Hail, Franklin
- When
- March 15, 1:40 PM EST
- Where
- Franklin County, 3 mi W of Franklin Spgs
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 34.280, -83.203
Reported in the Sandy Cross area.
Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, March 15, 2008
Several supercell thunderstorms affected the mountains and foothills of extreme northeast Georgia during the afternoon and early evening hours. Very large hail, damaging winds and a few tornadoes accompanied the storms.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 10
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.
What happened
The episode as NWS GSP wrote it up.
Several supercell thunderstorms affected the mountains and foothills of extreme northeast Georgia during the afternoon and early evening hours. Very large hail, damaging winds and a few tornadoes accompanied the storms.
What forecasters said that day
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 Greenville-Spartanburg, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 15, 12:36 PM EST, 1 hour 4 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 15, 12:36 PM EST, 1 hour 4 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
136 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008
.SYNOPSIS...
A LOW PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP ALONG A FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT WILL STALL
OVER THE AREA TODAY. THE LOW WILL MOVE EAST THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
INTO THE EVENING BRINGING WITH IT SOME ACTIVE WEATHER. BEHIND THIS
SYSTEM...HIGH PRESSURE WILL SET UP OVER THE EASTERN THIRD OF THE
COUNTRY FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK...BEFORE ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
APPROACHES BY MID WEEK.
&&
.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/...
COLD FRONT STALLED ACROSS THE CWFA THIS MORNING AS STORM SYSTEM
APPROACHES THE AREA FROM THE WEST. EXPECT INCREASING CLOUDS THIS
MORNING ALONG WITH PRECIP SPREADING IN FROM THE WEST. EXPECT
WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND SCT THUNDERSTORMS SPREADING ACROSS THE AREA
THIS AFTERNOON. THAT MUCH IS IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT. HOWEVER...
MODELS STILL SHOW SOME DISAGREEMENT ON THE EXACT TRACK THE LOW WILL
TAKE THIS AFTERNOON. THAT MAY NOT MAKE MUCH DIFFERENCE AS IT APPEARS
THE STALLED SFC BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE AREA. THIS BOUNDARY
COULD PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FOCUS FOR LOW LEVEL SHEAR AND INCREASE
SEVERE STORM POTENTIAL. THE POTENTIAL IS ALREADY QUITE HIGH. 21Z
SREF SHOWS MEDIAN BULK SHEAR FROM 60 KTS TO AS HIGH AS 80 KTS THIS
AFTERNOON. IT ALSO SHOWS MEDIAN VALUES OF 0-1KM HELICITY AS HIGH AS
300 M2/S2 AND 0-3KM VALUES AS HIGH AS 600 M2/S2. INSTABILITY NOT AS
HIGH AS PREVIOUS MODEL RUNS...BUT SREF SHOWS 700-500MB LAPSE RATES
OF 7 DEGREES C OR HIGHER MOVING INTO THE AREA. THIS LEADS TO MUCAPE
LEVELS AS HIGH AS 500 J/KG OVER NE GA AND THE UPSTATE. WHAT IS
TROUBLING IS THE NORMALLY LESS ROBUST GFS ALSO SHOWS LAPSE RATES
THIS HIGH WITH ELEVATED CAPES NEARING 1000 J/KG. SEVERE WX OUTLOOK
FROM SPC LOOKS WELL PLACED AND WILL CONTINUE HWO MENTION. HAVE GONE
WITH THE TIMING BRINGING IN BEST THUNDER CHANCES DURING THE
AFTERNOON...BUT WILL HAVE TO WATCH THE TIMING CLOSELY. FRONTAL
POSITION WILL HAVE A GREAT IMPACT OF HIGHS ACROSS THE AREA. HAVE NOT
GONE AS COOL AS THE MAV...BUT DID LOWER TEMPS SEVERAL DEGREES FROM
PREVIOUS FORECAST. WILL SEE SOME GUSTY WINDS THIS AFTERNOON OUTSIDE
OF STORMS...BUT SHOULD REMAIN BELOW ANY ADVISORY LEVELS.
&&
.SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY/...
AS OF 300 AM SATURDAY...AN UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE IN ZONAL FLOW WILL
CROSS THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS EARLY THIS EVENING...TAKING THE
ASSOCIATED SURFACE WAVE EAST WITH IT. EARLY IN THE EVENING
CONVECTION WILL BE ONGOING ACROSS THE AREA. DESPITE DIFFERENCES IN
MODEL HANDLING OF THE WAVE TRACK...BOTH THE NAM AND GFS SUGGEST THE
BACK EDGE OF MOISTURE WILL BE AROUND THE UPPER SAVANNAH RIVER
VALLEY...AND PRECIPITATION WILL BEGIN TO TAPER OFF FROM THE
SOUTHWEST. ENOUGH INSTABILITY EXISTS BOTH MODELS TO CARRY THUNDER
ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA EARLY IN THE EVENING...AND EVEN LATE IN THE
EVENING EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS.
BEHIND THE SURFACE WAVE NORTHWEST UPSLOPE FLOW SETS UP SHOWERS ALONG
THE TN BORDER. THE MODEL HAVE SLOWED THE ARRIVAL OF COLD AIR UNTIL
ALMOST DAWN SUNDAY...AND MODEL SOUNDINGS ONLY SUPPORT SNOW ABOVE
2500 FEET. MODEL WINDS ALOFT BEHIND THE WAVE ARE ONLY 35 KNOTS IN
BOTH THE NAM AND GFS...AND DOWNWARD VERTICAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO
TRANSPORT WIND VELOCITIES OF LESS THAN ADVISORY CRITERIA TO THE
SURFACE. MOISTURE AND PRECIPITATION DIMINISH BY MID MORNING
SUNDAY...ALTHOUGH GUSTY WINDS CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY. SUNDAY NIGHT
AND MONDAY FEATURE A DRY SURFACE RIDGE WITH FEW CLOUDS. TEMPERATURES
WILL BE ABOVE NORMAL SATURDAY NIGHT BEFORE COLD ADVECTION SETS
IN...THEN ON SUNDAY WILL EXHIBIT A WIDER RANGE BETWEEN COLD
ADVECTION IN THE MOUNTAINS AND DOWNSLOPE FLOW IN THE LEE. COOLER
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY AS THE RIDGE AXIS
CROSSES THE EAST COAST.
&&
.LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/...
AS OF 300 AM SATURDAY...THE GFS SHOWS A STRONG UPPER LEVEL RIDGE
MOVING ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...WHILE A
CLOSED UPPER LOW CROSSES THE SOUTHWEST AND SOUTHERN PLAINS. THIS LOW
LIFTS NORTHEAST TO THE GREAT LAKES ON WEDNESDAY...AND A TRAILING
TROUGH CROSSES THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
NORTHWEST FLOW BEHIND THE TROUGH AXIS CONTINUES THROUGH FRIDAY. A
SURFACE LOW WILL SLOWLY APPROACH FROM THE WEST ON TUESDAY....WITH AN
OPEN GULF AHEAD OF IT. MOISTURE REMAINS WEST OF OUR AREA UNTIL LATE
TUESDAY NIGHT...JUST BEFORE FRONTAL PASSAGE....WHICH OCCURS ON
WEDNESDAY. THIS SYSTEM APPEARS TO GIVE THE AREA A BRIEF YET INTENSE
SHOT OF RAINFALL AND PROBABLY THUNDER. FOLLOWING THE FRONT...WINDS
AND UPSLOPE FLOW SHOWERS PLAGUE THE TN BORDER...WITH THICKNESS
SUPPORTING A CHANGEOVER TO SNOW SHOWERS WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THESE
SHOWERS ABATE ON THURSDAY...BUT WINDS CONTINUE INTO THURSDAY
EVENING. THE FORECAST FOR FRIDAY IS LESS CLEAR...WITH AN INNOCUOUS
PATCH OF MOISTURE RIDING ALONG A WEAK SECONDARY FRONT. TEMPERATURES
WILL RISE ABOVE NORMAL BEFORE THE WEDNESDAY FRONTAL PASSAGE...THEN
NORTHWESTERLY SURFACE FLOW WILL COOL THE MOUNTAINS...WHILE DOWNSLOPE
FLOW TEMPERS COLD ADVECTION IN THE LEE.
&&
.AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT KAVL AND THE UPSTATE TAF SITES OVER THE
NEXT COUPLE HOURS AS A BROAD AREA OF RAIN AND EMBEDDED TSTMS MOVES
QUICKLY INTO THE REGION. KCLT SHOULD SEE THEM BETWEEN 20 AND 22
UTC...THOUGH I WAIT A LITTLE LONGER BEFORE CARRYING A PREVAILING OR
TEMPO GROUP AT THAT AIRFIELD. WINDS WILL INCREASE OUT OF THE SSE AND
GRADUALLY VEER MORE TO THE SOUTHWEST THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE
AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL TURN OUT OF THE NORTHWEST LATER TONIGHT AS THE
SFC LOW MOVES EAST OF THE REGION. MVFR CIGS WILL AFFECT MOST SITES
THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS...THOUGH AT LOT OF THAT CLOUD COVER WILL BE
IN THE FORM OF CB/S. THE CLOUDS SHOULD CLEAR OUT OF MOST SITES
BETWEEN 00 AND 03 UTC. AT KAVL LOW CLOUDS MAY HANG ON LONGER...
THOUGH CONFIDENCE WAS NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO INCLUDE THAT IN THE RAF.
OUTLOOK...CONDITIONS SHOULD REMAIN VFR FROM SUNDAY THROUGH
TUESDAY...UNTIL THE NEXT SYSTEM BRINGS ANOTHER CHANCE OF CEILING/VIS
RESTRICTIONS IN THE MIDDLE PART OF THE WEEK.
&&
.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...NONE.
NC...LAKE WIND ADVISORY FROM 2 AM TO 10 AM EDT SUNDAY FOR NCZ033-
048>053-058-059-062>065-501-503-505-507-509.
SC...NONE.
&&
SYNOPSIS...JAT
NEAR TERM...RWH
SHORT TERM...JAT
LONG TERM...JAT
AVIATION...MCAVOYHazardous weather outlook, Mar 15, 10:59 AM EST, 2 hours 41 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1159 AM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-SCZ001>014-019-161600- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-OCONEE MOUNTAINS- PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE- GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK- ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 1159 AM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008 ...TORNADO WATCH 119 IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. TORNADO WATCH. THE COMBINATION OF SIGNIFICANT INSTABILITY...STRONG WIND SHEAR AND A WEAK WARM FRONT OVER THE REGION...WILL RESULT IN AN UNUSUALLY HIGH CHANCE OF SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES OVER EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND THE UPSTATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. THE AREA MOST AT RISK FOR SEEING TORNADOES WILL BE ALONG AND JUST SOUTH OF THE FRONT. AS THE FRONT WILL SLOWLY MOVE NORTH DURING THE AFTERNOON...THIS PUTS MUCH OF THE UPSTATE AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA AT RISK. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON. NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-068>072-082-501>510-161600- AVERY-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD- BUNCOMBE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON- SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON- MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL- BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-EASTERN MCDOWELL- RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-GREATER RUTHERFORD-POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK- 1159 AM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A VIGOROUS AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL CROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS THIS EVENING. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE LOW. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. ACROSS THE SOUTHERN NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT AND FOOTHILLS...INCLUDING THE CHARLOTTE METRO AREA...AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS ALSO POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED. MCAVOY
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Mar 15, 12:20 PM EST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 120 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008 SCZ001-002-004-005-151800- GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS- 120 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN OCONEE AND NORTHERN PICKENS COUNTIES THROUGH 200 PM EDT... AT 116 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES EAST OF WALHALLA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... NINE TIMES BY 135 PM EDT. PICKENS BY 140 PM EDT. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LANE
Special weather statement, Mar 15, 12:49 PM EST, 51 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 149 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008 NCZ509-SCZ002-003-005-151815- GREATER PICKENS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-POLK MOUNTAINS- 149 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN PICKENS...NORTHERN GREENVILLE AND SOUTHWESTERN POLK COUNTIES THROUGH 215 PM EDT... AT 147 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTH OF TABLE ROCK...OR 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF PICKENS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... MARIETTA BY 200 PM EDT. TIGERVILLE BY 210 PM EDT. MOTHBALL SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LANE
Special weather statement, Mar 15, 1:10 PM EST, 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 210 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008 NCZ509-510-SCZ003-007-151845- EASTERN POLK-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-POLK MOUNTAINS-SPARTANBURG- 210 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN GREENVILLE... NORTHWESTERN SPARTANBURG AND SOUTHEASTERN POLK COUNTIES THROUGH 245 PM EDT... AT 209 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR TIGERVILLE...OR 15 MILES NORTH OF GREENVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO NORTH SALUDA RESERVOIR...TRYON...MILL SPRING...COLUMBUS...TIGERVILLE... LANDRUM...GOWENSVILLE...FINGERVILLE AND CAMPOBELLO. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
Special weather statement, Mar 15, 1:15 PM EST, 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 215 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008 SCZ002-005-151845- GREATER PICKENS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS- 215 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL PICKENS COUNTY THROUGH 245 PM EDT... AT 213 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF LIBERTY...OR 4 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PICKENS...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SIX MILE... PICKENS...NORRIS...LIBERTY...EASLEY AND DACUSVILLE. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
Special weather statement, Mar 15, 1:26 PM EST, 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 226 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008 NCZ051-058-151900- GRAHAM-SWAIN- 226 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN GRAHAM AND SWAIN COUNTIES THROUGH 300 PM EDT... AT 222 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES SOUTHWEST OF STECOAH...OR 4 MILES EAST OF ROBBINSVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO FONTANA LAKE...WESSER...STECOAH...SMOKEMONT...NEWFOUND GAP...LUADA... CHEROKEE...BRYSON CITY AND ALMOND. MOTHBALL SIZE HAIL IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
Special weather statement, Mar 15, 1:33 PM EST, 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 233 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008 SCZ006-007-010>013-019-152000- GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS- UNION SC-GREENWOOD- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GREENVILLE...SPARTANBURG...ANDERSON... ABBEVILLE...LAURENS...UNION...GREENWOOD 233 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008 ...DANGEROUS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHING THE UPSTATE... AT 225 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A DANGEROUS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH A HISTORY OF PRODUCING DAMAGING TORNADOES ACROSS NORTHEAST GEORGIA. THIS STORM WILL LIKELY CROSS THE SAVANNAH RIVER ACROSS WESTERN ANDERSON COUNTY BETWEEN 315 AND 330 PM. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM WILL EXIST SOUTH OF I-85...ALONG A CORRIDOR FROM ANDERSON AND ABBEVILLE...EAST TO LAURENS AND GREENWOOD. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA UNTIL 7 PM. THIS IS A DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION. IN ADDITION TO THE THREAT OF DESTRUCTIVE WINDS AND HAIL...THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR STRONG TORNADOES TO DEVELOP. PEOPLE ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE UPSTATE SHOULD PREPARE NOW FOR DANGEROUS WEATHER. LANE
The radar
The Greer radar (KGSP), 112 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:40 UTC.
Event by event
6 hail, 3 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Tornado, Franklin
- When
- March 15, 1:44 PM EST to 1:49 PM EST
- Where
- Franklin County, 1.56 mi WSW of Franklin Spgs to 0.58 mi SE of Royston
- Rating
- EF0
- Path length
- 2.31 mi
- Path width
- 20 yd
- Continued into
- Hart, Ga (GSP)
- Reported by
- NWS Storm Survey
- Coordinates
- 34.273, -83.176
NWS survey found an intermittent tornado track from just southwest of Franklin Springs in Franklin County to just outside of Vanna in Hart County. Damage was mainly confined to downed trees and power lines. One tree fell on a home in the Vanna area.
Tornado, Hart
- When
- March 15, 1:49 PM EST to 1:51 PM EST
- Where
- Hart County, 3.58 mi NNW of Vanna to 2.55 mi W of Goldmine
- Rating
- EF0
- Path length
- 0.93 mi
- Path width
- 20 yd
- Reported by
- NWS Storm Survey
- Coordinates
- 34.274, -83.113
A tornado begin in Franklin County, then crossed into Hart County a little south of Royston. The tornado lifted just northwest of Vanna.|Damage was mainly confined to downed trees and power lines. One tree fell on a home in the Vanna area.
Hail, Hart
- When
- March 15, 2:10 PM EST
- Where
- Hart County, Nuberg
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 34.270, -82.900
Reported along highway 77 near the Elbert County line.
Hail, Hart
- When
- March 15, 2:25 PM EST
- Where
- Hart County, Nuberg
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 34.270, -82.900
A second period of large hail affected Nuberg as another severe thunderstorm moved along the Hart/Elbert County line.
Hail, Elbert
- When
- March 15, 3:10 PM EST
- Where
- Elbert County, Elberton
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 34.120, -82.870
Tornado, Elbert
- When
- March 15, 3:19 PM EST to 3:30 PM EST
- Where
- Elbert County, 11 mi SE of Elberton to 16.5 mi ESE of Elberton
- Rating
- EF2
- Path length
- 8.04 mi
- Path width
- 100 yd
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- NWS Storm Survey
- Coordinates
- 34.007, -82.734
NWS survey found a tornado damage track in far southern and southeast Elbert County. The tornado, which was spawned from a supercell, touched down southeast of Fortsonia near the intersection of River Rd and Flatwoods Rd. As the tornado tracked east along River Rd, damage was mainly confined to trees and power lines. The tornado began to take on a more east/southeast track near the intersection of River Rd and Balchin Rd, remaining just north of the Wilkes County line. Intensification occurred just west of highway 79 near its intersection with Cooter Creek Rd. The tornado continued to track east southeast, snapping or uprooting numerous trees between Cooter Creek Rd and the Broad River. Two homes received heavy roof damage consistent with EF2 intensity on Bramblett Circle along the Broad River. A boat dock was also lifted and tossed 25 feet in this area. The tornado continued to blow down trees before finally lifting in Bobby Brown State Park in the extreme southeast corner of the county.
Hail, Hart
- When
- March 15, 3:48 PM EST
- Where
- Hart County, Hartwell
- Measured
- 1.5 in hail
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 34.350, -82.930
Hail reportedly broke a car windshield.
Hail, Elbert
- When
- March 15, 4:38 PM EST
- Where
- Elbert County, Elberton to 2 mi N of Elberton
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
- Coordinates
- 34.120, -82.870
Thunderstorm Wind, Elbert
- When
- March 15, 4:38 PM EST
- Where
- Elbert County, Elberton to 2 mi N of Elberton
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
- Coordinates
- 34.120, -82.870
Trees down on power lines along highway 72.
What these are
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- Tornado
- A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornadoes and Flood in Georgia, March 15 to 16, 2008
- Tornadoes and Hail in South Carolina, March 15, 2008
- Tornadoes and Hail in South Carolina, March 15, 2008
- Marine Strong Wind in Eastern Pacific Coastal Waters, March 15, 2008
- Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, March 15, 2008
- Tornadoes and Hail in North Carolina, March 15, 2008
- Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, March 15, 2008
- Tornadoes and Hail in South Carolina, March 15, 2008
- Rip Current in Florida, March 15, 2008
- Tornado and Hail in South Carolina, March 15, 2008
- Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, March 15, 2008
- Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Utah, March 15 to 16, 2008
More
Every storm in Georgia in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Georgia, 2008Warnings in Georgia, March 2008
Sources
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: 89702, 89703, 89704, 89705, 89707, 89720, 89721, 89724, 89742, 89743.