An anomalous upper low had developed off the North Carolina/South Carolina coast in response to an upper trough which had previously been moving through the westerlies. S.
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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.
An anomalous upper low had developed off the North Carolina/South Carolina coast in response to an upper trough which had previously been moving through the westerlies. The southern part of the upper trough was left lagging behind along the southeast U.S. coast. The upper trough then closed off as a weak upper low and meandered along the southeast U.S. coast for several days. A weak surface low developed near the upper low. Maritime air was brought back into Georgia with the northeast surface flow. Northeast winds aloft also prevailed across Georgia. Thunderstorms developed during the mid-afternoon in favorable areas of orographic lifting across the northeast Georgia mountains, then propagated southwest into north central and northwest Georgia. During the early evening, a few of these became strong to severe producing hail and damaging downburst winds. The severe storm affected northwest Gordon and far northern Floyd counties.
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, 2:27 PM EST, 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 327 PM EDT MON MAY 24 2010 .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... CURRENT RADAR LOOP SHOWS SHOWERS MOVING INTO EAST GA ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE ALONG THE CAROLINA COAST. THERE IS ALSO A WEAK HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE CENTERED JUST OFF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST CREATING ALMOST A WEDGE LIKE SITUATION FOR THE EASTERN SEABOARD WHICH IS HELPING TO KEEP CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY AT A MINIMUM. MODELS SEEM TO BE HANDLING THESE FEATURES FAIRLY WELL IN THE SHORT TERM WITH THE GFS INITIALIZING CLOSEST TO WHATS ACTUALLY OCCURRING. THIS DISTURBANCE IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE MOVING SE BECOMING CENTERED OVER GA BY 12Z TUE. THE WEDGE ALSO CONTINUES ACROSS THE AREA SO NOT EXPECTING MUCH IN THE WAY OF SEVERE WEATHER OVER THE NEXT FEW DAY. MODELS ALSO SHOW WEAK INSTABILITY OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS WITH MU AND MLCAPES ONLY GETTING INTO THE 500-1000 J/KG RANGE. THERE IS ANOTHER DISTURBANCE WHICH IS CURRENTLY ABOUT 475 MILES SW OF BERMUDA BEING MONITORED BY THE NHC FOR POSSIBLE SUBTROPICAL OR TROPICAL DEVELOPMENT OVER THE NEXT 2 DAYS. ITS CURRENT FORECAST TRACK TAKES IT NW TO JUST OFF THE COAST OF THE CAROLINAS BY 00Z THU BEFORE MOVING BACK EAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND. .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... MODELS BEGIN TO LIFT OUT UPPER LOW THURSDAY WITH MODERATELY STRONG NNW FLOW ALOFT TO PERSIST THROUGH FRIDAY. ECMWF AND GFS LOOK MUCH MORE REASONABLE AFTER FRIDAY SHOWING A WEAK SHORT WAVE OVER THE MIDWEST ON THURSDAY AND A CLOSED OFF UPPER LOW OVER THE MIDSOUTH FRI/SAT. IF THIS VERIFIES SHOULD SEE GOOD CHC OF SHRA/TSRA ON SAT AND SUN. LOW CONFIDENCE OVERALL BUT GIVEN GENERAL INCONSISTENCIES DAY 5 THRU 7 AND FAVORABLE DIURNAL CLIMATOLOGICAL POPS...HAVE DECIDED TO GO WITH CONSISTENCY AND KEEP SLT CHC SHRA/TSRA ON SAT AND SUN. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 64 82 60 86 60 / 40 30 20 20 10 ATLANTA 66 80 63 83 65 / 30 30 20 20 10 BLAIRSVILLE 60 79 56 82 57 / 30 30 10 20 10 CARTERSVILLE 64 81 57 85 58 / 30 30 20 20 10 COLUMBUS 68 81 64 87 64 / 30 30 20 20 10 GAINESVILLE 64 80 61 84 63 / 30 30 10 20 10 MACON 66 84 61 87 58 / 30 30 20 20 10 ROME 64 83 60 86 60 / 30 30 10 20 10 PEACHTREE CITY 63 80 58 83 58 / 30 30 20 20 10 VIDALIA 67 85 65 85 64 / 50 30 20 20 10 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 01
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 1122 AM EDT MON MAY 24 2010 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-251030- 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- 1122 AM EDT MON MAY 24 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...REST OF TODAY AND TONIGHT A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SYNOPSIS... LOW PRESSURE ALOFT OVER THE CAROLINAS WILL CIRCULATE ATLANTIC MOISTURE INTO GEORGIA THROUGH TONIGHT. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... THE PRIMARY HAZARD WILL BE LIGHTNING. GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. .DISCUSSION... AN UPPER LOW OVER THE CAROLINAS WILL CIRCULATE MOISTURE WESTWARD ACROSS GEORGIA THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. INSTABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW LOOKS MARGINAL WITH CAPES BETWEEN 1000 AND 1500 AND WEAK VERTICAL SHEAR. THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD GENERALLY REMAIN BELOW SEVERE LIMITS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE EACH DAY THROUGH THE PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 325 PM EDT MON MAY 24 2010 GAZ090-091-102-103-242045- 325 PM EDT MON MAY 24 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NICKEL SIZED HAIL AND 50 MPH WINDS IN WEBSTER...STEWART...CHATTAHOOCHEE AND MARION COUNTIES UNTIL 445 PM EDT... AT 323 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF RENFROE...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 15 MPH. WIND GUSTS OF 50 MPH ARE LIKELY AS THIS STORM MOVES ACROSS WEBSTER... STEWART...CHATTAHOOCHEE AND MARION COUNTIES THROUGH 445 PM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM INCLUDE SEMINOLE...RENFROE... BROOKLYN...LOUVALE...RICHLAND...CHARLES...KIMBROUGH...LUMPKIN AND WESTVILLE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 358 PM EDT MON MAY 24 2010 GAZ053-066-067-242045- 358 PM EDT MON MAY 24 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR PEA SIZED HAIL AND 40 MPH WINDS IN TROUP...MERIWETHER AND COWETA COUNTIES UNTIL 445 PM EDT... AT 356 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER GRANTVILLE...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 15 MPH. WIND GUSTS OF 40 MPH ARE LIKELY AS THIS STORM MOVES ACROSS TROUP... MERIWETHER AND COWETA COUNTIES THROUGH 445 PM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM INCLUDE GRANTVILLE...LONE OAK...SAINT MARKS AND HOGANSVILLE.
The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 26 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:09 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
The public reported that three trees and two power lines were blown down in the Grantville area from a small isolated thunderstorm downburst. Hail just less than dime-size was also observed.
An amateur radio operator reported penny-sized hail in far northwestern Gordon county between Sugar Valley and the Floyd county line.
The Gordon County 911 Center reported that at least 10 trees and several power lines were down in the far northwestern part of the county from just west of Sugar Valley to the Floyd county line. Georgia Highway 136 was closed because of a downed tree and power line. Two other roads were partially blocked from downed trees.
The public reported that at least 30 trees were down near Everett Springs Road in the extreme northern panhandle of Floyd county. A few power lines were also down in the area. It was reported that the road was blocked for a while from the downed trees.
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, May 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: 233612, 233608, 233601, 233619.