An unusually strong upper-level trough and associated cold front were approaching the area from the west. This triggered scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours of the 28th.
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 upper-level trough and associated cold front were approaching the area from the west. This triggered scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours of the 28th. Several of these became severe. Cloud-to-ground lightning was also an issue. The system became even stronger on the 29th producing widespread severe 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 Jun 28, 2:08 PM EST, 52 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 308 PM EDT SAT JUN 28 2008 .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOULD GENERALLY DIMINISH OVERNIGHT. WENT WITH A MAV/MET BLEND FOR TEMPERATURES OVERNIGHT. HIGH DEWPOINTS SHOULD KEEP TEMPERATURES ABOVE NORMAL OVERNIGHT. COLD FRONT OVER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL EDGE TOWARD NORTHWEST GEORGIA BY SUNRISE...SO CANT RULE OUT SOME PRECIPITATION PUSHING INTO NW CWA BEFORE SUNRISE. TOMORROW LOOKS TO BE BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS IN QUITE A WHILE. DECENT SHORT WAVE PASSES JUST NORTH OF GEORGIA DURING THE AFTERNOON...AS IT ROTATES AROUND AN UNUSUALLY STRONG 500 MB TROUGH. COLD FRONT SAGS SOUTHWARD THROUGH NORTH GEORGIA THROUGH THE DAY. MORE THAN ADEQUATE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL BE ENHANCED FURTHER BY RICH PLUME OF GULF MOISTURE BEING PULLED INTO THE TROUGH FROM THE CENTRAL GULF BY 40 KT 850 MB WEST WINDS DURING THE DAY. BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON...SURFACE HEATING SHOULD INCREASE MODEST LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES ENOUGH TO ALLOW FOR NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP OVER THE AREA. MID LEVEL COOLING FROM THE SHORT WAVE...COMBINED WITH MODERATE SHEAR FROM THE LOW LEVEL JET WILL LEAD TO ISOLATED SEVERE CONVECTION DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING TOMORROW. DAMAGING WINDS FROM LOCALIZED DOWNBURSTS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT...ALTHOUGH STRONGEST CONVECTION WILL BE CAPABLE OF HAIL AS WELL. THE MAIN FACTOR THAT MAY HINDER SEVERE THREAT IS THE POSSIBILITY OF WIDESPREAD CLOUD COVER...BUT WILL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE IF CONVECTION OVER NORTHERN GULF SENDS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MID AND HIGH LEVEL DEBRIS OVER THE AREA DURING THE PEAK HEATING SUNDAY AFTERNOON. FOR TEMPERATURES...HIGH DEPENDENCE ON AMOUNT OF CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION AS WELL AS TIMING. WENT A LITTLE ABOVE GUIDANCE...AS AMPLE SUN EARLY SHOULD ALLOW FOR DECENT WARMING BEFORE ONSET OF THUNDERSTORMS. COLD FRONT DRIFTS INTO CENTRAL GEORGIA SUNDAY NIGHT...CONVECTION SHOULD WEAKEN AFTER SUNSET WITH THE LOSS OF HEATING...BUT WILL KEEP POPS IN OVERNIGHT...AS SOME ACTIVITY IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE INTO THE NIGHT...PARTICULARLY ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT LOOK DRIER AS NORTHWEST FLOW ESTABLISHES ITSELF OVER THE AREA. FEEL THE FRONT WILL MAKE IT INTO SOUTH GEORGIA...BUT MODELS PROJECT SIGNIFICANT SHORTWAVE RIDING ALONG IT MONDAY AFTERNOON...SO HAVE ENHANCED THUNDERSTORM CHANCES ACROSS SOUTHERN ZONES TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS. TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE SEASONAL...WITH A LITTLE COOLER MORNINGS THAN PREVIOUS BECAUSE OF THE DRIER AIR. .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... TROUGH OVER THE NORTHEAST UNITED STATES WILL CONTINUE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT THROUGH THURSDAY...LEADING TO DRY CONDITIONS OVER THE AREA. BY THE END OF THE WEEK...A MORE ZONAL PATTERN DEVELOPS...AND MODELS CONTINUE TO HINT THAT BERMUDA RIDGE MAY BE EAST ENOUGH TO ALLOW SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE TO SURGE NORTHWARD FROM THE GULF ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. WILL KEEP SEASONAL TEMPERATURES WITH INCREASING RAIN CHANCES LATE IN THE WEEK. && 23 .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 70 88 66 86 63 / 30 70 40 20 5 ATLANTA 71 85 67 84 64 / 30 70 40 20 5 BLAIRSVILLE 68 77 60 79 57 / 40 70 40 10 10 CARTERSVILLE 68 85 63 84 58 / 50 70 40 20 10 COLUMBUS 71 90 70 88 67 / 30 60 40 30 5 GAINESVILLE 68 83 65 84 63 / 40 70 40 20 10 MACON 72 90 69 88 64 / 30 70 40 30 5 ROME 70 85 65 87 60 / 50 60 40 10 10 PEACHTREE CITY 70 85 65 84 58 / 30 70 40 20 5 VIDALIA 71 90 72 89 65 / 30 60 40 40 10 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 626 AM EDT SAT JUN 28 2008 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-291030- 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- 626 AM EDT SAT JUN 28 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. .SYNOPSIS... A SURFACE TROUGH WILL REMAIN JUST SOUTHEAST OF THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS WHILE A COUPLE WEAK UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES PASS OVERHEAD TODAY AND TONIGHT. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... WHILE LIGHTNING WILL BE THE PRIMARY HAZARD FROM ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...A FEW OF THE STRONGER STORMS MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. .DISCUSSION... THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BECOME SOMEWHAT MORE UNSTABLE THAN YESTERDAY WITH CAPE INCREASING TO AROUND 2000 BY AFTERNOON. VERTICAL WIND SHEAR CONTINUES TO BE LIMITED...SO THUNDERSTORMS WILL ONCE AGAIN BE OF THE DISORGANIZED AND SHORT-LIVED PULSE VARIETY...THE STRONGEST OF WHICH MAY PRODUCE STRONG WIND GUSTS...HAIL...AND BRIEF DOWNPOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY ON SUNDAY...A FEW OF WHICH MAY BE SEVERE. THERE IS ALSO A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY...AND A SLIGHT CHANCE TUESDAY THROUGH INDEPENDENCE DAY...MAINLY OVER CENTRAL GEORGIA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED TODAY BUT SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT REPORTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 255 PM EDT SAT JUN 28 2008 GAZ091-092-102-103-281930- 255 PM EDT SAT JUN 28 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR PEA SIZED HAIL...HEAVY RAIN AND 40 MPH WINDS IN WEBSTER...STEWART...SCHLEY AND MARION COUNTIES UNTIL 330 PM EDT... AT 250 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM BUENA VISTA TO RICHLAND...MOVING EAST AT 17 MPH. THESE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE PEA SIZED HAIL...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AS THEY MOVE ACROSS WEBSTER...STEWART...SCHLEY AND MARION COUNTIES THROUGH 330 PM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE BROOKLYN... RICHLAND...BUENA VISTA...DOYLE...DRANEVILLE...PUTNAM...DRANEVILLE... WALLS CROSSING AND ELLAVILLE. BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 331 PM EDT SAT JUN 28 2008 GAZ096-107-282000- 331 PM EDT SAT JUN 28 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR PEA SIZED HAIL AND 50 MPH WINDS IN PULASKI AND BLECKLEY COUNTIES UNTIL 400 PM EDT... AT 329 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER MOBLEY CROSSING...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. THESE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE PEA SIZED HAIL...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH AS THEY MOVE ACROSS PULASKI AND BLECKLEY COUNTIES THROUGH 400 PM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE MOBLEY CROSSING... HAWKINSVILLE...COLEY...FIVE POINTS...COCHRAN...POWELL AND GOLDSBORO. BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS.
The Robins AFB radar (KJGX), 39 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:59 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 2 lightning, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
The Laurens County 911 Center reported that lightning strikes resulted in two structural fires in the Cadwell area and a grass fire in the Dexter area.
The public observed penny-sized hail in the Meeks area. Radar data suggests that similar or possibly even slightly larger hail fell south of Meeks along the Johnson and Emanuel county line south to Scott and Adrian, although no specific reports were received from this very rural area. One tree was also down in Meeks, and a couple of trees were also down in Swainsboro to the east in Emanuel county.
The Carroll County 911 Center reported that lightning struck a tree on Mandeville Road setting it on fire.
The Jasper County 911 Center reported that three trees were down in the Monticello area.
The Walker County 911 Center reported that five trees were blown down in the Chickamauga area. A couple of these brought down power lines.
A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia determined that strong straight-line wind of 70 to 80 mph affected a small area of southern Whitfield county, approximately three miles southwest of Dalton. Damage was concentrated along a 100 yard long and 250 yard wide path along Brookview Lane. Several trees were snapped and hundreds of large limbs were ripped from trees. Some power lines were down in the area as well. Several fences were damaged from the downed trees and tree limbs and minor to moderate roof damage was observed to three homes and one outbuilding in the area.
The Gilmer County 911 Center reported that several trees and at least one power line were down in the Ellijay area. Doppler radar data indicates that strong winds likely affected the area between Ellijay and Cherry Log.
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, June 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: 118577, 118578, 118579, 118580, 118581, 118582, 118856.