As Hurricane Sandy moved north, paralleling the Eastern Seaboard, the surface pressure gradient increased across Georgia, resulting in a period of strong to high winds across the state. Portions of the northeast Georgia mountains experienced the strongest winds, but many areas in north Georgia experienced gusts over 40 mph.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
As Hurricane Sandy moved north, paralleling the Eastern Seaboard, the surface pressure gradient increased across Georgia, resulting in a period of strong to high winds across the state. Portions of the northeast Georgia mountains experienced the strongest winds, but many areas in north Georgia experienced gusts over 40 mph.
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 Oct 28, 9:42 PM EST, 23 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 1042 PM EDT SUN OCT 28 2012 .UPDATE... HAVE GONE AHEAD AND EXPANDED THE WIND ADVISORY AREA TO INCLUDE NORTH GEORGIA NORTH OF A LINE FROM FRANKLIN TO COVINGTON AND HOMER. ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS HAVE BEEN SPOTTY ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA OUTSIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS...BUT ARE OCCURRING OFTEN ENOUGH TO GO AHEAD AND START THE ADVISORY EARLIER. METRO ATLANTA SURFACE OBSERVATIONS SHOWING FAIRLY CONSISTENT SPEEDS AT OR ABOVE CRITERIA AT MANY LOCATIONS. APPEARS THAT STRONGER WINDS IN THE 900-850MB LAYER ARE MIXING DOWN A BIT MORE EFFICIENTLY ACROSS THE METRO AREA THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT. SKIES ARE CONTINUING TO CLEAR AND TEMPERATURES ARE ON TRACK SO NO OTHER SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WILL BE MADE TO THE FORECAST AT THIS TIME. 20 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 750 PM EDT SUN OCT 28 2012/ SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... EFFECTS OF SANDY BEGINNING TO BE FELT ACROSS THE AREA AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS. WINDY CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH THE SHORT TERM. A WIND ADVISORY WILL CONTINUE ACROSS PARTS OF N GA TONIGHT AND ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA MONDAY. A HIGH WIND WARNING CAN BE EXPECTED FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE GA MOUNTAINS MONDAY IN THE COUNTIES OF UNION...TOWNS...LUMPKIN AND WHITE. EXITING SHORT WAVE WILL BE DIMINISHING PRECIP CHANCES OVER NE GA LATE THIS AFTERNOON/EARLY TONIGHT. AS THE UPPER LOW RE-DEVELOPS ALONG THE EAST COAST MONDAY WITH SANDY HEADED TOWARD SHORE...MOISTURE AND SOME AMOUNT OF CLOUD COVER WILL SPREAD OVER PARTS OF THE EASTERN CWA BRINGING SMALL CHANCES FOR LIGHT SHOWERS TO FAR NE GA MONDAY AND SMALL CHANCES FOR RAIN OR SNOW SHOWERS MONDAY NIGHT. FORECAST LOW TEMPERATURES RUNNING AROUND 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL TONIGHT AS COLDER AIR MOVES OVER THE AREA...AND AROUND 15 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL MONDAY NIGHT...WITH AREAS IN THE GA MOUNTAINS GETTING DOWN TO AROUND 30. FORECAST HIGH TEMPERATURES RUNNING 10-15 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL MONDAY. OVERALL CONFIDENCE IS MEDIUM BDL LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... MAIN CONCERN CONTINUES TO BE STRONG WINDS ON TUESDAY WITH TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT PERSISTING ACROSS THE AREA. EXPECT AT LEAST ANOTHER WIND ADVISORY FOR MOST AREAS ON TUESDAY AND POSSIBLY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT FOR AT LEAST NORTH GEORGIA MOUNTAINS. WIND GUSTS IN THE 35 TO 45 MPH RANGE OR POSSIBLY HIGHER COULD CONTINUE TO CAUSE SOME DAMAGE...WITH DOWN TREES AND POWER LINES. EXPECT A GRADUAL DIMINISH OF WINDS INTO WEDNESDAY AS DEEP SURFACE LOW... PREVIOUSLY CALLED HURRICANE SANDY... MOVES NORTHWARD INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION BY WEDNESDAY EVENING. OTHERWISE... A COLD DOME OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL DOMINATE THE FORECAST AREA WITH SPOTTY FREEZING TEMPERATURES LIKELY FOR NORTH AND PARTS OF CENTRAL GA TUESDAY MORNING... THEN MAINLY CONFINED OVER FAR NORTH-NE GA FOR THE REMAINING MORNING LOWS. HIGHS WILL HOLD IN THE 50S AND 60S THROUGH MID WEEK...THEN WARM INTO THE 60S TO MID 70S BY END WEEK. NO POPS ARE NECESSARY WITH DRY CONDITIONS IN PLACE. 39 PREV LONG TERM DISCUSSION... ISSUED 346 AM EDT SUN OCT 28 2012... LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... GFS/ECMWF SIMILAR ON THE GENERAL PATTERN FOR THE LONG TERM. THE BIG STORY FOR THE LONG TERM WILL BE THE COLD AND WIND FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE LONG TERM. H8 WINDS FORECAST TO BE 45 TO 60 KTS TUESDAY AND 35 TO 50 KTS WEDNESDAY. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH PREVIOUS RUNS AND WILL THEREFORE MAINTAIN STRONG GUSTS IN THE FORECAST THROUGH WEDNESDAY. COLDEST TEMPS WILL BE TUESDAY...AND THEN A SLOW MODERATION WILL BEGIN. THE PROBLEM WILL BE THE UPPER LOW/REMNANTS OF SANDY OVER THE NORTHEAST. WEAK SHORT WAVES WILL ROTATE AROUND THE UPPER LOW AND THROUGH THE SOUTHEAST. THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE DRY SO AT THIS TIME EXPECT ONLY A FEW CLOUDS WITH EACH WAVE. THE LAST SHORT WAVE WILL MOVE THROUGH FRIDAY/FRIDAY NIGHT AND THEN H5 HEIGHTS WILL BUILD OVER THE REGION BRINGING A WARMER TEMPS. 17 AVIATION... 00Z UPDATE... MOSTLY BKN/OVC VFR CEILINGS CURRENTLY ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WITH AN AREA OF MVFR CEILINGS PERSISTING IN AND AROUND THE ATLANTA METRO AREA. TREND WILL BE FOR CEILINGS TO CONTINUE LIFTING AND CLOUDS TO EVENTUALLY BECOME SCATTERED BETWEEN 00Z AND 06Z ACROSS THE MAJORITY OF THE FORECAST AREA INCLUDING THE TAF SITES. VFR CEILINGS MAY PERSIST ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA AFTER 06Z. VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE FORECAST...GENERALLY 10-15KT WITH GUSTS 17-25KT THROUGH 14Z... INCREASING TO 15-20KT WITH GUSTS 25-35KT. //ATL CONFIDENCE...00Z UPDATE... CONFIDENCE IS HIGH FOR VSBYS AND WINDS. CONFIDENCE IS MEDIUM FOR CLOUDS. 20 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 38 57 35 54 / 0 5 5 5 ATLANTA 38 55 35 53 / 0 5 0 5 BLAIRSVILLE 36 48 31 46 / 20 20 20 10 CARTERSVILLE 38 55 34 55 / 0 5 0 5 COLUMBUS 40 61 36 61 / 0 5 0 5 GAINESVILLE 37 53 35 51 / 5 5 5 5 MACON 39 63 34 60 / 0 5 0 5 ROME 37 55 34 56 / 0 5 0 5 PEACHTREE CITY 37 57 34 56 / 0 5 0 5 VIDALIA 45 64 40 62 / 0 0 0 5 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY FROM 8 AM TO 8 PM EDT MONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: BALDWIN...BIBB...BLECKLEY...BUTTS...CHATTAHOOCHEE... CLARKE...CRAWFORD...CRISP...DODGE...DOOLY...EMANUEL...GLASCOCK... GREENE...HANCOCK...HARRIS...HOUSTON...JASPER...JEFFERSON... JOHNSON...JONES...LAMAR...LAURENS...MACON...MADISON...MARION... MERIWETHER...MONROE...MONTGOMERY...MORGAN...MUSCOGEE...OCONEE... OGLETHORPE...PEACH...PIKE...PULASKI...PUTNAM...SCHLEY... SPALDING...STEWART...SUMTER...TALBOT...TALIAFERRO...TAYLOR... TELFAIR...TOOMBS...TREUTLEN...TROUP...TWIGGS...UPSON...WARREN... WASHINGTON...WEBSTER...WHEELER...WILCOX...WILKES...WILKINSON. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT MONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: BANKS...BARROW...BARTOW...CARROLL...CATOOSA...CHATTOOGA... CHEROKEE...CLAYTON...COBB...COWETA...DADE...DAWSON...DEKALB... DOUGLAS...FANNIN...FAYETTE...FLOYD...FORSYTH...GILMER...GORDON... GWINNETT...HALL...HARALSON...HEARD...HENRY...JACKSON...MURRAY... NEWTON...NORTH FULTON...PAULDING...PICKENS...POLK...ROCKDALE... SOUTH FULTON...WALKER...WALTON...WHITFIELD. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 8 AM TO 8 PM EDT MONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: LUMPKIN...TOWNS...UNION...WHITE. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 AM EDT MONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: LUMPKIN...TOWNS...UNION...WHITE. && SHORT TERM...20 LONG TERM....31 AVIATION...20
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 1047 PM EDT SUN OCT 28 2012 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-300300- 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- 1047 PM EDT SUN OCT 28 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT... STRONG GUSTY WINDS EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH GEORGIA TONIGHT...AND MUCH OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA ON MONDAY. .SYNOPSIS... HURRICANE SANDY WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE MID ATLANTIC COAST THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD SOUTH FROM CANADA BEHIND A COLD FRONT THAT SWEPT THROUGH THE STATE THIS AFTERNOON. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... STRONG WINDS FROM 20 TO 30 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH GEORGIA TONIGHT. WINDS THIS STRONG COULD DOWN A FEW TREES AND MAKE DRIVING HAZARDOUS... ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. THE STRONG WINDS WILL PERSIST OVERNIGHT. DRIVERS ARE ADVISED TO USE EXTRA CAUTION. A ROUGH CHOP CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED ON AREA LAKES ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA. .DISCUSSION... WINDS INCREASED ACROSS PARTS OF NORTH GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AS HURRICANE SANDY CONTINUED ALONG THE MID ATLANTIC COAST AND HIGH PRESSURE BUILT OVER THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. WINDS IN THE 20 TO 30 MPH RANGE WITH HIGHER GUSTS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH GEORGIA OVERNIGHT. SEE THE LATEST WIND ADVISORY...ATLNPWFFC... FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... STRONG NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS WITH GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTH GEORGIA MOUNTAINS COULD SEE GUSTS AS HIGH AS 55 MPH. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Camp Merrill RAWS station reported a maximum gust of 48 mph.
The White County Emergency Manager reported at least 10 trees down across the county due to high winds.
A WSB-TV meteorologist doing a broadcast from Hiawassee reported the wind was gusting from 40 to 50 mph for several hours during the afternoon and evening of the 29th.
Winder Police reported that two-year-old boy was critically injured when a tree limb fell on him while he was playing at his daycare at about 11:30 am EDT. Strong winds were reported through the late morning and into the afternoon hours, with the nearby KWDR ASOS reporting a peak gust of 43 mph at 3:55 pm EDT.
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, October 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: 413702, 413652, 413704, 413655.