A shortwave pushed into the the Southeast on the afternoon of the 14th, bringing a cold front through Georgia. Showers and thunderstorms developed along and ahead of the front as it moved south.
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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 shortwave pushed into the the Southeast on the afternoon of the 14th, bringing a cold front through Georgia. Showers and thunderstorms developed along and ahead of the front as it moved south. Several storms became severe, with damaging winds reported.
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 Aug 14, 2:17 PM EST, 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 317 PM EDT TUE AUG 14 2012 .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... RADARS SHOW SCATTERED TSTMS DEVELOPING IN EAST AL AND SOUTHWEST GA AT THIS TIME. DIURNAL HEATING...COMBINED WITH CAPES IN THE 2000 TO 4000 RANGE AND PWS AROUND 1.7 INCHES IN ADVANCE OF THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT...WILL PROMOTE FURTHER TSTM DEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING. EXPECT MOST OF THE ACTIVITY TO DIMINISH AROUND SUNSET. GFS/NAM MODELS SHOW A VIGOROUS SHORT WAVE IN THE BASE OF AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE MIDDLE MS RIVER VALLEY SWEEPING THROUGH THE TN VALLEY BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. EVEN THOUGH DRIER AIR WILL BEGIN TO FLOW INTO GA BEHIND THE COLD FRONT TONIGHT... THE SHORT WAVE SHOULD HAVE ENOUGH UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS TO CAUSE ISOLATED SHOWERS OR TSTMS OVER NORTH GA EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. OTHERWISE...DRIER AIR WILL CONTINUE TO FLOW INTO THE STATE ON WEDNESDAY WITH FAIR SKIES AND A BREEZY NORTHWEST WIND. FAIR SKIES EXPECTED ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS WEAK HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE STATE. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN A COUPLE OF DEGREES EITHER SIDE OF NORMAL. USED A MAV/MET BLEND FOR TEMPS AND LEANED TOWARD THE MET FOR POPS. 16 .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... FRONTAL CLEARANCE THROUGH THE CWA WILL BE THE BIG TIMING STORY COME THE END OF THE LONG TERM. CURRENT EXTENDED GUIDANCE SUGGESTS AN EXIT IN THE TIME FRAME BEYOND THE FORECAST PERIOD. MADE NO MAJOR CHANGES TO THE LONG TERM FORECAST ISSUED ON THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT...SEE THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION PASTED BELOW FOR MORE. RAG /ISSUED AT 324 AM EDT TUE AUG 14 2012/ EASTERN U.S. REMAINS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE LONG WAVE UPPER TROUGH THROUGH THE EXTENDED FORECAST PERIOD. TROUGH STARTS OUT RATHER FLAT AT MIDWEEK BEHIND AN EXITING SHORT WAVE...BUT SHARPENS UP AND DEEPENS AS WE APPROACH THE WEEKEND. SHOULD SEE ANOTHER MOSTLY DRY AND MILD BREAK WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY WITH PRECIPITATION CHANCES INCREASING ONCE AGAIN AS WE HEAD INTO THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. DEEP UPPER TROUGH DRIVES ANOTHER FAIRLY STOUT COLD FRONT INTO THE STATE FOR THE WEEKEND. HARD TO TIME THE BEST PERIODS FOR PRECIPITATION THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS THE FRONT LINGERS AND SHORT WAVES ROTATE THROUGH THE LONG WAVE TROUGH SO I HAVE KEPT POPS IN THE CHANCE RANGE FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. SHOULD START TO SEE A BIT OF BREAK BY MONDAY AS THE FRONT SINKS SOUTH ALLOWING DRIER AIR TO FILTER IN AND THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS SHIFTS EAST OF THE STATE. 20 && .PREV DISCUSSION... AVIATION... 18Z UPDATE.../ISSUED 147 PM EDT TUE AUG 14 2012/ VISIBLE SATELLITE LOOP SHOWS A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS OVER ATL WITH SCATTERED TO BROKEN LOW AND MID CLOUDS OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE TAF SITES. MORNING MODEL RUNS STILL SHOW ENOUGH MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY AVAILABLE IN ADVANCE OF THE COLD FRONT TO COMBINE WITH THE DIURNAL HEATING FOR TSTM DEVELOPMENT. BEST TIME PERIOD FOR CONVECTION WILL BE 20-24Z. DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF RAINFALL...EXPECT CIGS TO LOWER TO IFR FROM 09-14Z AT MOST LOCATIONS. DRIER AIR WILL MOVE IN WITH A NORTHWEST FLOW DURING THE REMAINDER OF WEDNESDAY. //ATL CONFIDENCE...18Z UPDATE... MEDIUM ON ALL ELEMENTS. 16 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 69 89 67 91 / 20 10 5 10 ATLANTA 71 89 70 90 / 20 10 5 10 BLAIRSVILLE 63 82 61 87 / 20 30 10 10 CARTERSVILLE 68 87 63 90 / 20 10 10 10 COLUMBUS 72 93 73 92 / 20 5 5 10 GAINESVILLE 70 88 67 89 / 20 20 10 10 MACON 72 92 71 92 / 10 5 5 10 ROME 68 87 63 91 / 20 20 10 10 PEACHTREE CITY 68 88 65 90 / 20 5 0 10 VIDALIA 73 93 73 92 / 10 5 5 10 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...16 LONG TERM....RAG AVIATION...16
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 400 AM EDT TUE AUG 14 2012 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-151000- 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- 400 AM EDT TUE AUG 14 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO NORTH GEORGIA BY THIS AFTERNOON. THIS COLD FRONT WILL SINK SLOWLY SOUTH THROUGH NORTH GEORGIA INTO CENTRAL GEORGIA OVERNIGHT. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WILL BE FREQUENT LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS UP TO 45 MPH AND SMALL HAIL. THE BEST TIME FOR STORMS WILL BE TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT ACROSS NORTH AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA... SPREADING ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS EVENING THROUGH TONIGHT. .DISCUSSION... MOISTURE CONTINUES TO INCREASE AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE NORTHWEST. A WEAK SHORT WAVE WILL BRING THUNDERSTORMS INTO NORTH AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS MORNING...HOWEVER INSTABILITY REMAINS LIMITED. BY THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT...THE COLD FRONT MOVES INTO NORTHWEST GEORGIA AND SINKS SLOWLY SOUTHEAST INTO CENTRAL GEORGIA AS ANOTHER WEAK TO MODERATE SHORT WAVE SWEEPS THROUGH THE REGION. INSTABILITY REMAINS MODERATE AT BEST THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH CAPE 1500 TO 2500 THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING...KEEPING THE CHANCES FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LIMITED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY... THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY AND MONDAY...WITH A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED BUT SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH THE WEB BY GOING TO WEATHER.GOV/ATLANTA.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 304 PM EDT TUE AUG 14 2012 GAZ080-090>092-141945- 304 PM EDT TUE AUG 14 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR PENNY SIZED HAIL AND 40 MPH WINDS ALONG WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING IN SCHLEY...MARION...TAYLOR AND CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTIES UNTIL 345 PM EDT... AT 303 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER BRANTLEY...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE PENNY SIZED HAIL...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AS IT MOVES ACROSS SCHLEY...MARION...TAYLOR AND CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTIES THROUGH 345 PM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE MARION ESTATES...BRANTLEY...BUENA VISTA...OAKLAND...DOYLE...TAZEWELL...FIVE POINTS...CEDAR CREEK...MAUK...CONCORD...MURRAYS CROSSROADS...RUPERT AND CHARING. HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. && LAT...LON 3259 8428 3228 8426 3227 8458 3250 8471 TIME...MOT...LOC 1904Z 252DEG 12KT 3238 8453
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
316 PM EDT TUE AUG 14 2012
GAZ090-102-142000-
316 PM EDT TUE AUG 14 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NICKEL SIZED HAIL AND 40 MPH
WINDS IN STEWART AND CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTIES UNTIL 400 PM EDT...
AT 312 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER OMAHA...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.
THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE NICKEL SIZED HAIL...FREQUENT
CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AS IT MOVES ACROSS
STEWART AND CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTIES THROUGH 400 PM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS
IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE OMAHA...FLORENCE MARINA STATE
PARK...PROVIDENCE CANYON STATE PARK...CHARLES...LOUVALE...
JAMESTOWN/SOUTH FORT BENNING...BROOKLYN...RICHLAND...RENFROE...
CHRISTOPHER...MANTA AND CUSSETA. HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL CAUSE PONDING
OF WATER ON ROADWAYS.
&&
LAT...LON 3213 8507 3219 8501 3220 8498 3221 8498
3223 8497 3223 8492 3225 8492 3226 8490
3228 8492 3237 8466 3206 8465 3205 8504
TIME...MOT...LOC 1916Z 253DEG 14KT 3217 8496The Robins AFB radar (KJGX), 82 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:50 UTC.
10 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees were blown down, some onto power lines, mainly along Highway 96 between Butler and Reynolds.
Amateur radio operators relayed reports of several trees down across the east and southeast portions of Bibb County.
The Houston County Emergency Manager reported two large trees down.
Amateur radio operators relayed reports of several trees down near Griswoldville Road.
The Jefferson County 911 Center and Amateur radio operators reported trees down between Interstate 16 and Jeffersonville. A tree fell on a house on Charlie Floyd Road.
Amateur radio operators relayed reports of numerous trees down in the Toomsboro area.
WMAZ relayed reports of a barn destroyed along Tennille-Harrison road.
The Washington County 911 Center reported numerous trees and power lines down in the Sandersville and Tenille areas.
The public reported that several trees and many large limbs were blown down, some blocking Highway 221.
The Glascock County Emergency Manager reported several trees were blown down between Highway 123 and County Line Road Southwest. The trees were mostly rotten.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, August 2012
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: 408870, 408873, 408882, 408875, 408876, 408881, 408883, 408878, 408879, 408884.