A hot, humid, unstable air mass remained across the southeastern United States. The region was located in a weakness between two subtropical upper ridges, one across the western Atlantic and the other stretching from Texas to the desert southwest.
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 hot, humid, unstable air mass remained across the southeastern United States. The region was located in a weakness between two subtropical upper ridges, one across the western Atlantic and the other stretching from Texas to the desert southwest. An upper trough was moving through the Ohio Valley into the northeast U.S. with a weak accompanying cold front. Upper support combined with the unstable air mass to result in scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms once again. The majority of the thunderstorms were across north Georgia on this day, generally north of Interstate-20. Many of these storms produced frequent cloud-to-ground lightning, producing at least one house fire in Gwinnett county, adding to the growing list of lightning-related fires this summer season. With weak steering currents in place aloft, the storms were slow moving and produced heavy rain resulting in a flash flood event along Big Creek near Cumming.
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 16, 2:58 PM EST, 2 hours 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 358 PM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010 .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... A BROAD UPPER TROUGH OVER EASTERN NORTH AMERICA WILL REMAIN IN PLACE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS WITH AXIS ORIENTED FROM ONTARIO THROUGH THE OHIO AND TENNESSEE VALLEYS. THIS WILL ALLOW SEVERAL SHORTWAVES TO CROSS GA THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WITH THE LONGWAVE TROUGH TO OUR NORTHWEST AND A STRONG SUBTROPICAL HIGH OVER THE ATLANTIC...A PLUME OF DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER IN EXCESS OF 2 INCHES WILL INCREASINGLY BE FUNNELED INTO GA THIS WEEKEND. KEPT POPS HIGHEST ON SATURDAY PRIOR TO THE RIDGE BEGINNING TO STRENGTHEN ON SUNDAY. .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... THE MID/UPPER TROPOSPHERIC HIGH DRIFTS WEST FROM OVER BERMUDA ON MONDAY TO GEORGIA BY WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THE HUMID TROPICAL AIRMASS PERSISTS ACROSS GA THROUGH THE PERIOD...RESULTING IN A FEW SHRA/TSRA EACH DAY...THOUGH COVERAGE WILL BE CONSIDERABLY LIMITED BY THE BUILDING UPPER HIGH DURING THE LATTER HALF OF THE WEEK. TEMPERATURES WILL BE ABOVE NORMAL AND LIKELY WARMING A DEGREE OR TWO THROUGH THE PERIOD GIVEN THE ADDITIONAL SUNSHINE AND LOW LEVEL WINDS SHIFTING FROM THE SOUTH TO THE WEST. 07 && .AVIATION... /ISSUED 220 PM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010/ SATL SHOWING PLENTY OF CU DVLPMT THROUT FCST AREA. SEVERAL BNDRYS APPEAR IN FCST AREA...ACRS NORTH GA FROM ROME TO NE MTNS...S OF ATL TO AHN TO GRD...AND FM NEAR CSG TO VDI WHERE THERE HAS BEEN MORE SUNSHINE THROUT THE DAY. LOW CLDNS BURNED OFF WITH MNLY SCT-BKN LYRS SCT025-BKN040. SHOWERS AND TSTMS DVLPMT MNLY ALONG ABOVE MENTIONED BNDRYS AND PSBLY VCTS ATL ARND 20Z. VSBYS SHD REMAIN UNRSTD AND WINDS SW BELOW 10KTS. //ATL CONFIDENCE...MODERATE ON ALL ELEMENTS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 71 90 70 90 71 / 40 50 40 40 30 ATLANTA 72 87 71 88 72 / 40 50 40 50 20 BLAIRSVILLE 70 81 68 83 68 / 50 60 40 40 20 CARTERSVILLE 72 88 70 88 69 / 50 60 40 50 20 COLUMBUS 73 90 72 91 74 / 30 50 30 50 20 GAINESVILLE 72 86 71 87 71 / 50 60 50 40 20 MACON 72 93 72 92 71 / 30 50 30 40 30 ROME 74 90 71 90 70 / 50 60 40 50 20 PEACHTREE CITY 70 89 69 88 69 / 40 50 30 50 30 VIDALIA 75 94 74 95 74 / 30 50 20 30 20 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 625 AM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-170945- 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- 625 AM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SYNOPSIS... INCREASED MOISTURE MOVING IN FROM THE SOUTHEAST AS HIGH PRESSURE SLOWLY BUILDS IN FROM THE ATLANTIC. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WITH ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...STRONG WINDS...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. THE BEST CHANCES FOR ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS WILL BE ACROSS AREAS SOUTH OF A LAGRANGE TO AUGUSTA LINE...THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .DISCUSSION... MOISTURE WILL INCREASE FROM THE SOUTHEAST WITH A SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE BUILDING IN SLOWLY FROM THE ATLANTIC. INSTABILITY INDICES WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE THROUGH THE DAY WITH CAPES EXPECTED IN THE 2000 TO 3000 RANGE AND LIFTED INDICES AROUND MINUS 2 TO MINUS 4. WHEN COMBINED WITH DAYTIME HIGHS EXPECTED IN THE 90S...THIS WILL BE ENOUGH INSTABILITY TO HELP SPARK SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE STATE...WITH ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON. THE ATMOSPHERE IS ALSO VERY MOIST WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES APPROACHING 2 INCHES. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH MINOR FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 137 PM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010 GAZ016-161815- 137 PM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR HEAVY RAIN IN WHITE COUNTY UNTIL 215 PM EDT... AT 134 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER SAUTEE...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. RUNOFF FROM THESE STORMS WILL CAUSE MINOR FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...AND STREETS ACROSS WHITE COUNTY...INCLUDING AREAS AROUND SMITHGALL WOODS CONSERVATION AREA...UNICOI STATE PARK...ANNA RUBY FALLS...ROBERTSTOWN...HELEN AND SAUTEE. ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS ARE SUBJECT TO MINOR FLOODING.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 534 PM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010 GAZ005-007-162215- 534 PM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING IN PARTS OF GILMER AND MURRAY COUNTIES UNTIL 615 PM EDT... AT 533 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER FORT MOUNTAIN STATE PARK...AND DRIFTING EAST AT 5 TO 10 MPH. WIND GUSTS OF 35 MPH...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING ARE LIKELY AS THIS STORM MOVES ACROSS PARTS OF GILMER AND MURRAY COUNTIES THROUGH 615 PM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM INCLUDE TAILS CREEK...FORT MOUNTAIN STATE PARK...MOUNTAINTOWN...EAST ELLIJAY AND ELLIJAY. RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM COULD CAUSE MINOR FLOODING ALONG LOW LYING FLOOD PRONE AREAS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 547 PM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010 GAZ019-162230- 547 PM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR HEAVY RAIN IN FLOYD COUNTY UNTIL 630 PM EDT... AT 547 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER LINDALE...AND DRIFTING SOUTH AT 5 TO 10 MPH. RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM COULD CAUSE MINOR FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...URBAN AREAS...HIGHWAYS...STREETS AND UNDERPASSES ACROSS PARTS OF FLOYD COUNTY...INCLUDING AREAS AROUND LINDALE...ROME AND CAVE SPRING. ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS ARE SUBJECT TO MINOR FLOODING. DRIVERS SHOULD USE CAUTION AS INTENSE RAINFALL WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES. PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS IS LIKELY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 550 PM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010 GAZ003-162215- 550 PM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING IN CATOOSA COUNTY UNTIL 615 PM EDT... AT 550 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER GRAYSVILLE...AND MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 35 MPH AS IT MOVES ACROSS NORTH CATOOSA COUNTY THROUGH 615 PM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE BLUE SPRING...RINGGOLD...BOYNTON...INDIAN SPRINGS...GRAYSVILLE AND SALEM. RUNOFF FROM THESE STORMS COULD CAUSE MINOR FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...URBAN AREAS...HIGHWAYS...STREETS AND UNDERPASSES ACROSS NORTH CATOOSA COUNTY. DRIVERS SHOULD USE CAUTION AS INTENSE RAINFALL WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 615 PM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010 GAZ022-023-034-162300- 615 PM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR HEAVY RAIN AND LIGHTNING IN PARTS OF GWINNETT...FORSYTH AND HALL COUNTIES UNTIL 700 PM EDT... AT 615 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER CUMMING...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN...OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 35 MPH AS IT MOVES ACROSS PARTS OF GWINNETT...FORSYTH AND HALL COUNTIES THROUGH 700 PM EDT. RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM COULD CAUSE MINOR FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...URBAN AREAS...HIGHWAYS...STREETS AND UNDERPASSES ACROSS PARTS OF GWINNETT...FORSYTH AND HALL COUNTIES. DRIVERS SHOULD USE CAUTION AS INTENSE RAINFALL WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 620 PM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010 GAZ075-076-162300- 620 PM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR HEAVY RAIN AND LIGHTNING IN JEFFERSON AND GLASCOCK COUNTIES UNTIL 700 PM EDT... AT 620 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER AVERA...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...WIND GUSTS TO 35 MPH AND VERY HEAVY RAIN AS IT MOVES ACROSS PARTS OF JEFFERSON AND GLASCOCK COUNTIES THROUGH 700 PM EDT. RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM COULD CAUSE MINOR FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...URBAN AREAS...HIGHWAYS...STREETS AND UNDERPASSES ACROSS JEFFERSON AND GLASCOCK COUNTIES. DRIVERS SHOULD USE CAUTION AS INTENSE RAINFALL WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES.
The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 100 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:25 UTC.
1 lightning, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Fox 5 Television of Atlanta and the Gwinnett Daily Post reported that lightning struck a home on Roberts Street just northeast of Buford. The single story, single family home was completely destroyed as a result of the ensuing fire. A family of four was displaced as a result of this incident, but no injuries occurred.
The USGS stream gage on Big Creek near Cumming (CMMG1) exceeded its flood stage of 6.0 feet at 1030 pm EDT. The river continued to rise and reached 8.14 feet at 515 am EDT on July 17, 2010. Damage was confined to minor debris removal adjacent to the creek.
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: 250083, 250161.