A weak back door type cold front was moving southwest through north and central Georgia. A deep upper trough was located along the east coast with an active northwest flow continuing into the southeast United States.
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 weak back door type cold front was moving southwest through north and central Georgia. A deep upper trough was located along the east coast with an active northwest flow continuing into the southeast United States. An area of thunderstorms developed along the southwestward moving front during the early afternoon and propagated southward along the front through much of east central Georgia. The thunderstorms merged into a complex of thunderstorms as the afternoon progressed and increased in areal coverage. The storms produced large hail and damaging downburst winds, especially across the eastern counties of middle Georgia.
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 May 24, 9:37 AM EST, 3 hours 34 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 1037 AM EDT SAT MAY 24 2008 .UPDATE... CURRENT FORECAST CONTINUES TO LOOK ON TRACK. ISSUED UPDATED TO TAKE THE DENSE FOG ADVISORY OUT AS MOST AREAS HAVE COME UP TO 6 PLUS MILES ON THE VISIBILITY. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 530 AM EDT SAT MAY 24 2008/ SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH MONDAY/... OVERALL NAM HAS BEEN DOING BETTER ON TEMPS AND PRECIP OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS. ALSO...SEEING THAT CONVECTION IS OCCURRING OVER CENTRAL TENNESSEE AHEAD OF THE NEXT SHORT WAVE AND THE NAM IS HANDLING THIS BETTER THAN THE GFS...WILL LEAN HEAVILY ON THE NAM IN THE SHORT TERM. FOR EARLY THIS MORNING THERE WILL BE PATCHY DENSE FOG AND WILL HAVE TO MONITOR AS A DENSE FOG ADVISORY MAY BE NECESSARY. THE SHORT WAVE PRODUCING THE TSTORMS OVER TENNESSEE WILL WEAKEN SOMEWHAT AND MOVE INTO NORTH GEORGIA LATER THIS MORNING AND ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTH GA THIS AFTERNOON. APPARENTLY THERE IS ENOUGH LIFT AND MOISTURE AT 1 AM TO PRODUCE TSTORMS WILL THEREFORE KEEP SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE POPS TODAY. SHORT WAVE IS THROUGH THE CWA BY 00Z SUN WITH MUCH DRIER AND SLIGHTLY COOLER AIR MOVING INTO THE CWA SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. ON MONDAY BOTH MODELS HAVE A WEAK H5 SHORT WAVE MOVING INTO EASTERN AL WITH THE NAM BEING THE STRONGER. ALTHOUGH THE H7 AND H5 LEVELS MOISTEN UP OVER AL AND NORTHWEST GA...NAM IS THE ONLY MODEL FORECASTING SLIGHT CHANCE POPS. WE CURRENTLY HAVE A DRY FORECAST FOR MONDAY AND AT THIS TIME WILL LEAVE IT DRY BUT WITH A FEW MORE CLOUDS IN THE AFTERNOON. LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... THE ABOVE MENTION SHORT WAVE WEAKENS MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...HOWEVER IT WILL CARRY ENOUGH MOISTURE THAT WITH DAYTIME HEATING ON TUESDAY THERE COULD BE ISOLATED AFTERNOON TSTORMS. THE WESTERLIES THAT WERE IN THE OHIO VALLEY DIP INTO THE SOUTHEAST TUESDAY NIGHT AND INTO WEDNESDAY ALLOWING A WEAK SURFACE COLD FRONT TO MOVE ACROSS THE CWA WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL BRING A CHANCE OF TSTORMS TO THE CWA. THE FRONT IS THROUGH THE CWA BY THURSDAY MORNING WITH DRIER AIR SPREADING ACROSS THE CWA THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. THE NEXT SHORT WAVE MOVES INTO THE CWA ON SATURDAY...BUT LOOKING AT THE PREVIOUS RUN THIS SHORT WAVE WASNT THERE FOR SATURDAY...THEREFORE WILL LEAVE SATURDAY DRY. FIRE WEATHER... FUEL MOISTURE CONTENT...RELATIVE HUMIDITIES AND WIND WILL REMAIN OUT OF THE RED FLAG WARNING/WATCH CRITERIA...THEREFORE NO FIRE WEATHER WATCH OR WARNINGS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH SUNDAY. .AVIATION... MAIN CONCERN OVER SHORT TERM PERIOD WILL BE CHANCE OF VLIFR AND LIFR CONDITIONS AT TAF SITES AS PATCHY DENSE FOG HAS DEVELOPED. SO FAR ATL/CSG REMAIN MVFR/VFR AND EXPECT ATL WILL ONLY DROP TO IFR AROUND DAYBREAK LIKELY BETWEEN 12-14Z. FORECASTING ALL OTHER SITES TO DROP TO LIFR AT MINIMUM THROUGH 14Z. ONCE LOW STRATUS/FOG BURNS OFF SCT-BKN CU DECK SHOULD DEVELOP THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AROUND 5K FEET. WEAK SHORT WAVE WILL PUSH A WEAK SURFACE BOUNDARY SOUTHWARD THROUGH TAF SITES THROUGH THIS EVENING...TIGHTENING GRADIENT BEHIND BOUNDARY WILL PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS ACROSS THE AREA...WITH LIGHT NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS SHIFTING TO NORTHEAST BETWEEN 00-03Z TIME FRAME. ALTHOUGH THERE WILL BE SOME CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT AS BOUNDARY PUSHES SOUTH CONFIDENCE THAT IT WILL APPROACH TAF SITES IS MINIMAL AND AM LEANING TOWARD LEAVING EVEN VCSH/VCTS OUT OF 12Z TAF ISSUANCE. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 86 57 83 58 84 / 30 0 0 5 5 ATLANTA 84 62 83 63 83 / 30 0 0 5 5 BLAIRSVILLE 79 53 80 56 81 / 30 5 0 5 5 CARTERSVILLE 84 57 84 60 85 / 30 5 0 5 5 COLUMBUS 87 65 87 66 87 / 30 0 0 10 5 GAINESVILLE 84 58 81 60 81 / 30 5 0 5 5 MACON 88 63 86 61 89 / 30 5 0 5 5 ROME 85 56 85 57 85 / 20 5 0 5 10 PEACHTREE CITY 85 59 85 60 84 / 20 0 0 5 5 VIDALIA 86 65 86 63 88 / 40 10 0 5 5 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 01
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 1130 AM EDT SAT MAY 24 2008 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-251000- 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- 1130 AM EDT SAT MAY 24 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL PUSH SOUTHWARD ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THROUGH THIS EVENING. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... THE PRIMARY HAZARD WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM WILL BE DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .DISCUSSION... THE COMBINATION OF THE SURFACE FRONT AND DAYTIME HEATING WILL PRODUCE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON. WITH CAPES INCREASING INTO THE 1000-2000 RANGE AND LIFTED INDICES FROM -1 TO -3...SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE STRONG BUT ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW SEVERE LIMITS AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 211 PM EDT SAT MAY 24 2008 GAZ022-023-025-034>037-047-241845- 211 PM EDT SAT MAY 24 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR FREQUENT LIGHTNING IN WALTON... OCONEE...CLARKE...BARROW...GWINNETT...JACKSON...FORSYTH AND HALL COUNTIES UNTIL 245 PM EDT... AT 209 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHEAST GEORGIA BETWEEN CUMMING...JEFFERSON...MONROE...AND ATHENS...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BUILD WEST INTO MUCH OF GWINNETT AND WALTON COUNTIES THROUGH 245 PM EDT. LIGHTNING DETECTION SYSTEMS INDICATE FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES WITH THIS ACTIVITY. RESIDENTS IN THIS AREA SHOULD STAY INDOORS. ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND TELEPHONES SHOULD NOT BE USED UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY. THOSE ENGAGED IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SHOULD SEEK SAFE SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING UNTIL THE STORMS HAVE COMPLETELY CLEARED THE AREA. YOU SHOULD NOT BE OUTSIDE IN THE OPEN OR UNDER A TREES DURING THUNDERSTORMS. THOSE BOATING ON AREA LAKES SHOULD SEEK SAFE HARBOR UNTIL THE STORM HAVE PASSED. 19
The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 110 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:10 UTC.
7 hail, 6 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The public observed penny-sized hail near Hoschton and west of Jefferson near the Barrow county line.
A storm spotter reported nickel-sized hail in the Winder area.
The Barrow County Emergency Management Director reported that numerous trees and power lines were down in the Thompsons Mill area, especially along Interstate-85.
A storm spotter observed penny-sized hail just north of Godfrey. Radar supported that hail of similar, perhaps larger size, continued to the Putnam county border south and southeast of Godfrey. The storm spotter and the Morgan County 911 Center also reported that a couple of trees were blown down. This same storm spotter also estimated wind gusts to be on the order of 60 mph, but tree damage in the area did not support this.
The public observed nickel-sized hail in the Eatonton area. Radar data supported that hail of similar size likely fell across much of the county from the northern border near Godfrey in Morgan county to the southern border of Baldwin county, south of Flat Rock.
Hail of penny-size or larger fell across much of Baldwin county in a swath from north to south as a supercell thunderstorm tracked across the county. A storm spotter observed quarter-sized hail between Scottsboro area and the Washington county line. The public observed nickel-sized hail in Scottsboro, and the Baldwin County 911 Center observed penny-sized hail in Milledgeville.
The Baldwin County 911 Center reported that several trees were blown down in the Milledgeville area. A storm spotter observed that several trees limbs were down in the south central and southeast part of the county.
The Wilinson County 911 Center reported that an apparent microburst or downburst blew down dozen of trees and at least 10 power lines across the county. According to the radar data, winds up to 60 mph, and in a few cases likely in excess of 60 mph, likely occurred across the north central, central, and west central part of the county from northeast of Ivey to west of Irwinton.
The public observed quarter-sized hail in the Dublin area. The Laurens County Emergency Management Director relayed a report of nickel-sized hail from the Cedar Grove area.
The Laurens County Emergency Management Director reported that a downburst or microburst caused extensive damage to the Cedar Grove community in southern Laurens county. Two convenience stores, located at the intersection of Georgia Highways 46 and U.S. Highway 441, just west of Cedar Grove, suffered extensive damage. At one of these convenience stores, the awning was destroyed, one of the gas pumps was blown away and found several dozen feet away, and another was bent over. There was also damage to the roof, windows and the front of the store. A home across the street also sustained some roof and siding damage. In addition, at least two barns were destroyed and a trailer was overturned with damage to other trailers at Padget's Mobile Home Park. Hundreds of trees were also blown down in the area and several roads were blocked, including Georgia Highway 46. However, there did not appear to be any evidence of a tornado. It all appeared to be from a downburst or miscroburst. Further north, wind damage was also reported. Dozens of trees were blown down in the northern and central part of the county, including Dublin. In addition, a backup radio antenna tower at the county Emergency Operations Center in Dublin was blown over and several traffic signals, street lights, and signs were down. The local electric management cooperation reported that at least 30 utility poles were blown down around the county.
In addition to property damage, at least 100 acres of oats were damaged from the strong thunderstorm winds.
The Wheeler County 911 Center reported that dozens of trees and power lines were blown down across the northern and central part of the county, including Alamo and Erik. At least eight roads were blocked and closed from downed trees.
A fire station south of Bowdon observed penny-sized hail in the southwest part of Carroll county.
The Telfair County 911 Center reported that several trees and power lines were down along the eastern border of the county from McRae, to Scotland, to Towns.
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, May 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: 108778, 108283, 108387, 108703, 108708, 108715, 108719, 108724, 108732, 108735, 108745, 108762, 108765.