A very deep upper trough, located across the central United States, moved very slowly toward the eastern states between December 10th and December 11th. Deep southwest flow aloft and at the surface provided the area with copious Gulf moisture.
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.
A very deep upper trough, located across the central United States, moved very slowly toward the eastern states between December 10th and December 11th. Deep southwest flow aloft and at the surface provided the area with copious Gulf moisture. Temperatures were unseasonably warm. A slow moving Pacific frontal system accompanied the upper-level trough and moved across the area from west to east during the two-day period. Slow moving, heavy rain and thunderstorms accompanied the upper trough and frontal system. Repeated rounds of heavy rain resulted in widespread flooding and some flash flooding across northwest Georgia counties, where four to five inches of rain fell in the two-day period, as well as in some central Georgia counties, where up to six inches of rain fell in the Sumter and Webster county areas. Several creeks, streams, and smaller rivers rose above flood stage in northwest and the southwestern parts of central Georgia during a three day period from the 10th to the 13th. Isolated severe thunderstorms were also noted at the beginning of the event, including one which spawned a brief EF0 tornado in Haralson county early on the 10th causing damage to a high school.
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 Dec 9, 10:05 PM EST, 4 hours 36 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 1005 PM EST TUE DEC 9 2008 .UPDATE... ADDED A MENTION OF THUNDER IN THE NORTHWEST TONIGHT AFTER MIDNIGHT. EXPECTING ELEVATED CONVECTION AS MAIN BAND OF PRECIPITATION PUSHES INTO THE STATE. THIS SHOULD RESULT IN LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND RUMBLES OF THUNDER AT TIMES. STRONG WINDS ABOVE THE SURFACE WILL LIKELY CAUSE GUSTS OF AROUND 40 MPH IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF NORTH GEORGIA...SO WE WILL CONTINUE WITH THE WIND ADVISORY. && (PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...) .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... WITH HIGH PRESSURE TO THE EAST...LOW LEVEL WARM ADVECTION HAS ALLOW FOR MILD TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON UNDER AMPLE SUNSHINE. WITH ANY REMAINING WEDGE OUT OF THE CWA...FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE WEST WILL BE THE MAIN FEATURE OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. WINDS SHOULD REMAIN 10 MPH OR GREATER OVERNIGHT...AND WITH POWERFUL LLJ OF 60+ KTS SLIDING IN FROM THE WEST...ATMOSPHERE SHOULD REMAIN WELL MIXED AND VERY WARM TONIGHT. WILL KEEP WIND ADVISORY UP OVERNIGHT FOR THE MOUNTAINS...WHERE GUSTS OF 30+ MPH SHOULD BE COMMON. HAVE WENT WITH MUCH WARMER NAM FOR LOWS...AND EVEN BUMPED TEMPERATURES AN ADDITIONAL DEGREE OR TWO IN SOME AREAS...BASED ON HIGHER THAN PROJECTED DEW POINTS AND WARMER THAN ANTICIPATED TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON. WIDE BAND OF CONVECTION MOVING INTO TENNESSEE VALLEY ALONG STRONG COLD FRONT WILL SLOWLY APPROACH THE NORTHWEST CORNER OVERNIGHT...BUT MAIN PRECIPITATION OVERNIGHT WILL COME FROM ISENTROPIC LIFT COMBINED WITH RICH GULF MOISTURE POURING IN FROM THE GULF WELL AHEAD OF THE FRONT. TOMORROW...WIDESPREAD SHOWERS ANTICIPATED AHEAD OF THE MAIN FRONT BAND OF PRECIPITATION...WITH WILL MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHWEST CWA EARLY IN THE DAY AND RESIDE NE TO SW ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA LATER IN THE DAY. HIGH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES AND SLOW PROGRESSIVE OF FRONT AND ASSOCIATED UPPER LOW SHOULD LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT RAIN TOTALS...WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES POSSIBLE OVER SOME AREAS OF THE STATE. HAVE INTRODUCED POSSIBLE HEAVY RAIN FOR WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY...BUT NO FFW AT THIS TIME. INTRODUCED THUNDER AREAWIDE...AS CAPES SHOULD BE DECENT...AND SHEAR LOOKS IMPRESSIVE. KEPT TEMPERATURES AGAIN ON THE HIGH SIDE OF GUIDANCE TOMORROW. ANY BREAKS SIGNIFICANT BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS OVER MIDDLE GEORGIA WOULD ALLOW TEMPS TO RISE ABOVE GUIDANCE INTO THE UPPER 70S. FOR NORTH GEORGIA...MAX TEMPS HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON TIMING OF PRECIPITATION...AND NW GEORGIA MAY START TO SEE TEMPS DROP THROUGH THE 50S DURING THE DAY IF THE SURFACE FRONT CAN PUSH ENOUGH EASTWARD. AFTER TOMORROW...MODELS DIVERGE ON SOLUTIONS AND THURSDAYS FORECAST IS HIGHLY UNCERTAIN. AN UPPER LOW SHOULD DEVELOP SOMEWHERE ALONG THE NORTHERN GULF COAST AND PUSH NORTHWARD. GFS AND NAM PUSH THE LOW NORTHWARD ALONG THE AL/GA BORDER...WHILE ECMWF TRACKS IT NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA. THE GFS KEEPS THE FRONT ACROSS OUR CWA...WITH MUCH OF THE AREA IN THE WARM SECTOR. NAM LETS THE FRONT MOVE COMPLETELY THROUGH THE AREA. FOR NOW...HAVE WENT MORE WITH THE GFS...WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES ON THURSDAY...BUT KEEPING THE COLD SUBFREEZING 850 MB AREA WELL WEST OF GEORGIA. PRECIPITATION SHOULD REMAIN WIDESPREAD...BUT INTENSITY WILL DEPEND ON THE LOCATION OF THE UPPER LOW. WILL KEEP CONVECTION CONFINED TO CENTRAL GEORGIA ON THURSDAY. .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... MODELS COMING BACK IN LINE FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND...SHOWING A SURFACE HIGH BUILDING IN AND A MORE ZONAL TAKING SHAPE ALOFT. WITH EASTERLY FLOW AND A BIT OF WEDGING...TEMPERATURES REMAIN BELOW CLIMATOLOGICAL NORMAL THROUGH MOST OF THE EXTENDED. 23 && .AVIATION... STRONG SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL JET WILL INCREASE MOISTURE ACROSS GA OVERNIGHT. RAIN WILL INCREASE OVER THE STATE TONIGHT...WITH HEAVIER RAIN MOVING INTO THE AREA TOMORROW. CEILINGS WILL REMAIN MVFR THIS EVENING...LOWERING TO IFR AFTER 06Z AND REMAINING THERE THROUGH WEDNESDAY. VISIBILITY 3 TO SM IN RAIN WITH SOME LOCAL AREAS LOWER IN HEAVIER SHOWERS. ISOLATED CONVECTION DEVELOPING TOWARD DAYBREAK. WINDS SOUTHEAST 10 TO 15KT OVERNIGHT WITH SOME HIGHER GUSTS TO 20 TO 25KT DUE TO STRONG LOW LEVEL JET. WINDS SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST 10 TO 15KT WEDNESDAY. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 55 65 50 54 38 / 80 100 90 90 30 ATLANTA 56 64 50 50 35 / 90 100 80 80 20 BLAIRSVILLE 50 57 47 51 33 / 100 100 70 70 30 CARTERSVILLE 59 62 47 50 34 / 100 100 70 70 20 COLUMBUS 61 69 55 55 36 / 70 100 90 70 20 GAINESVILLE 52 60 50 51 37 / 90 100 80 90 30 MACON 58 72 57 58 37 / 40 80 90 80 20 ROME 57 61 47 48 35 / 100 90 70 70 20 PEACHTREE CITY 56 64 52 52 35 / 90 100 90 80 20 VIDALIA 60 74 60 65 45 / 20 60 70 70 20 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EST WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: BANKS...BARTOW...CATOOSA...CHATTOOGA...CHEROKEE...DADE... DAWSON...FANNIN...FLOYD...FORSYTH...GILMER...GORDON...HALL... LUMPKIN...MURRAY...PICKENS...TOWNS...UNION...WALKER...WHITE... WHITFIELD. && 23/41/15
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 104 AM EST WED DEC 10 2008 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-110615- 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- 104 AM EST WED DEC 10 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...OVERNIGHT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTH GEORGIA REST OF TONIGHT. .SYNOPSIS... A WARM FRONT STRETCHING ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA WILL CONTINUE TO DRIFT NORTHWARD AS A COLD FRONT MOVES EAST FROM THE TENNESSEE AND LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY REGION. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... THE PRIMARY HAZARD WILL BE OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH. .DISCUSSION... WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE GUSTY ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTH GEORGIA OVERNIGHT...ESPECIALLY IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTHEAST GEORGIA MOUNTAINS. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTH GEORGIA A COLD FRONT MOVES EAST FROM THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. WITH CAPES LESS THAN 500 AND LIFTED INDICIES FROM ZERO TO MINUS 1...THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO STAY BELOW SEVERE LIMITS AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...AND ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA THURSDAY. OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED DURING THE REST OF THE PERIOD AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED FOR THE REST OF TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 240 AM EST WED DEC 10 2008 GAZ001>003-100815- 240 AM EST WED DEC 10 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR 45 MPH WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN IN DADE...WALKER AND CATOOSA COUNTIES UNTIL 315 AM EST... AT 238 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER RISING FAWN...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. WIND GUSTS OF 45 MPH AND HEAVY RAIN ARE LIKELY AS THIS STORM MOVES ACROSS DADE...WALKER AND CATOOSA COUNTIES. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM INCLUDE WILDWOOD...RISING FAWN...NEW ENGLAND ...CLOUDLAND STATE PARK...TRENTON...HINKLES...DAVIS CROSSROADS ...ROSSVILLE...LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN ...LINWOOD...LA FAYETTE AND CHICKAMAUGA.
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 62 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:41 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind, 4 flood, 3 heavy rain, 2 flash flood, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
The Dade County Emergency Management Director reported that thunderstorm winds blew siding off a home, a trestle off a barn, and at least 14 trees down across the county.
The Walker County 911 Center reported that up to 10 trees were blown down across the county from thunderstorm winds.
The Chattooga County 911 Center reported stream and creek flash flooding in at least four different locations. At least a foot of water was flowing over Ragland Road from a stream two miles southwest of Lyerly. At least six inches of water was flowing over Spring Creek Road from Spring Creek three miles southeast of Trion. At least six inches of water was flowing over Hair Lake Road from Raccoon Creek three miles northwest of Summerville. Finally, six inches of water was flowing over Fish Hatchery Creek Road from a stream four miles west-southwest of Summerville. Although several roads in the area were closed because of the high water, damage was limited to debris removal.
A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, GA concluded that a brief EF0 tornado touched down at the Haralson County High School, approximately three miles east-northeast of Tallapoosa. The tornado traveled on the ground between 100 and 150 yards with a maximum path width of 50 yards. The main classroom building suffered the majority of the damage, where a heating and air conditioning unit was blown off the roof and into the adjacent parking lot, causing minor damage to a few cars. A few windows were also broken and an outdoor scoreboard was destroyed. Several small trees on the campus were snapped, including one which fell onto the visitor's bleachers.
An amateur radio operator relayed a report of street and highway flooding at Morris Mill Road and Howell Road. All lanes of Interstate-75 were blocked in this area because of high water, except the HOV lane. Heavy rain of 1.0 to 1.5 inches fell in about one hour across much of Cobb county as a line of heavy thunderstorms traversed the area during this time frame.
An amateur radio operator relayed a report of street and highway flooding on Interstate 85 at Shallowford Road. Water was reported to be eight to twelve inches deep on the interstate. Rainfall of 1.0 to 1.5 inches fell across much of western DeKalb county in about one hour as a line of heavy thunderstorms traversed the area during this time frame.
The Gilmer County Emergency Management Director reported that two areas in the county suffered from flash flooding. At least six inches of water from a local stream was flowing over Yukon Road just north of Scarlett Drive. Approximatly $1000 of erosion damage was observed to the asphalt road. Further east, another flash flood was observed when flood waters from Holden Creek tore out a 10 by 12 foot section of Big Creek Road just west of Pisgah Road. Damage to the road was estimated to be $5000.
The Forsyth County Emergency Management Director reported that minor flooding occurred along portions of Yellow Creek and Settingdown Creek between Wallace-Tatum and Hurt Bridge Roads. Damage was confined to minor debris cleanup.
The Crisp County Emergency Management Director reported that several creeks and streams across the county exceeded bank full and resulted in minor flooding. Six to seven inches of rain fell across this area in less than 24 hours. Some urban areas also experienced street flooding as well. At least two roads, including a portion of Georgia Highway 257, had to be closed because of water flowing over the roads. Damage was limited to minor debris cleanup.
The Wilcox County 911 Center reported that some water was flowing over a road in one spot. The western part of the county received three to four inches of rain in less than 24 hours.
The Zebulon Newspaper reported that a few trees and several tree limbs were blown down across the county when a line of thunderstorms moved through the county from southwest to northeast. A couple of roads were blocked by downed trees.
The Pulaski County Emergency Management Director reported that three trees were blown down northeast of Hawkinsville.
WMAZ Television of Macon reported that about three large trees were blown down in northern Dodge county.
The Jones County Emergency Management Director reported that three trees were blown down in and around the Gray area.
The Morgan County Emergency Management Director reported that a few trees were blown down in southern Morgan county near the Putnam county line. U.S. Highway 411 was blocked at the county line.
The river gage on the Coahulla Creek at Keith's Mill near Dalton recorded that the river rose over 2.5 feet above flood stage during this period. One road was affected by the flooded creek and was closed for some period. Otherwise, damage was confined to minor debris cleanup.
The river gage on Turkey Creek at Byromville rose above flood stage at 215 pm EST on December 11th and remained above bank full stage until 910 am EST on December 12th. Minor flooding of low lands and agricultural low lands occurred along the creek in this area. Damage was confined to minor debris cleanup.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Georgia, 2008Warnings in Georgia, December 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: 140639, 141240, 141236, 140635, 141245, 141246, 141795, 141241, 141242, 141247, 141348, 140666, 140662, 140664, 140906, 141244, 141243.