A stationary front was located across the northern Gulf of Mexico. A fast westerly flow aloft was present across the region with a broad upper trough evident across the mid-south region.
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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 stationary front was located across the northern Gulf of Mexico. A fast westerly flow aloft was present across the region with a broad upper trough evident across the mid-south region. An unusually warm, moist air mass was present across central and south Georgia. The upper trough combined with the unstable, moist atmosphere to result in thunderstorm development during the afternoon and evening. One of the storms became severe and produced severe hail and an isolated tornado in the central Georgia county of Sumter.
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 Oct 15, 5:20 PM EST, 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 620 PM EDT THU OCT 15 2009 .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/... MODELS IN AGREEMENT WITH AN UPPER TROUGH DEEPENING OVER THE EASTERN U.S. THROUGH SATURDAY. THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT STILL TO OUR NORTH AND WEST WILL MOVE THROUGH THE CWA TONIGHT TAKING THE PRECIP WITH IT. MUCH COLDER AIR WILL MOVE INTO THE STATE FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THERE APPEARS TO BE ENOUGH MOISTURE AT H8 BEHIND THE SYSTEM TO PRODUCE ISOLATED SHOWERS OVER THE MOUNTAINS FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. TEMPERATURE ALOFT SHOULD BE COLD ENOUGH THAT IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS SOME OF THE RAIN SHOWERS COULD BE MIXED WITH SNOW SHOWERS HOWEVER NO ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED AS GROUND TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN ABOVE FREEZING. GUIDANCE TEMPS LOOK ON TRACK AND ARE ACCEPTED. .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... THE ONLY CHANGE NOTED WAS THAT THE SYSTEM MOVING INTO THE SOUTHEAST BY MID WEEK HAS SLOWED DOWN WHICH BOTH THE GFS/ECMWF INDICATE. WILL TAKE OUT PRECIP ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND LEAVE IT IN ON THURSDAY. OTHERWISE NO CHANGES ARE PLANNED ON THE LONG TERM. && .AVIATION... BAND OF STRONG CONVECTION ALREADY MOVING SOUTH OF THE TAF SITES SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE FOR THIS FORECAST PERIOD. MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS FORECAST PERIOD. IFR TO LIFR CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE MAJORITY OF THE FORECAST AREA BY 06Z. CONDITIONS WILL BEGIN IMPROVING AFTER 14Z WITH MAINLY UNLIMITED VISIBILITY AND MVFR CEILINGS BY 18Z. WINDS WILL BE SHIFTING TO A MORE WESTERLY DIRECTION ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA AS A COLD FRONT SWEEPS ACROSS FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST. WIND SPEEDS WILL INCREASE BEHIND THE FRONT WITH 10 TO 15 KT SUSTAINED WINDS AREAWIDE BY 14Z. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 50 62 42 58 39 / 40 10 0 10 5 ATLANTA 50 59 41 55 40 / 40 0 0 0 5 BLAIRSVILLE 44 54 36 50 33 / 20 20 20 20 20 CARTERSVILLE 47 58 40 55 36 / 30 10 0 10 5 COLUMBUS 60 68 45 61 42 / 70 5 0 0 5 GAINESVILLE 48 60 41 54 39 / 30 10 5 10 10 MACON 57 71 45 61 41 / 70 5 0 0 5 ROME 49 59 42 55 36 / 30 10 10 10 5 PEACHTREE CITY 50 62 40 56 36 / 50 0 0 0 5 VIDALIA 62 71 48 61 45 / 60 20 0 0 10 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 17
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 1015 AM EDT THU OCT 15 2009 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-161100- 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- 1015 AM EDT THU OCT 15 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER PARTS OF CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SYNOPSIS... A WEDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE EXTENDING INTO GEORGIA WILL BEGIN TO WEAKEN ITS GRIP AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES INTO NORTH GEORGIA BY LATE AFTERNOON... THEN ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS EVENING. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... THE MORE FAVORABLE AREA FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL BE GENERALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A COLUMBUS TO MACON LINE. WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING WILL BE THE MAIN HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM THAT DEVELOPS THIS AFTERNOON OR EVENING. .DISCUSSION... A WEDGE OF COOL...STABLE AIR WILL REMAIN OVER NORTH AND MUCH OF CENTRAL GEORGIA INTO EARLY AFTERNOON. THIS WILL HELP LIMIT THE POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT TODAY... EXCEPT ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF CENTRAL GEORGIA...WHERE WEAK INSTABILITIES WILL DEVELOP DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH CAPES OF 500 TO 1000 EXPECTED IN AN ENVIRONMENT CHARACTERIZED BY MODERATE VERTICAL WIND SHEAR. THIS MAY RESULT IN A FEW STRONG STORMS WITH GUSTY WINDS... GENERALLY DEVELOPING AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THAT WILL PUSH ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA FROM LATE AFTERNOON THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 436 PM EDT THU OCT 15 2009 GAZ066-067-078-152100- 436 PM EDT THU OCT 15 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING IN HARRIS... TROUP AND MERIWETHER COUNTIES UNTIL 500 PM EDT... AT 434 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES WEST OF JONES CROSSROADS...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE PEA SIZED HAIL...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AS IT MOVES ACROSS HARRIS...TROUP AND MERIWETHER COUNTIES THROUGH 500 PM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE CANNONVILLE...LONG CANE...WHITESVILLE-PINE LAKE...SMITHS CROSSROAD...BAUGHS CROSSROADS...JONES CROSSROADS...HAMILTON...STOVALL...PINE MOUNTAIN-CALLAWAY GARDENS...PINE MOUNTAIN VALLEY...F.D. ROOSEVELT STATE PARK AND DURAND. BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 631 PM EDT THU OCT 15 2009 GAZ091-092-103-104-152300- 631 PM EDT THU OCT 15 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING IN SUMTER... WEBSTER...SCHLEY AND MARION COUNTIES UNTIL 700 PM EDT... AT 626 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER CHURCH HILL...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE PEA SIZED HAIL...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH AS IT MOVES ACROSS SUMTER...WEBSTER...SCHLEY AND MARION COUNTIES THROUGH 700 PM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE SEMINOLE...DUMAS... PRESTON...CHURCH HILL...DRANEVILLE...PLAINS...FRIENDSHIP...CONCORD... SHILOH...AMERICUS...BUMPHEAD AND LA CROSSE. BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS.
The Robins AFB radar (KJGX), 107 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:48 UTC.
1 hail, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
The Sumter County Sheriff observed quarter-sized hail in the Americus area.
The Sumter County Emergency Management Director confirmed that an EF1 tornado touched down and tracked a little over two miles across the southern part of the county. The tornado touched down approximately five miles south of Americus near U.S. Highway 19. A grocery store on U.S. Highway 19, just south of McLittle Bridge Road, suffered a collapsed wall and roof damage. A large tree also fell on a forestry building near the location. A nearby home also suffered minor damage. The tornado continued to a point approximately 5.5 miles southeast of Americus or near Georgia Highway 377. Approximately 50 to 100 trees were uprooted along the path of the tornado. Some power lines were also down along the path of the tornado.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Georgia, 2009Warnings in Georgia, October 2009
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: 203951, 203952.