THE MODEL GUIDANCE TEMPS IN THE IMMEDIATE SHORT TERM. CLOUD COVER THROUGH MON WILL KEEP MOST AREAS IN THEM MID 80S. SLIGHT COLD ADVECTION AND LOWER DEWPOINTS TUE-WED WILL BE OFFSET BY INCREASING SUNSHINE. DO EXPECT SIGNIFICANTLY COOLER MIN TEMPS BY MIDWEEK AS DEWPOINTS LOWER AS DRIER AIR IS ADVECTED SW INTO THE AREA. HOWEVER...THE MET MOS FOR WED MORNING WITH LOWS IN THE LOW AND MID 50S IN MANY AREAS IS NOT ACCEPTED. MAV MOS LOWS ARE MORE REASONABLE...SHOWING MODEST COOLING. .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... CONFIDENCE IN THE EXTENDED FORECAST REMAINS VERY LOW. THE ENTIRE FORECAST IS HINGED UPON THE TRACK OF THE REMNANTS OF GUSTAV AND THE TRACK OF WHAT WILL LIKELY BE HURRICANE HANNAH IN THE EXTENDED PERIODS. WITH RESPECT TO GUSTAV...CONSIDERABLE MODEL DISAGREEMENT AS TO WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH GUSTAV AFTER IT MOVES INTO WESTERN LA BY MID WEEK. THE 12Z GFS WANTS TO LEAVE THE REMNANTS OF GUSTAV LINGER IN ETX FOR SEVERAL DAYS...IN FACT UNTIL NEXT WEEKEND...WHEN IT IS FINALLY SHOVED EASTWARD BY AN UPPER TROUGH. IF SO...THE REMNANTS OF GUSTAV WOULD BE TIED TO A WEAK FRONT AND TRACK ACROSS OUR CWA NEXT WEEKEND. OTHER MODELS...HOWEVER...LIFT THE REMNANTS OF GUSTAV NNE BY LATE WEEK WITH THE SAME TROUGH AND AROUND A BUILDING UPPER RIDGE OVER THE SE U.S. OTHERS LEAVE IT LINGERING AND STUCK IN EAST TX. MY BETS ARE THAT GUSTAV WILL LIKELY MEANDER ABOUT THE ARKLATEX REGION UNTIL PICKED UP BY THE AFOREMENTIONED TROUGH. VERY HEAVY RAIN IS LIKELY ACROSS LA/AR AS A RESULT...BUT THIS SHOULD STAY WELL WEST OF OUR REGION. MEANWHILE...TO THE EAST...WE HAVE HANNAH. MODEL CONSENSUS IS THAT THIS WILL MAKE LANDFALL ALONG THE SC/NC COAST AND MOVE NNW INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION BY THE WEEKEND. THIS WOULD PUT OUR CWA ON THE DRY...SUBSIDENCE SIDE OF THIS SYSTEM. IT MAY BE CLOSE ENOUGH FOR OUTER RAIN BANDS TO AFFECT OUR FAR EASTERN ZONES...AS WELL AS SOME GUSTY WINDS IN THOSE REGIONS...BUT ON THIS TRACK IT ALSO WOULD NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON OUR CWA. THE TRACK OF THIS SYSTEM WILL HINGE LARGELY ON THE A DEEP UPPER LOW OFF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST AND AN UPPER HIGH THAT IS FORECAST TO BUILD LATE IN THE WEEK ACROSS THE WESTERN ATLANTIC. AGAIN...CONFIDENCE IS LOW AND WE WILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO WATCH THIS SYSTEM VERY CLOSELY IN CASE IT SHIFTS FURTHER WEST THAN CURRENTLY INDICATED. AT ANY RATE...CHANCE POPS LOOK REASONABLE THROUGHOUT THE EXTENDED GIVEN THE UNCERTAINTY WITH GUSTAV AND HANNAH. GIVEN THE PATTERN...IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT THE REMNANTS OF GUSTAV COULD BRING US A GOOD CHANCE OF SHRA/TSRA BY THE WEEKEND. UNTIL THAT ARRIVES...VERY LOW POPS ARE WARRANTED AS THE REGION REMAINS TRAPPED BETWEEN SYSTEMS AND UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF LARGE SCALE SUBSIDENCE. THU-FRI OFFER THE MOST SUNSHINE AND LIKELY THE WARMEST TEMPS WITH MAX TEMPS LIKELY ABOVE SEASONAL NORMS. INCREASING MOISTURE AND CLOUD COVER SHOULD KEEP MAX TEMPS CLOSER TO CLIMO DURING THE LATER PERIODS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 88 72 88 68 88 / 20 20 20 10 10 ATLANTA 88 73 86 70 87 / 20 20 20 20 10 BLAIRSVILLE 88 69 83 64 83 / 20 20 20 10 10 CARTERSVILLE 90 70 87 69 87 / 20 20 20 20 10 COLUMBUS 91 75 86 73 87 / 30 20 30 20 20 GAINESVILLE 89 70 84 68 86 / 20 20 20 10 10 MACON 92 73 87 72 89 / 40 20 30 20 10 ROME 91 71 86 70 87 / 20 10 20 20 10 PEACHTREE CITY 88 72 86 69 87 / 20 20 20 20 10 VIDALIA 89 76 89 74 91 / 40 20 30 20 10 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 19
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 611 AM EDT SUN AUG 31 2008 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-011015- 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- 611 AM EDT SUN AUG 31 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .SYNOPSIS... HURRICANE GUSTAV IS ENTERING THE SOUTHERN GULF AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE THE NORTHEASTERN U.S. THIS WILL PUT GEORGIA IN MOIST EASTERLY FLOW THROUGH TONIGHT. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... THE PRIMARY HAZARD FROM ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL BE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. THE BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SOUTH OF A CARROLTON TO ATLANTA TO ATHENS LINE GENERALLY BETWEEN 2 PM AND 10 PM. .DISCUSSION... EASTERLY FLOW OVER THE AREA IS BRINGING GOOD TROPICAL MOISTURE TO THE REGION. WITH INCREASED MOISTURE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORM ARE POSSIBLE ANYWHERE. THE HIGHER DEWPOINTS AND BEST INSTABILITY (CAPES EXPECTED NEAR 1400 AND LIS IN THE -1 TO -3 RANGE) WILL BE ACROSS AREAS SOUTH OF A CARROLTON TO ATLANTA TO ATHENS LINE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ANY STORMS THAT DO DEVELOP ARE NOT EXPECTED TO REACH SEVERE LIMITS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY EXCEPT THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 437 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2008 GAZ097-109-111-312100- 437 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR 40 MPH WINDS IN WHEELER...DODGE AND SOUTHERN LAURENS COUNTIES UNTIL 500 PM EDT... AT 434 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 13 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PLAINFIELD...MOVING WEST AT 30 MPH. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AS IT MOVES ACROSS WHEELER...DODGE AND SOUTHERN LAURENS COUNTIES THROUGH 500 PM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE PLAINFIELD AND EASTMAN. THESE WIND GUSTS MAY PRODUCE MINOR DAMAGE TO TREE LIMBS AND BLOW LIGHT...UNSECURED OBJECTS AROUND.
The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 44 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:33 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
The Upson County Emergency Management Director reported that a couple of power lines were down on Smyrna Church Road near the Pike county line. One of the power lines was down on a vehicle.
The Upson County Emergency Management Director reported a structural fire as a result of a lightning strike. Specific damages were not provided.
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: 133892, 133891.