, immediately to the west of the East Coast while a strong subtropical ridge remained anchored across the central and southern Plains. A residual convective outflow boundary was evident across east Georgia, with a notable afternoon seabreeze in the southeast part of the state.
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 upper-level trough remained evident across the eastern U.S., immediately to the west of the East Coast while a strong subtropical ridge remained anchored across the central and southern Plains. A residual convective outflow boundary was evident across east Georgia, with a notable afternoon seabreeze in the southeast part of the state. Thunderstorms developed during mid-afternoon across central Georgia and the northeast mountains. Numerous outflow boundaries allowed the thunderstorms to continue to develop and propagate erratically across north and central Georgia well into the evening hours thanks to a continued hot, humid air mass in place. By far on this day, the most notable concentration of convective activity was across the eastern portion of the state.
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 5, 2:27 PM EST, 2 hours 43 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 327 PM EDT TUE JUL 5 2011 .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... WEAK TROUGHINESS ALOFT WILL CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AS UPPER RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST AND GENERAL TROUGHINESS DOMINATES THE EASTERN THIRD OF THE COUNTRY. MOISTURE WILL REMAIN PLENTIFUL WITH PW VALUES BETWEEN 1.75-2 INCHES. WITH THESE FEATURES IN PLACE...SCATTERED MAINLY AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE. FOR THIS AFTERNOON...CONVECTION YESTERDAY INCREASED THE CIN ACROSS THE AREA...WITH CAPES AT AFD TIME GENERALLY BELOW 2000 J/KG. HOWEVER...CAPES ARE INCREASING ESPECIALLY ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON. THIS COMBINED WITH WEAK COLD AIR ADVECTION ALOFT (KFFC 500MB TEMP WAS -7 AT 12Z...KBMX WAS -8 AND KJAN WAS -10) WILL HELP TO INCREASE LAPSE RATES. MAIN THREATS WILL CONTINUE TO BE LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL...THOUGH AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM OR TWO CANNOT BE RULED OUT. WITH SUCH HIGH PW VALUES AND LITTLE FLOW ALOFT...HEAVY RAIN WILL ALSO BE A THREAT. FOR WEDNESDAY...A SURFACE FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH NEW ENGLAND... AND THE WEAK SOUTHERN EDGE WILL PUSH INTO THE SOUTHEAST. SHOULD NOT SEE ANY CHANGES TO TEMP OR DEWPOINTS...BUT IT WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FOCUS FOR CONVECTION. HAVE CONTINUED HIGH CHANCE TO LIKELY POPS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA. VERY LITTLE CHANGE FOR THURSDAY AS SURFACE WEAKNESS REMAINS...EVEN THOUGH THE MAIN SYSTEM WILL MOVE OFF THE SOUTHEAST CANADA COAST. BECAUSE OF THE WIDESPREAD CONVECTION AND RESULTING COLD POOL LAST NIGHT...LOW TEMPS THIS MORNING WERE COOLER THAN FORECAST. WITHOUT KNOWING EXACTLY WHERE CONVECTION WILL DEVELOP THIS EVENING... CONTINUED TO TAKE A BIAS-ADJUSTED BLEND OF MAV AND MET...LEANING MORE TOWARD THE MET. HIGH TEMPS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY SHOULD HOVER JUST ABOVE CLIMATOLOGY...BUT HEAT INDICES WILL CONTINUE TO CREEP TOWARD THE 100 DEGREE MARK IN THE METRO AREA AND ABOVE 100 DEGREES ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA. .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... UPPER TROUGH AND SURFACE WEAKNESS REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THE BEGINNING OF THE EXTENDED...THOUGH BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF SLIDE THE UPPER RIDGE FURTHER EAST...CENTERING IT OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS BY SUNDAY. MASS FIELDS BEGIN DIVERGING BY THE BEGINNING OF THE WORK WEEK BUT ENOUGH SIMILARITIES TO LEAD TO SOME CONFIDENCE. RIDGE WILL DOMINATE ALOFT WITH PLENTIFUL LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE...SO EXPECT CONTINUED MAINLY DIURNAL POPS WITH INCREASING TEMPS. TDP && AVIATION... 18Z UPDATE... STILL EXPECTING AFTERNOON AND EVENING CONVECTION TO START UP. THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD GET GOING AFTER 20Z WITH THEM AFFECTING THE ATL AREA TAF SITES BY 22Z-00Z. WINDS WILL CONTINUE OUT OF THE WEST IN THE 5-10KT RANGE THROUGH THE PERIOD. EXPECTING VFR CEILINGS AND VSBYS THROUGH THE PERIOD EXCEPT IN AND AROUND TSRA DEVELOPMENT. THERE MAY BE A BRIEF PERIOD OF MVFR VSBYS AROUND 10Z-13Z WITH SOME GROUND FOG DEVELOPING BUT IT WILL BE HEAVILY DEPENDENT OF HOW MUCH RAIN EACH TAF SITE RECEIVES. //ATL CONFIDENCE...18Z UPDATE... CONFIDENCE HIGH ON WINDS AND CEILINGS CONFIDENCE MEDIUM ON VSBYS AND TSRA/SHRA DEVELOPMENT. 01 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 70 93 70 93 / 50 60 40 50 ATLANTA 72 90 72 91 / 50 50 40 50 BLAIRSVILLE 63 84 63 87 / 50 60 40 50 CARTERSVILLE 69 88 66 93 / 50 60 40 50 COLUMBUS 73 93 73 94 / 40 40 40 50 GAINESVILLE 71 89 71 91 / 50 60 40 50 MACON 72 94 71 95 / 40 40 40 50 ROME 69 88 67 92 / 50 60 40 50 PEACHTREE CITY 70 91 69 91 / 50 50 40 50 VIDALIA 72 95 74 93 / 30 30 40 50 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 1246 PM EDT TUE JUL 5 2011 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-061700- 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- 1246 PM EDT TUE JUL 5 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS WITH POSSIBLE ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .SYNOPSIS... INCREASED LOW LEVEL MOISTURE...STRONG INSTABILITY...AND INTERACTIONS WITH UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES MAKE THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY TODAY ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE VIGOROUS ENOUGH TO REACH SEVERE CRITERIA. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... THE PRIMARY HAZARDS FROM SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MPH...DIME SIZE HAIL...AND CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. ANY STORMS THAT BECOME SEVERE WILL HAVE GUSTY WINDS TO 60 MPH AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL. THE BEST LOCATION FOR SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS AND POSSIBLY ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DISCUSSION... INCREASED LOW LEVEL MOISTURE OVER THE REGION AND CAPE VALUES NEAR 3000 J/KG...WILL BE THE MAIN INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS WITH POSSIBLY ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THERE ARE A LOT OF OLD BOUNDARIES LEFT OVER FROM YESTERDAYS THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WHICH WILL ACT AS A FOCUSING MECHANISM FOR AFTERNOON AND EVENING CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
325 PM EDT TUE JUL 5 2011
GAZ015-016-052000-
325 PM EDT TUE JUL 5 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR FREQUENT LIGHTNING IN WHITE AND
LUMPKIN COUNTIES UNTIL 400 PM EDT...
AT 320 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER PORTER SPRINGS...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.
LIGHTNING DETECTION SYSTEMS INDICATE NUMEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND
LIGHTNING STRIKES ACROSS WHITE AND LUMPKIN COUNTIES...INCLUDING AREAS
AROUND CAMP MERRILL...TURNERS CORNER...DAHLONEGA...PORTER SPRINGS...
CAMP COLEMAN LAKE...WHITLEY GAP SHELTER...QUALATCHEE LAKE...SMITHGALL
WOODS CONSERVATION AREA...ROBERTSTOWN...CLEVELAND...UNICOI STATE
PARK...HELEN...LEAF...MOSSY CREEK AND ANNA RUBY FALLS. RESIDENTS IN
THIS AREA SHOULD STAY INDOORS. ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND TELEPHONES
SHOULD NOT BE USED UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY.
&&
LAT...LON 3479 8366 3465 8365 3453 8363 3450 8366
3454 8413 3466 8411 3466 8407 3464 8404
3468 8399 3470 8398 3473 8390 3473 8384
3475 8382
TIME...MOT...LOC 1925Z 273DEG 15KT 3461 8389SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
327 PM EDT TUE JUL 5 2011
GAZ052-053-052000-
327 PM EDT TUE JUL 5 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR FREQUENT LIGHTNING IN COWETA AND
HEARD COUNTIES UNTIL 400 PM EDT...
AT 325 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER POWERS CROSSROADS...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.
LIGHTNING DETECTION SYSTEMS INDICATE NUMEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND
LIGHTNING STRIKES ACROSS COWETA AND HEARD COUNTIES...INCLUDING AREAS
AROUND POWERS CROSSROADS...HANDY...PLANT WANSLEY...FRANKLIN...
CENTRALHATCHEE...CORINTH...ARNCO-SARGENT...GRANTVILLE...NEWNAN...
THOMAS CROSSROADS...CANNONGATE...MADRAS...TURIN...SHARPSBURG AND
MORELAND. RESIDENTS IN THIS AREA SHOULD STAY INDOORS. ELECTRICAL
APPLIANCES AND TELEPHONES SHOULD NOT BE USED UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY.
&&
LAT...LON 3343 8509 3348 8463 3322 8459 3323 8466
3322 8468 3323 8470 3322 8484 3319 8486
3322 8487 3322 8495 3317 8508 3319 8510
3317 8512 3316 8514
TIME...MOT...LOC 1927Z 273DEG 15KT 3330 8494SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
340 PM EDT TUE JUL 5 2011
GAZ006-052015-
340 PM EDT TUE JUL 5 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR FREQUENT LIGHTNING IN FANNIN
COUNTY UNTIL 415 PM EDT...
AT 337 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER DIAL...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.
LIGHTNING DETECTION SYSTEMS INDICATE NUMEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND
LIGHTNING STRIKES ACROSS FANNIN COUNTY...INCLUDING AREAS AROUND DIAL
AND MARGRET. RESIDENTS IN THIS AREA SHOULD STAY INDOORS. ELECTRICAL
APPLIANCES AND TELEPHONES SHOULD NOT BE USED UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY.
&&
LAT...LON 3480 8413 3480 8411 3464 8415 3463 8417
3469 8426 3472 8425 3476 8428 3479 8429
3481 8414
TIME...MOT...LOC 1940Z 280DEG 12KT 3475 8418SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
353 PM EDT TUE JUL 5 2011
GAZ052-053-066-067-052030-
353 PM EDT TUE JUL 5 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR FREQUENT LIGHTNING IN TROUP...
MERIWETHER...COWETA AND HEARD COUNTIES UNTIL 430 PM EDT...
AT 348 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER CORINTH...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH.
LIGHTNING DETECTION SYSTEMS INDICATE NUMEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND
LIGHTNING STRIKES ACROSS TROUP...MERIWETHER...COWETA AND HEARD
COUNTIES...INCLUDING AREAS AROUND HILLCREST...WARES CROSSROADS...
HARRISONVILLE...POWERS CROSSROADS...CORINTH...FRANKLIN...
HOGANSVILLE...GRANTVILLE...ROCKY MOUNT...SAINT MARKS...
LUTHERSVILLE...LONE OAK...MORELAND AND NEWNAN. RESIDENTS IN THIS AREA
SHOULD STAY INDOORS. ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND TELEPHONES SHOULD NOT
BE USED UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY.
&&
LAT...LON 3340 8468 3307 8463 3309 8492 3310 8520
3333 8513
TIME...MOT...LOC 1953Z 276DEG 10KT 3321 8494SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
355 PM EDT TUE JUL 5 2011
GAZ008-015-016-052030-
355 PM EDT TUE JUL 5 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR FREQUENT LIGHTNING IN WHITE...
UNION AND LUMPKIN COUNTIES UNTIL 430 PM EDT...
AT 348 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER TURNERS CORNER...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.
LIGHTNING DETECTION SYSTEMS INDICATE NUMEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND
LIGHTNING STRIKES ACROSS WHITE...UNION AND LUMPKIN COUNTIES...
INCLUDING AREAS AROUND BLOOD MOUNTAIN SHELTER...DAHLONEGA...PORTER
SPRINGS...WOODS HOLE SHELTER...GOOCH MOUNTAIN SHELTER...VOGEL STATE
PARK...SUCHES...OWLTOWN...BLAIRSVILLE...TRACK ROCK...TURNERS
CORNER...LOW GAP SHELTER...CAMP COLEMAN LAKE...WHITLEY GAP SHELTER
AND QUALATCHEE LAKE. RESIDENTS IN THIS AREA SHOULD STAY INDOORS.
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND TELEPHONES SHOULD NOT BE USED UNLESS IN AN
EMERGENCY.
&&
LAT...LON 3483 8380 3479 8377 3479 8371 3476 8362
3473 8362 3466 8365 3463 8363 3458 8363
3456 8361 3452 8364 3453 8409 3495 8406
TIME...MOT...LOC 1955Z 281DEG 16KT 3466 8389SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
551 PM EDT TUE JUL 5 2011
GAZ113-052215-
551 PM EDT TUE JUL 5 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND
LIGHTNING IN TOOMBS COUNTY UNTIL 615 PM EDT...
AT 544 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER SOUTH THOMPSON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH.
FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE
THUNDERSTORMS. RESIDENTS IN THIS AREA SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS AND AWAY
FROM DOORS...WINDOWS...AND ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES. LAND-LINE
TELEPHONES SHOULD NOT BE USED UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY.
IN ADDITION...WIND GUSTS TO 35 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
THUNDERSTORM.
&&
LAT...LON 3212 8219 3198 8230 3206 8247 3211 8246
3232 8237 3229 8235 3230 8227 3232 8223
3225 8220 3222 8220 3218 8218
TIME...MOT...LOC 2149Z 207DEG 10KT 3209 8236The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 104 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:10 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
The Barrow County 911 Center reported that several trees and a few power lines were down in the western part of the county between Winder and the Gwinnett county border.
The Toombs County 911 Center reported that a couple of trees and a road sign were down around Lyons.
The Toombs County 911 Center observed quarter-sized hail near Lyons.
The public observed penny-sized hail near Avondale Estates.
The public reported that more than 50 large trees were uprooted or splintered in the Harbin area of far east central Gwinnett county, near the Barrow county line. Many of these were large oak, sweet gum, hickory nut, and pine trees. Power outages were noted in the area that lasted well into the early morning hours of the next day.
The public reported that up to 10 trees were down just northeast of Duluth. In addition, the downed trees and thunderstorm wind gusts caused damage to two fences, a playground set, and a street light pole. The public reported that it appeared to be an apparent downburst with estimated winds of 60 mph at the time. One-half inch diameter hail was also observed during the strongest part of the storm.
The public observed penny-sized hail near Harbin.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, July 2011
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: 332242, 332238, 332237, 332246, 332243, 332248, 332244.