S. on the 4th.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 strong cold front and a deep, negatively-tilted closed upper low swept through the southeast U.S. on the 4th. A pre-frontal complex of thunderstorms moved across the area during the morning hours with widespread rain and embedded thunder, but without any severe. However, a very unstable air mass developed in the wake of the morning activity as a dry slot worked its way northeastward ahead of the cold front. This allowed a second line of narrow, yet strong convection to develop across eastern Alabama during the early afternoon. This swept across north and the northern parts of central Georgia during the mid and late afternoon hours, causing scattered reports of wind damage and marginal severe hail. Although the potential for tornadoes existed and the east central and northeast part of the state was placed under a moderate risk, no tornadoes developed during this convective event.
In addition, strong gradient winds of 30 to 40 mph with some higher gusts affected the area in the wake of this strong storm system. The strong winds combined with wet soils caused a tree to fall down on a Georgia Power truck. The employee was killed when the tree fell on his truck at the intersection of Memorial Drive and East Lake Drive, just south of Decatur in DeKalb county.
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 Mar 4, 5:30 AM EST, 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 530 AM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 .SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... OBVIOUSLY THE BIGGEST CONCERN IN THE IMPENDING T-STORMS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER. BASED ON CURRENT RADAR TRENDS AND THE GFS/NAM SOLUTION...THERE SHOULD BE A LULL IN THE INTENSITY THROUGH ABOUT 15Z THEN THINGS SHOULD RE-INTENSIFY. THIS WOULD KEEP THE WESTERN PART OF THE CWA IN A GENERALLY RAIN WITH OCCASIONAL THUNDER...HOWEVER WITH THE STRENGTH OF THE LOW LEVEL JET...FEEL ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BRING SOME OF THOSE WINDS DOWN AND FOR THAT REASON WILL KEEP THE MENTION OF SEVERE WEATHER IN THE FORECAST THROUGH 18Z ALL AREAS. BY 18Z GFS HAS THE FRONT BISECTING THE CWA WHILE THE NAM IS RUNNING A LITTLE BIT BEHIND. BASED ON CURRENT RADAR TRENDS...GFS HAS A BETTER HANDLE OF THE SITUATION. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL CONTINUE AHEAD OF THE FRONT...EASTERN PART OF THE CWA THIS AFTERNOON. OVER THE WEST...DRY AIR WILL SPREAD INTO THE AREA...HOWEVER WITH A VERY INTENSE VORT MAX AND WRAP AROUND MOISTURE AT H8...FEEL THIS COULD BE ENOUGH TO PRODUCE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS AFTER 18Z OVER WRN GA AND WILL THEREFORE KEEP MENTION OF THUNDER THROUGH THE DAY OVER WRN GA BUT LEAVE OUT THE SEVERE WORDING. TEMPS WILL BE TRICKY AS FORECAST MAX TEMPS ARE AT OR BELOW CURRENT READINGS IN MOST AREAS. OVER WRN GA THE MAX TEMPS SHOULD OCCUR AROUND 12Z WHILE THE ERN PART OF THE CWA WILL HIGH TEMPS IN THE AFTERNOON. WILL THEREFORE TRY TO PROG THE TEMPS AT 12Z OVER WRN GA AND GO ALONG WITH GUIDANCE OVER THE EASTERN PART OF THE CWA. BY 00Z WED THE SYSTEM HAS MOVED OUT OF THE CWA WITH DRIER AND COOLER AIR REPLACING THE WARM MOIST AIR. THERE APPEARS TO BE ENOUGH WRAP AROUND MOISTURE AT H8 TO PRODUCE SOME FLURRIES OVER NORTH GA AND WILL GO AHEAD AND ADD THIS FOR THIS EVENING WITH LINGERING FLURRIES IN THE MOUNTAINS AFTER MIDNIGHT. BY WEDNESDAY MORNING DRY AIR IN THE LOWER LEVELS WILL BE FIRMLY IN PLACE AND THIS WILL REMAIN THE CASE THE THURSDAY. HOWEVER...BOTH GFS/NAM INDICATE AN INCREASE IN HIGH LEVEL MOISTURE...CIRRUS... STREAMING IN THE FLOW AHEAD OF THE NEXT DEVELOPING H5 TROUGH. WILL THEREFORE POPULATE GRIDS WITH THE H5-H3 MOISTURE FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. AS FOR THE WIND ADVISORY...WILL KEEP THIS GOING AS THE LOW LEVEL JET BOTH AHEAD AND BEHIND THE FRONT WILL MAINTAIN THE WINDS GUSTS OVER 35 MPH THAT ARE OCCURRING IN THE MOUNTAINS. .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... INTERESTING SCENARIO BEING PLAYED OUT ON THE GFS AND ECMWF. BOTH SHOW A SURFACE LOW DEVELOPING OVER THE CENTRAL GULF FRIDAY MORNING AND THEN MOVING ALONG THE GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA COAST BY FRIDAY EVENING. THIS SPREADS MOISTURE ACROSS THE CWA DURING THE DAY FRIDAY AND INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. LOW LEVEL THICKNESSES INDICATE THE POTENTIAL FOR SNOW OVER NORTHWEST GA WITH A MIX FROM GVL TO ATL TO LGC. THE ECMWF IS A LITTLE COLDER SHOWING ALL SNOW. WHILE NOT EXPECTING THIS TO BE A MAJOR WINTER STORM...IT DOES BEAR SOME WATCHING...ESPECIALLY FRIDAY EVENING/NIGHT. AT THIS TIME WILL MENTION LIGHT SNOW OVER NORTHWEST GA...AND A MIX FROM GVL TO ATL TO LGC. ELSEWHERE IT WILL BE IN THE FORM OF A COLD RAIN. FOR SATURDAY...BOTH GFS/ECMWF INDICATE ANOTHER WEAK SHORT WAVE MOVING ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AND IT APPEARS THERE IS ENOUGH MOISTURE TO PRODUCE SOME LIGHT SNOW/FLURRIES ACROSS EXTREME NORTH GA. WE REMAIN UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE EAST COAST TROUGH KEEPING OUR FLOW NORTHWEST FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE LONG TERM. THERE WILL BE WEAK SHORT WAVES MOVING IN THE FAST NORTHWEST FLOW...BUT TO WHAT EXTENT THEY WILL PRODUCE MOISTURE IS UNKNOWN AND UNTIL WE GET CLOSER IN TIME...WILL NOT MENTION ANY PRECIP AFTER SATURDAY. && .AVIATION... TIMING THE LEADING EDGE OF THE STORMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLD FRONT HAS BEEN FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD...BUT THE CEILINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LINE OF SHOWERS HAVE BEEN QUITE VARIABLE AS HAVE THE WINDS. HAVE TRIED TO ALLOW FOR THIS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AS THE LINE MOVES THROUGH. IN ADDITION...WITH THE STRONG VORT MAX THAT IS PUSHING THE FRONT THROUGH...THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT BEHIND THE FRONT. HAVE CONTINUED THE TREND OF HINTING AT THIS POSSIBILITY...ALTHOUGH AM LESS CONFIDENT IN THIS SCENARIO AS BEST MOISTURE IS POOLED JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT. WILL HAVE GUSTY WINDS AHEAD OF AND BEHIND THE FRONT WITH STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT...ALONG WITH IFR STRATUS IN THE WRAPAROUND MOISTURE BEHIND THE FRONT. THESE LOW CLOUDS SHOULD START MOVING INTO THE FAR WESTERN SITES BETWEEN 16-18Z UNLESS DRY AIR INTRUDES FROM THE SOUTH. CEILINGS SHOULD LIFT TOWARD THE END OF THE PERIOD AS THE UPPER LOW MOVES OUT. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 65 35 61 37 66 / 100 20 5 10 10 ATLANTA 66 34 58 40 64 / 100 20 5 5 10 BLAIRSVILLE 63 31 54 33 60 / 100 20 5 10 10 CARTERSVILLE 65 34 57 33 65 / 100 20 5 5 10 COLUMBUS 68 38 64 39 71 / 100 10 5 5 10 GAINESVILLE 63 34 59 37 64 / 100 20 5 10 10 MACON 68 36 65 35 71 / 90 10 5 5 5 ROME 67 34 60 34 66 / 100 20 5 10 10 PEACHTREE CITY 66 35 56 33 66 / 100 20 5 5 10 VIDALIA 75 44 67 40 72 / 100 10 0 5 5 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: CATOOSA...DADE...FANNIN...GILMER...LUMPKIN...MURRAY... TOWNS...UNION...WALKER...WHITE...WHITFIELD. && 17/TDP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 600 AM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-051045- 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- 600 AM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .SYNOPSIS... A STRONG COLD FRONT OVER THE DEEP SOUTH WILL MOVE ACROSS GEORGIA TODAY. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... THE PRIMARY HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH ANY SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT DEVELOPS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS OF 60 TO 80 MPH. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THUNDERSTORMS IN WEST GEORGIA EARLY THIS MORNING WILL CROSS THE STATE THROUGH THE DAY. .DISCUSSION... THE ATMOSPHERE WILL DESTABILIZE TODAY AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT... WITH CAPES APPROACHING 500. ALTHOUGH INSTABILITY WILL BE LIMITED DUE TO WIDESPREAD CLOUD COVER...THE SYSTEM WILL BE COMBINED WITH A STRONG LOW LEVEL JET OF ABOUT 70 KNOTS AND STRONG VERTICAL WIND SHEAR. THIS WILL ALLOW STORMS THAT BECOME SEVERE TO SUPPORT NOT ONLY A DAMAGING WIND THREAT...BUT WILL ALSO ALLOW SOME STORMS TO ROTATE. .OTHER HAZARDS... STRONG WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA TODAY. GUSTS TO 45 MPH ARE POSSIBLE IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR ACTIVATION TODAY ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA.
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 104 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:17 UTC.
16 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Floyd County Emergency Management Director reported that a tree was blown down onto a home on Bix Texas Valley Road when a large area of rain and embedded thunderstorms moved across the region.
The Floyd County Emergency Management Director reported that many trees were blown down throughout the county. A tree was down on a home in Cave Springs.
The Gilmer County 911 Center reported that a number of trees were blown down across the county, but especially the southern sections. In addition, two buildings sustained minor roof damage six miles south of Ellijay between Talona and Cartecay.
The Clayton County 911 center reported that power lines were down at the intersection of Battle Creek Road and Kind Road near the county health department. Four trees were also blown down in the Jonesboro area.
The Fulton County Emergency Management Director reported that a couple of trees and power lines were down in the vicinity of Interstate-75 and Mount Paran Road northwest of Atlanta.
The public reported penny-sized hail.
The White County 911 Center reported that a tree was down at the intersection of Georgia Highway 115 and Town Creek Road. A power line was also down in the area.
The Forsyth County 911 Center reported that a couple of trees and power lines were down in the Robin Road and Lanier Drive area.
The Gwinnett County Emergency Management Director reported that a tree was blown down onto a school bus on Fence Road in the Lawrenceville area.
The Hall County Emergency Management Director reported that a tree was down on a home in Gainesville. A couple of trees were also down in the Lula area.
The Jackson County Emergency Management Director reported that a total of five trees were blown down, scattered about the county. Two trees were down on Georgia Highway 332 about two miles northwest of Jefferson. In addition, in Hoschton, a 10 by 6 foot barn, made of wood and metal, was destroyed.
The Banks County Emergency Management Director reported that three trees were blown down in the southeast part of the county.
The Atlanta Police Department, as well as the local Atlanta television stations, reported that a strong winds following a cold frontal passage combined with wet soils caused a tree to fall down on a Georgia Power truck. The employee was killed when the tree fell on his truck at the intersection of Memorial Drive and East Lake Drive, just south of Decatur.
The Jasper County 911 Center reported that four trees were blown down within the county.
The Oglethorpe County 911 Center reported that several trees were down on the roads, scattered about the county.
The public observed nickel-sized hail in Arnoldsville.
The Putnam County 911 Center reported that a couple of trees were down in the Eatonton area, one was down on a power line.
The public reported penny-sized hail.
The Greene County 911 Center reported that a few trees were down on power lines in the Union Point area.
The Wilkes County Emergency Management Director reported that many trees were blown down, scattered about the county.
The Wilkex County Emergency Management Director relayed a report of nickel-sized hail in the Tignall area.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind, De Kalb | 2008-03-04 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
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, March 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: 86142, 86137, 82857, 82861, 82880, 82864, 83245, 82868, 86153, 82900, 85662, 85661, 86141, 85664, 85671, 85670, 85665, 85666, 85669, 85668, 85667.