A large cut-off low was located over southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas, with an associated surface front approaching the Southeast during the afternoon hours of the 4th. Ahead of the front, easterly winds increased with most gusts to between 25-30 MPH, with some isolated stronger gusts.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
A large cut-off low was located over southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas, with an associated surface front approaching the Southeast during the afternoon hours of the 4th. Ahead of the front, easterly winds increased with most gusts to between 25-30 MPH, with some isolated stronger gusts. Though overall the winds remained below wind advisory criteria, with the saturated soils in place these strong winds were able to bring down a few trees.
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 4, 6:18 AM EST, 3 hours 42 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 718 AM EDT SAT MAY 4 2013 .SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT/... /ISSUED AT 501 AM EDT SAT MAY 4 2013/ LATEST SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS A LARGE CUT OFF LOW OVER SW MO/NW AR... WITH ALMOST NIL MOVEMENT EASTWARD NOTED. GFS AND NAM ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THIS FEATURE... DRIFTING THE UPPER LOW OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF MS BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. HOWEVER...THEY DIFFER SLIGHTLY WITH MOVEMENT OF THE ASSOCIATED SURFACE FRONT...WITH THE FASTER NAM PUSHING THE SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT INTO WEST GA BY EARLY TO MID AFTERNOON...THEN INTO THE ATLANTA METRO AREA AROUND MIDNIGHT. THE GFS IS ABOUT 3-6 HOURS SLOWER. LIKEWISE... THE NAM IS SLIGHTLY FASTER MOVING AN AREA OF HEAVIER RAIN SHOWERS INTO THE FORECAST AREA. HOWEVER... BOTH AGREE THAT HEAVIER RAINS... CURRENTLY NOTED OVER AL... WILL GRADUALLY PUSH INTO WEST GA BY THIS AFTERNOON...THEN VERY SLOWLY SPREAD INTO THE ATLANTA METRO BY MIDNIGHT OR EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. THIS SLOW MOVEMENT...AND THE CONTINUOUS TRAINING OF LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN SHOWERS OVER THE SAME AREAS WILL RESULT IN 1.5 TO 2.5 INCHES OF RAINFALL THROUGH TONIGHT. THIS OVER AN ALREADY NEARLY SATURATED GROUND WILL SET THE STAGE FOR POSSIBLE FLOODING. LATEST MODEL QPF'S INDICATE HEAVIER AMOUNTS COULD REACH FURTHER SOUTH... THEREFORE... WE HAVE STRETCHED THE WATCH AREA DOWN TO NEAR A LINE FROM FRANKLIN TO GRIFFIN TO ATHENS WHERE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3.0 TO 4.5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. SEE THE LATEST FLOOD WATCH STATEMENT FOR FURTHER DETAILS. EAST WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO GUST TO AROUND 25 MPH THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON...WHILE SUSTAINED SPEEDS HOLD IN THE 15 TO 20 MPH RANGE. THIS IS JUST UNDER ADVISORY CRITERIA... ALTHOUGH HIGHER GUSTS CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF NORTH GA. WIND SPEEDS AND ASSOCIATED HIGHER GUSTS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN DIMINISHING DURING THE AFTERNOON AS THE FRONTAL TROUGH SLIPS INTO THE WESTERN HALF OF THE STATE...THEN PUSHES EASTWARD THROUGH TONIGHT. ALTHOUGH CANNOT COMPLETELY RULE OUT A CLAP OF THUNDER... CURRENT THINKING IS THE AIR MASS IS JUST TOO STABLE AND THE UPPER LOW IS TOO FAR WEST TODAY AND TONIGHT TO WARRANT ANY MENTION OF THUNDER AT THIS TIME. AS FOR TEMPS... CLOUDS AND INVADING SHOWERS WILL HOLD DAYTIME HIGHS FROM THE LOWER 50S WEST TO MAYBE MID TO UPPER 60S FARTHER SOUTHEAST TODAY. THEN AS THE COLD FRONT GRADUALLY PUSHES INTO THE STATE... EXPECT LOWS ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE STATE TO DIP INTO THE 40S...WHILE THE EASTERN HALF HOLDS IN THE 50S. WENT WITH A MAV AND MET BLEND FOR TEMPS... AND ABOVE GUIDANCE FOR POPS THROUGH TONIGHT. 39 .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... /ISSUED AT 501 AM EDT SAT MAY 4 2013/ SHORT TERM HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING CONCERNS CONTINUES TO EVOLVE IN THE EXTENDED PERIODS WITH CONTINUING PRECIP OVER THE AREA THROUGH EARLY WEEK. BY SUNDAY...CUT OFF LOW TRANSITIONS OVER THE STATE BEFORE TREKKING NORTHEASTWARD ALONG THE EAST COAST BY LATE TUESDAY. THE PERSISTENCE OF THE LOW OVER THE AREA WILL KEEP PRECIP OVER THE AREA BEYOND THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY WEEK. HAVE GENERALLY GONE WITH LIKELY TO CATEGORICAL POPS THROUGH MONDAY BEFORE TAPERING POPS TO GOOD CHANCE BY EARLY TUESDAY DUE TO UNCERTAINTY WITH THE TRACK OF THE LOW AND POSITION OF THE PRECIP. AS OF NOW...FLOOD WATCH GOES UNTIL 00Z MONDAY /SUNDAY NIGHT/...AND MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED TO ACCOUNT FOR PRECIP EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO MONDAY. HAVE HELD OFF MAKING THAT DECISION FOR NOW...BUT WILL HAVE TO REEVALUATE THROUGH SUNDAY TO DETERMINE IF IT IS NECESSARY. THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING...RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3.5 TO 4.5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA...WITH A BROADER AREA OF 2.5 TO 3.5 EXTENDING SOUTH OF THE METRO ATLANTA AREA...BUT GENERALLY NORTH OF COLUMBUS AND MACON. THESE AMOUNTS ARE SUFFICIENT TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT FLOODING OF RIVERS AND CREEKS AND ISOLATED SIGNIFICANT FLOODING. AS LOW MOVES UP THE EAST COAST BY MID WEEK...HIGH PRESSURE BRIEFLY ATTEMPTS TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE REGION BEFORE NEXT LOW AND FRONTAL BOUNDARY BRING RAIN CHANCES BACK TO THE STATE. FOR NOW...HAVE OPTED TO GO WITH A DRY FORECAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY MORNING...WITH GENERALLY SLIGHT CHANCE POPS BACK IN THE FORECAST FRIDAY AND INTO THE WEEKEND. IN GENERAL...CLOUDY SKIES WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE WEEK WITH NEAR NORMAL OR SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES. 31 && .AVIATION... 12Z UPDATE... RADAR SHOWS A BAND OF MODERATE SHOWERS MOVING ACROSS ATLANTA TAF SITES...WITH A MIX OF IFR AND MVFR CIGS. ALTHOUGH THIS BAND WILL SLIP EAST BY 14-15Z...MODELS AGREE IFR CIGS SETTLE IN BY 14-15Z AND PREVAIL THRU 12-14Z SUN. LARGE AREA OF MODERATE SHOWERS OVER AL WILL PUSH INTO ATLANTA AREA BY 19-21Z TODAY. MODELS SHOW ANOTHER BREAK BY 02-04Z SUN...WITH HEAVIER SHOWERS MOVING BACK IN LATER TONIGHT BY 09Z SUN ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLD FRONT. VSBYS OCCASIONALLY LOWER TO MVFR AND IFR LEVELS WITH MODERATE/HEAVY SHOWERS. GUSTY EAST WINDS AROUND 12-15G20-25KT WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH THIS AFTERNOON AND BECOME NE BY THIS EVENING...THEN NW BY 09Z SUN AS THE FRONT MOVES INTO WEST GA. //ATL CONFIDENCE...12Z UPDATE... MEDIUM ON TIMING OF IFR CIGS AND ENDING OF WIND GUSTS. MEDIUM TO LOW ON POTENTIAL WIND SHIFT TO NW BY 09Z SUN. 39 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 60 53 65 50 / 100 100 100 80 ATLANTA 58 48 64 49 / 100 100 80 60 BLAIRSVILLE 56 50 57 49 / 100 100 100 80 CARTERSVILLE 58 47 62 50 / 100 100 100 70 COLUMBUS 57 45 71 48 / 100 90 50 50 GAINESVILLE 58 51 59 50 / 100 100 100 80 MACON 65 53 71 49 / 100 100 50 50 ROME 58 47 63 50 / 100 100 100 70 PEACHTREE CITY 58 46 67 48 / 100 100 70 60 VIDALIA 69 59 74 53 / 70 90 50 30 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLOOD WATCH FROM 8 AM EDT THIS MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: BANKS...BARROW...BARTOW...BUTTS... CARROLL...CATOOSA...CHATTOOGA...CHEROKEE...CLARKE...CLAYTON... COBB...COWETA...DADE...DAWSON...DEKALB...DOUGLAS...FANNIN... FAYETTE...FLOYD...FORSYTH...GILMER...GORDON...GWINNETT...HALL... HARALSON...HEARD...HENRY...JACKSON...LUMPKIN...MADISON... MURRAY...NEWTON...NORTH FULTON...OCONEE...PAULDING...PICKENS... POLK...ROCKDALE...SOUTH FULTON...SPALDING...TOWNS...UNION... WALKER...WALTON...WHITE...WHITFIELD. && SHORT TERM...39 LONG TERM....31 AVIATION...39
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 516 AM EDT SAT MAY 4 2013 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-050930- 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- 516 AM EDT SAT MAY 4 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... ..SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL EXPECTED TO RESULT IN SOME FLOODING ISSUES.. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS WILL PERSIST ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY AS A FRONT APPROACHES AND IMPACTS THE AREA. STRENGTHENING PRESSURE GRADIENT AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL LIKELY RESULT IN STRONGER WINDS ACROSS GENERALLY NORTH GEORGIA THIS MORNING. WINDS HAVE TO POTENTIAL TO REACH 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH ESPECIALLY IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE BETWEEN 3.5 AND 4.5 INCHES ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA...WITH A BROADER AREA OF 2.5 TO 3.5 SOUTH OF THE ATLANTA METRO AREA...AND 1-2.5 INCHES ELSEWHERE. WIDESPREAD MINOR FLOODING WITH ISOLATED MODERATE FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ACROSS WEST CENTRAL AND NORTH GEORGIA. A FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR AREAS GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM FRANKLIN...TO GRIFFIN...TO ATHENS. INSTABILITY IS LIMITED WITH THIS SYSTEM...SO NO THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE SUNDAY AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. INSTABILITY CONTINUES TO BE LIMITED...WITH NO THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED AND THE MAIN CONCERN BEING FLOODING RESULTING FROM THE HIGH RAINFALL AMOUNTS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED BUT SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT REPORTS OF FLOODING AND HEAVY RAINFALL THROUGH THE WEB BY GOING TO WEATHER.GOV/ATLANTA.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Dade County Emergency Manager reported that multiple trees were blown down across the county.
The Washington County 911 Center reported multiple trees down across the county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, May 2013
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: 445227, 445228.