An unusually strong cold front continued to approach Georgia from the northwest. A cutoff upper low was sinking south into the mid-Atlantic region.
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.
An unusually strong cold front continued to approach Georgia from the northwest. A cutoff upper low was sinking south into the mid-Atlantic region. These features combined with typical July heat and humidity across the southeast resulted in scattered to numerous afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms. The activity was most numerous in the Atlanta metropolitan area and locations east and south of Atlanta.
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 Jul 6, 4:05 AM EST, 8 hours 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED FOR AVIATION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 505 AM EDT SUN JUL 6 2008 .SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... LONG WAVE TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN U.S. WEAKENS ENOUGH BY THE END OF THE SHORT TERM PERIODS FOR AN UPPER RIDGE OVER THE ATLANTIC TO SHIFT WESTWARD. SOME DISCREPANCIES NOTED AFTER 36 HOURS AS GFS LIFTS WAVE NORTHWARD OVER THE CAROLINAS...KEEPING THE RIDGE FURTHER SOUTH AND EAST OF FORECAST AREA. NAM CONTINUES TO FAVOR HOLDING THE TROUGH OVER THE SOUTHEAST AND IS NOW DEVELOPING AN INVERTED TROUGH OVER FLORIDA.SOUTH GEORGIA MONDAY NIGHT. ECMWF/SREF MORE IN LINE WITH GFS SOLUTION IN LATER PERIODS AND WILL CONTINUE TO TREND THAT WAY AS WELL. IN THE VERY SHORT TERM...NAM APPEARS TO HAVE THE BEST HANDLE ON THE IMPULSE MOVING ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA WHICH HAS KEPT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED CONVECTION JUST NORTH/EAST OF OUR AREA OVERNIGHT. GFS EXHIBITING SOME CONVECTIVE FEEDBACK THIS AFTERNOON AS WELL AS THE SHORT WAVE ROTATES ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA. IN ANY CASE...SCATTERED CONVECTION WILL CONTINUE OVER NORTH GEORGIA THIS MORNING WITH MORE WIDESPREAD CONVECTION DEVELOPING DUE TO AFTERNOON HEATING. INSTABILITY AGAIN SUPPORTS ISOLATED PULSE SEVERE STORMS AREAWIDE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS WITH CAPES NEAR 2000 BY THIS AFTERNOON. MODELS IN AGREEMENT THAT CONVECTION SHOULD DIE OFF WITH THE LOSS OF HEATING AS THE TROUGH AND IMPULSES MOVE FURTHER EAST. DEEP MOISTURE REMAINS OVER SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF FORECAST AREA AS THE TROUGH OVER THE CAROLINAS KEEPS THE UPPER RIDGE JUST OFFSHORE THROUGH TUESDAY. PRECIPITABLE WATERS NEAR 1.5 INCHES ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WILL AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MAINLY DIURNALLY DRIVEN CONVECTION MONDAY AND TUESDAY. ONCE AGAIN GUIDANCE TEMPERATURES ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT. MET HAS JUST BARELY BEATEN MAV THE PAST FEW DAYS AND WILL SHADE TEMPERATURES CLOSER TO MET BASED UPON LOCAL BIASES. .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... OVERALL WET PATTERN REMAINS ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIODS. ANOTHER SHORT WAVE MOVES ACROSS THE EASTERN U.S. BY MIDWEEK...BUT EXTENDED MODELS KEEP MUCH OF THE DYNAMICS FURTHER NORTH AS AN UPPER RIDGE BUILDS WESTWARD ACROSS THE FLORIDA PENINSULA. GOOD GULF MOISTURE ACROSS THE AREA WILL ALLOW DIURNAL CONVECTION TO CONTINUE TO FIRE EACH AFTERNOON/EVENING THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. GUIDANCE TEMPERATURES ADVERTISING NEAR NORMAL AND SEE NO REASON TO DEVIATE. && .AVIATION... FEW SHOWERS/ISOLATED TSTORMS AFFECTING PORTIONS OF THE COUNTY WARNING AREA EARLY THIS MORNING...MAINLY NORTH AND EAST. CURRENT THINKING IS THAT WE MAY HAVE TO CARRY VCSH AT A FEW LOCATIONS FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS THIS MORNING...BUT THAT WILL BE BASED PRIMARILY ON LATEST RADAR BEFORE TAF RELEASE. LOOK FOR SHOWERS AND SCT TSTORMS TO BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD THIS AFTERNOON (MAINLY AFTER 17Z)...AS HEATING COMES INTO PLAY. OTHERWISE LOOK FOR VFR TO LOW VFR CONDITIONS TO BE THE RULE THROUGH THE DAY WITH MAINLY MID/HIGH DOMINATING THIS MORNING WITH SCT TO BKN CLOUDS IN THE 4 TO 6 THSD FT RANGE LATE MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON. HAVE SEEN HINTS OF PATCHY IFR CLOUDS (6 TO 8 HUNDRED FEET) DEVELOPING ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL GEORGIA...AND MAY HAVE TO CARRY IN MACON TAF FOR A FEW HOURS. SO FAR VSBYS HOLDING 6+...BUT HAVE NOT RULED OUT PATCHY FOG WITH MVFR VSBYS DEVELOPING BETWEEN NOW AND MID MORNING. SOUTHWEST WINDS 6 TO 10 KTS LOOK GOOD FOR MUCH OF THE PERIOD...EXCEPT STRONGER/GUSTY IN AND AROUND TSTORMS. 49 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 89 67 89 69 91 / 30 20 20 10 20 ATLANTA 88 69 89 71 90 / 30 20 20 10 20 BLAIRSVILLE 84 62 88 63 88 / 30 20 20 10 20 CARTERSVILLE 91 64 91 67 90 / 40 20 20 10 20 COLUMBUS 89 72 91 72 93 / 40 20 30 10 30 GAINESVILLE 89 68 88 69 90 / 30 20 20 10 20 MACON 90 71 92 70 95 / 40 20 30 10 30 ROME 92 67 93 69 93 / 30 20 20 10 20 PEACHTREE CITY 89 65 90 67 90 / 30 20 20 10 20 VIDALIA 91 71 88 70 92 / 50 20 40 10 30 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 12
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 523 AM EDT SUN JUL 6 2008 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-071000- 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- 523 AM EDT SUN JUL 6 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT MEANDERING NEAR THE TENNESSEE-GEORGIA BORDER... AND A PASSING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL ENHANCE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA TODAY AND TONIGHT. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... THE PRIMARY HAZARD ASSOCIATED WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM THAT DEVELOPS WILL BE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. HOWEVER...STRONG WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE IN ANY ISOLATED PULSE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT DEVELOPS. ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .DISCUSSION... AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND A STATIONARY FRONT NEAR THE TENNESSEE-GEORGIA BORDER WILL AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. INSTABILITY WILL BE MODERATE WITH CAPE VALUES FROM 1000 TO 2000...AND LIFTED INDICES IN THE MINUS 2 TO MINUS 4 RANGE. A FEW OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE SEVERE...PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY...MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED BUT SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH THE WEB BY GOING TO WEATHER.GOV/ATLANTA.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 1219 PM EDT SUN JUL 6 2008 GAZ032-033-043-044-061700- 1219 PM EDT SUN JUL 6 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR FREQUENT LIGHTNING IN DOUGLAS...COBB AND FULTON COUNTIES UNTIL 100 PM EDT... AT 1215 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER SWEETWATER CREEK STATE PARK...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH. LIGHTNING DETECTION SYSTEMS INDICATE NUMEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES ACROSS DOUGLAS...COBB AND FULTON COUNTIES... INCLUDING THE CITIES OF SWEETWATER CREEK STATE PARK...MIDWAY... BEULAH...LITHIA SPRINGS...AUSTELL...MABLETON...SIX FLAGS AND ATLANTA. RESIDENTS IN THIS AREA SHOULD STAY INDOORS. ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND TELEPHONES SHOULD NOT BE USED UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 104 PM EDT SUN JUL 6 2008 GAZ032-033-043-044-061745- 104 PM EDT SUN JUL 6 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR HEAVY RAIN IN DOUGLAS...COBB AND FULTON COUNTIES UNTIL 145 PM EDT... AT 104 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTH COBB...NORTH DOUGLAS AND CENTRAL FULTON COUNTIES. THESE STORMS WERE DRIFTING EAST AT 5 TO 10 MPH. THE SLOW MOVEMENT WAS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN IN THESE AREAS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS BETWEEN 2 AND 3 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHEAST DOUGLAS...SOUTH COBB AND CENTRAL FULTON COUNTIES THROUGH 145 PM EDT. DRIVERS SHOULD USE CAUTION AS INTENSE RAINFALL WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES. PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE ACROSS WATER COVERED ROADWAYS.
The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 52 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:42 UTC.
3 lightning, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 heavy rain, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
The Cobb County 911 Center reported that six trees were down in the area between Power Springs and Mableton.
The Cobb County 911 Center reported that lightning ignited a house fire. Specific damages were not provided.
The Jasper County 911 Center reported that lightning struck a home on Georgia Highway 142 and set it on fire.
The Upson County Emergency Management Director reported that a couple of power lines were down on the west side of Thomaston.
The Upson County Emergency Management Director reported that lightning struck and set a house on fire just north of Thomaston.
The Upson County Emergency Management Director reported that street flooding was observed around Thomaston. Two roads were flooded and closed as a result. Doppler radar rainfall estimates showed that three to four inches of rain fell on the west and northwest side of Thomaston between Thomaston and Pickard.
The public reported quarter-sized hail two miles east of Woodstock and penny-sized hail three miles northeast of Woodstock.
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, July 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: 123738, 123741, 123764, 123772, 123768, 123776, 123767.