S. A large subtropical ridge of high pressure aloft was located across the southern plains.
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 cold front was pushing south through the Ohio Valle and mid-Atlantic region and into the southeast U.S. A large subtropical ridge of high pressure aloft was located across the southern plains. This resulted in an unstable north to northwest flow aloft across the southeast states. The upper support and frontal system combined with a hot, humid, unstable air mass remaining across Georgia to result in scattered to numerous afternoon and evening thunderstorms. A couple of the thunderstorms became severe and produced damaging wind gusts. All of the thunderstorms produced frequent cloud-to-ground lightning. One of these lightning strikes resulted in the second and third lightning-related deaths of the year for the Peachtree City, Georgia forecast area.
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 Jul 13, 2:07 PM EST, 1 hour 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 307 PM EDT TUE JUL 13 2010 .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SPREADING ACROSS THE COUNTY WARNING AREA (ESPECIALLY NORTH GEORGIA)...ASSOCIATED WITH A SHORTWAVE TRACKING ACROSS THE TN VALLEY/NORTH GEORGIA REGION. MODELS SIMILAR WITH THIS IMPULSE PUSHING INTO THE CAROLINAS LATER TONIGHT...AND EXPECT TO SEE PRECIP COVERAGE DIMINISH AFTER MIDNIGHT. UNTIL THEN...WILL CONTINUE PREVIOUS FORECAST TREND WITH CHC TO GOOD CHANCE POPS THRU THE EVENING...THEN TAPER POPS BACK TO SLIGHT CHANCE MOST AREAS AFTER MIDNIGHT EXCEPT EXTREME EASTERN COUNTIES WHERE SHORT WAVE STILL MAY HAVE SOME INFLUENCE. MODELS SIMILAR WITH THE AXIS OF UPPER TROF EAST OF THE COUNTY WARNING AREA WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY AS THE UPPER RIDGE BUILDS A BIT EASTWARD. MODELS SHOW SOMEWHAT DRIER AIR OVER THE STATE (ESPECIALLY NORTH GEORGIA) BUT WITH INDICATIONS OF A WEAK SURFACE TROF IN THE AREA...CONFIDENCE LOW AND WILL CONTINUE SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE POPS BOTH DAYS. MAV/MET MOS TEMPS FAIRLY SIMILAR THROUGH THE PERIOD. MAV/MET BLEND SEEM TO BE WORKING WELL AND WILL STAY CLOSE. .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... LITTLE CHANGE TO THE EXTENDED WITH THE LATEST RUN OF MODELS CONTINUING TO SHOW SOME TROFFING (ALOFT AND SURFACE) HOLDING OVER OUR AREA THROUGH MUCH OF THE PERIOD. LATEST GFS HINTING AT THE UPPER RIDGE STRENGTHENING A BIT MONDAY/TUESDAY TIME FRAME WHICH COULD HINDER OUR PRECIP CHANCES A TAD. NONETHELESS WILL NEED TO KEEP SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE POPS GOING THROUGH THE PERIOD. LOOK FOR ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS TO BE THE RULE. && .AVIATION...ISSUED 130 PM EDT... VFR CEILINGS AHEAD OF MAIN CONVECTION. POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ACROSS THE TAF AREA...MOST SO ATL/AHN... THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. STRONG GUSTY WINDS...BRIEF IFR/MVFR VSBYS AND MVFR CEILINGS ASSOCIATED WITH STRONGER CONVECTION. //ATL CONFIDENCE... HIGH CONFIDENCE ON VFR CEILINGS AHEAD OF T-STORMS. HIGH CONFIDENCE ON T-STORM POTENTIAL NEAR ATL. MEDIUM CONFIDENCE ON TIMING OF TEMPO TSRA AND HOW LONG IT WILL LAST. HIGH CONFIDENCE ON WEST-SOUTHWEST WINDS /GENERALLY 220-260/ ABOUT 10 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 20 KTS THIS AFTERNOON. LOW CONFIDENCE ON DIRECTION AND SPEED THIS EVENING. LOW CONFIDENCE ON CEILINGS AND VSBYS OVERNIGHT. BDL && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 71 95 71 95 73 / 60 20 20 20 20 ATLANTA 74 93 75 94 74 / 50 20 10 20 10 BLAIRSVILLE 68 87 68 88 69 / 60 20 10 20 10 CARTERSVILLE 70 93 69 95 72 / 50 20 10 20 10 COLUMBUS 76 95 76 96 76 / 40 30 20 30 20 GAINESVILLE 72 92 73 93 74 / 60 20 10 20 10 MACON 75 95 74 95 74 / 50 30 30 30 20 ROME 72 96 69 95 73 / 50 20 10 20 10 PEACHTREE CITY 72 93 68 93 72 / 50 20 20 20 10 VIDALIA 77 94 76 94 74 / 50 40 30 40 20 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 7 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: BANKS...BARROW...BARTOW...CARROLL...CATOOSA... CHATTOOGA...CHEROKEE...CLARKE...CLAYTON...COBB...COWETA...DADE... DAWSON...DEKALB...DOUGLAS...FANNIN...FAYETTE...FLOYD...FORSYTH... GILMER...GORDON...GWINNETT...HALL...HARALSON...HEARD...HENRY... JACKSON...LUMPKIN...MADISON...MURRAY...NEWTON...NORTH FULTON... OCONEE...OGLETHORPE...PAULDING...PICKENS...POLK...ROCKDALE... SOUTH FULTON...TOWNS...UNION...WALKER...WALTON...WHITE... WHITFIELD...WILKES. && 49
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 1040 AM EDT TUE JUL 13 2010 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-141000- 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- 1040 AM EDT TUE JUL 13 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED ACROSS NORTH AND PARTS OF CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SYNOPSIS... A SURFACE TROUGH WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA AREA TODAY. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE TO THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS LATE TONIGHT. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WITH ANY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAIN CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED. THE MOST LIKELY AREA FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FROM FORT BENNING TO DUBLIN AND NORTH. HOWEVER...YOU CAN NOT RULE OUT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SOUTH OF THE LINE. .DISCUSSION... A SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE TO THE AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT WITH MODEST DEEP UNIDIRECTIONAL SHEAR. THIS COMBINED WITH PLENTY OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND CAPES OF 1500 TO 2500 WILL GIVE POTENTIAL FOR SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION THIS AFTERNOON. EMERGENCY MANAGERS SHOULD MONITOR THE SITUATION. SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH THE WEB BY GOING TO WEATHER.GOV/ATLANTA. BDL
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 215 PM EDT TUE JUL 13 2010 GAZ002-011-131845- 215 PM EDT TUE JUL 13 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR 45 MPH WINDS IN NORTH CHATTOOGA AND SOUTH WALKER COUNTIES UNTIL 245 PM EDT... AT 108 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES WEST OF CLOUDLAND...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH AS IT MOVES ACROSS NORTH CHATTOOGA AND SOUTH WALKER COUNTIES THROUGH 245 PM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE MENLO...CLOUDLAND... SUMMERVILLE...TRION...SUBLIGNA...SUTTLES MILL...NAOMI...CENTER POST AND LAFAYETTE. BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. DRIVERS SHOULD USE CAUTION AS INTENSE RAINFALL WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES. PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS IS ALSO LIKELY. 16
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 318 PM EDT TUE JUL 13 2010 GAZ011-012-019-131945- 318 PM EDT TUE JUL 13 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR 40 MPH WINDS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING IN NORTH FLOYD...SOUTH CHATTOOGA AND WEST GORDON COUNTIES UNTIL 345 PM EDT... AT 312 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM EVERETT SPRINGS TO HOLLAND...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. THESE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AS THEY MOVE ACROSS NORTH FLOYD...SOUTH CHATTOOGA AND WEST GORDON COUNTIES THROUGH 345 PM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE EVERETT SPRINGS...PLAINVILLE...LAKE MARVIN...OOSTANAULA...SUGAR VALLEY...CALHOUN...RESACA...SONORAVILLE...REDBUD AND AUDUBON. BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. DRIVERS SHOULD USE CAUTION AS INTENSE RAINFALL WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES. PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS IS ALSO LIKELY. 16
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 347 PM EDT TUE JUL 13 2010 GAZ019-132015- 347 PM EDT TUE JUL 13 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR 45 MPH WINDS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING IN FLOYD COUNTY UNTIL 415 PM EDT... AT 341 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM COOSA TO 14 MILES WEST OF CAVE SPRING...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. WIND GUSTS OF 45 MPH AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING ARE LIKELY AS THESE STORMS MOVE ACROSS FLOYD COUNTY THROUGH 415 PM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE COOSA...CAVE SPRING...LINDALE AND ROME. DRIVERS SHOULD USE CAUTION AS INTENSE RAINFALL WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES. PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS IS ALSO LIKELY. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT. CONTINUE TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO...WEATHER.GOV OR OTHER MEDIA OUTLETS FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS ON THESE STORMS. 16
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 409 PM EDT TUE JUL 13 2010 GAZ013-021-132100- 409 PM EDT TUE JUL 13 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH AND FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING IN CHEROKEE AND PICKENS COUNTIES UNTIL 500 PM EDT... AT 405 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM BLAINE TO 5 MILES WEST OF SALACOA VALLEY...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. WIND GUSTS OF 45 MPH ARE LIKELY AS THESE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE THROUGH THESE AREAS. SMALL TREES AND TREE LIMBS MAY BE BLOWN DOWN. SOME POWER LINES MAY BE AFFECTED. IN ADDITION...FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. RESIDENTS IN THE AREA SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS AND AWAY FROM DOORS...WINDOWS...AND ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNTIL THE STORMS HAVE PASSED. 19
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 421 PM EDT TUE JUL 13 2010 GAZ031-132100- 421 PM EDT TUE JUL 13 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING IN SOUTHERN PAULDING COUNTY UNTIL 500 PM EDT... AT 419 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER NEW GEORGIA...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL PRODUCE FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING. RESIDENTS IN THIS AREA SHOULD STAY INDOORS. ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND TELEPHONES SHOULD NOT BE USED UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY. 19
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
440 PM EDT TUE JUL 13 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0424 PM TSTM WND DMG N BALL GROUND 34.34N 84.38W
07/13/2010 CHEROKEE GA EMERGENCY MNGR
CHEROKEE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED 1 LARGE
TREE DOWN HALF A MILE NORTH OF BALL GROUND.
&&
RGARCIAThe Atlanta radar (KFFC), 80 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:42 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 2 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
The Haralson County Emergency Management Director and the county 911 Center reported that three trees were down across the southern part of the county. A couple of phone lines were also down as a result.
WXIA Television of Atlanta reported that two teenage girls were struck by lightning while standing under a tree adjacent to their home at the Windwood apartments, just south of Mableton. The 16-year old female died shortly after being transported from the scene to the hospital. Her 14-year old cousin died on July 21st after being hospitalized in critical condition and on a respirator since the lightning strike on the 13th.
The Bibb County Emergency Management Agency reported that over two dozen trees were down from the northwest part of the county, north and northwest of Lake Tobesofkee southeast across the county to south and south-southeast of Macon. At least a dozen trees were down within the city of Macon as well. A Skywarn Spotter measured a wind gust of 62 mph one mile south of the intersection of Eisenhower Parkway and Pio Nono Avenue, approximately one mile south of downtown Macon.
The Leader Tribune of Peach County reported that lightning struck a home on Tucker Road near Byron. The lightning strike put a large hole in the wall and set the structure on fire. The home was subsequently completely destroyed.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning, Cobb | 2010-07-13 | 16 | Female | Under Tree | Direct |
| Lightning, Cobb | 2010-07-13 | 14 | Female | Under Tree | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, July 2010
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: 249120, 249121, 249122, 253059.