Damaging Winds in Georgia, August 10, 2015

Name: Damaging Winds in Georgia, August 10, 2015
Start: 2015-08-10T13:35
End: 2015-08-10T16:45
Location: Georgia

August 10, 2015 · NWS GSP · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Scattered thunderstorms developed across northeast Georgia during the afternoon and evening. A few of the storms produced brief damaging wind gusts.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS GSP wrote it up.

Scattered thunderstorms developed across northeast Georgia during the afternoon and evening. A few of the storms produced brief damaging wind gusts.

What forecasters said that day

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 Greenville-Spartanburg, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 10, 1:33 PM EST, 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 10, 1:33 PM EST, 2 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
233 PM EDT MON AUG 10 2015

.SYNOPSIS...
RETURN FLOW OFF THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL BRING IN MOISTURE AHEAD
OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT.  EXPECT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AHEAD
OF THE FRONT UNTIL THIS FRONT PASSES LATE TUESDAY. COOLER AND DRIER
HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE IN CONTROL OF OUR WEATHER FROM WEDNESDAY INTO
NEXT WEEKEND.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY/...
AT 230 PM EDT MONDAY...AN AMPLIFYING UPPER TROUGH AND AN APPROACHING
COLD FRONT WILL SUPPORT CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING...AND AGAIN ON TUESDAY. ALTHOUGH INSTABILITY WILL EXCEED
1000 J/KG EACH AFTERNOON...SHEAR WILL BE MODEST...AND ORGANIZED
STORM WILL NOT BE LIKELY. LIMITED INSTABILITY OVERNIGHT WILL ALLOW
FOR WEAK CONVECTION TO PERSIST. WITH THE ATMOSPHERIC COLUMN BECOMING
MORE MOIST...GREATER PRECIPITATION RATES CAN BE EXPECTED...BUT ENOUGH
STEERING FLOW SHOULD BE PRESENT TO KEEP CELLS MOVING. TEMPERATURES
WILL EXHIBIT A REDUCED DIURNAL RANGE DUE TO CLOUDS AND MOISTURE.

&&

.SHORT TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/...
AS OF 155 PM MON...SFC COLD FRONT MOVES EAST OF THE AREA TUE NITE
TAKING THE DEEP MOISTURE AND FORCING WITH IT. STILL EXPECT SOME
LINGERING CONVECTION THRU THE EVENING BEFORE THE ACTIVITY MOVES OUT.
CANNOT RULE OUT A LINGERING SVR STORM OR TWO SOUTH OF I-85 EARLY IN
THE EVENING AS WELL. COOLER AND DRIER HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN ON WED
AND REMAINS IN PLACE ON THU AS A RELATIVELY DEEP UPPER TROF BUILDS
OVER THE ERN CONUS. WED SHUD BE DRY...BUT CANNOT RULE OUT SOME
ISOLATED CONVECTION OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN ON THU...BUT CHC IS
QUITE LOW. HIGHS NEAR OR A LITTLE BELOW NORMAL WED...WILL FALL A
COUPLE OF DEGREES THU. NEAR NORMAL LOWS TUE NITE WILL FALL TO A
LITTLE BELOW NORMAL WED NITE.

&&

.LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...
AS OF 200 PM MONDAY...STARTING AT 00Z FRIDAY...500MB PATTERN HAS A
TROUGH WITH AXIS OVER THE EASTERN SEABOARD AND A RIDGE OVER NEW
MEXICO.  THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE EAST COAST TROUGH IF FORECAST
SEPARATE FROM THE MAIN FLOW WHICH REMAINS OVER NEW ENGLAND.  THIS
SOUTHERN PORTION ELONGATES THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND IS NOW FORECAST
TO BREAK OFF INTO A CUT OFF LOW SUNDAY NIGHT OR MONDAY TO BE
CENTERED OVER THE TEXAS COAST. THE ECMWF ALSO HAS ANOTHER CUT OFF
LOW OVER NEW ENGLAND ON MONDAY. THE SW RIDGE MOVES WEST OVER SRN
CALIFORNIA ON MONDAY WHILE THE GENERAL UPPER FLOW IS WEST TO EAST
ACROSS THE NATION.

AT THE SURFACE...OUR REGION WILL BE UNDER A 1020 HIGH CENTERED OVER
CENTERED OVER THE SW VA AND NC MTNS. A STATIONARY FRONT REMAINS FROM
THE NORTHERN GULF ACROSS NRN FL TO THE OFFSHORE WATERS EAST OF THE
CAROLINAS. THE FRONT WILL SLOWLY DISSIPATE DURING THIS EXTENDED
FORECAST PERIOD. ENOUGH MOISTURE SHOULD BE AVAILABLE COMBINED WITH
DIFFERENTIAL HEATING IN THE MOUNTAINS AND PERHAPS SOME OCCASIONAL
LOW LEVEL UPSLOPE WILL PRODUCE A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
FAVORING LOCATIONS NEAR THE BLUE RIDGE. SEEMS THE MOST FAVORABLE
TIME FOR UPSLOPE IS LATE FRIDAY WITH 925MB FLOW FROM THE EAST OVER
THE PIEDMONT AND LIGHT SE FLOW TOWARD MTNS.

TEMPS ABOUT A CATEGORY BELOW NORMAL FRIDAY AND SLOWLY RISING TO
NORMAL OR EVEN SLIGHTLY ABOVE EARLY NEXT WEEK.

&&

.AVIATION /19Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
AT KCLT...LOW VFR CLOUDS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST FOR MUCH OF THIS
AFTERNOON. CONVECTIVE CHANCES THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE GREAT ENOUGH TO
MENTION IN THE TAF. GUIDANCE SUGGESTS LOW VFR CIGS AROUND DAYBREAK
TUESDAY...AS WELL AS MVFR VSBY...WITH LIFTING OF VSBY RESTRICTIONS
BUT LITTLE IMPROVEMENT IN CIGS THROUGH MIDDAY. ANOTHER ROUND OF
CONVECTION IS EXPECTED AS A FRONT ARRIVES ON TUESDAY...BUT THE BEST
CHANCES WILL BE IN THE AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL FAVOR THE SSW...WITH
GUSTS DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS.

ELSEWHERE...LOW VFR CLOUDS MAY SEE SOME BREAKS THIS AFTERNOON...
ALLOWING FOR BRIEF MID TO HIGH VFR CIGS...BUT AFTERNOON CONVECTIVE
DEVELOPMENT SHOULD ALLOW LOW CLOUDS TO INCREASE WITH TIME. BY
DAYBREAK TUESDAY MODEL GUIDANCE SUPPORTS IFR TO LIFR CIGS...WITH LOW
VFR TO IFR VSBY...WITH THE WORST VSBY IN NC. ALTHOUGH VSBY IMPROVES
DURING THE MORNING...CIGS ONLY IMPROVE TO MVFR. MONDAY CONVECTION
AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING FRONT WILL BE MOST LIKELY TO REACH THE
MOUNTAINS BY MIDDAY.

OUTLOOK...DRIER/VFR CONDITIONS RETURN BY TUE EVENING...AND SHOULD
PREVAIL THRU AT FRIDAY. THE EXCEPTION MIGHT BE SOME DAYBREAK FOG IN
MOUNTAIN VALLEYS AND NEAR LAKES.

CONFIDENCE TABLE...

            18-24Z        00-06Z        06-12Z        12-18Z
KCLT       HIGH  99%     HIGH 100%     HIGH  86%     MED   62%
KGSP       HIGH  96%     HIGH  96%     MED   78%     HIGH  83%
KAVL       HIGH  90%     HIGH  84%     LOW   53%     LOW   35%
KHKY       HIGH  92%     HIGH  97%     MED   66%     MED   63%
KGMU       HIGH  97%     HIGH  90%     MED   67%     HIGH  80%
KAND       HIGH 100%     HIGH  88%     MED   62%     LOW   55%

THE PERCENTAGE REFLECTS THE NUMBER OF GUIDANCE MEMBERS AGREEING
WITH THE SCHEDULED TAF ISSUANCE FLIGHT RULE CATEGORY. COMPLETE HOURLY
EXPERIMENTAL AVIATION FORECAST CONSISTENCY TABLES AND ENSEMBLE FORECASTS
ARE AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: (MUST BE LOWER CASE)

WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GSP/AVIATION_TABLES

&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...NONE.
NC...NONE.
SC...NONE.

&&

SYNOPSIS...DEO
NEAR TERM...JAT
SHORT TERM...RWH
LONG TERM...DEO
AVIATION...JAT

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 10, 3:08 AM EST, 10 hours 27 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
408 AM EDT MON AUG 10 2015

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035-048>053-056-058-059-062>065-
068>070-501>510-SCZ001>008-010-011-110815-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-AVERY-ALEXANDER-
MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-CATAWBA-GRAHAM-
NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-
CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL-
BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-EASTERN MCDOWELL-
RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-GREATER RUTHERFORD-POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK-
OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-
GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-
CHEROKEE-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-
408 AM EDT MON AUG 10 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...MOST OF
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...AND WESTERN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP
BY MIDDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL PEAK IN COVERAGE THIS AFTERNOON BUT
WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE MUCH OF TONIGHT. ANY OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...HEAVY
RAIN...AND GUSTY WINDS. HOWEVER...CONDITIONS WILL BE FAVORABLE
FOR A FEW OF THE STORMS TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...MAINLY
THOSE STORMS DEVELOPING IN THE LATE AFTERNOON.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

..TUESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..WEDNESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..THURSDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..FRIDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..SATURDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..SUNDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

NONE.

NCZ036-037-057-071-072-082-SCZ009-012>014-019-110815-
IREDELL-DAVIE-ROWAN-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION-YORK-LAURENS-CHESTER-
GREENWOOD-
408 AM EDT MON AUG 10 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MOST OF THE INTERSTATE 77
CORRIDOR OF NORTH CAROLINA...AND THE LOWER PIEDMONT OF SOUTH
CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP
BEGINNING AROUND MIDDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL PEAK IN COVERAGE THIS
AFTERNOON BEFORE BECOMING FEWER IN THE EVENING. ANY OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...HEAVY
RAIN...AND GUSTY WINDS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

..TUESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..WEDNESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..THURSDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..FRIDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..SATURDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..SUNDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

NONE.

WIMBERLEY

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 10, 12:52 PM EST, 43 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
152 PM EDT MON AUG 10 2015

GAZ029-101815-
ELBERT GA-
152 PM EDT MON AUG 10 2015

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF WESTERN ELBERT COUNTY
UNTIL 215 PM EDT...

AT 152 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10
MILES NORTHWEST OF ELBERTON...OR NEAR BOWMAN...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15
MPH.

HALF INCH HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
ELBERTON...BOWMAN...RUSSELL STATE PARK...LAKE RUSSELL...
RUCKERSVILLE...DEWY ROSE...SWEET CITY AND ROCK BRANCH.

LAT...LON 3409 8302 3410 8304 3411 8303 3412 8305
      3415 8306 3417 8310 3423 8307 3423 8300
      3421 8298 3425 8291 3425 8275 3419 8273
      3402 8292
TIME...MOT...LOC 1752Z 298DEG 13KT 3421 8299

CSH

Special weather statement, Aug 10, 1:24 PM EST, 11 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
224 PM EDT MON AUG 10 2015

GAZ010-NCZ062-063-SCZ001-101915-
RABUN GA-SOUTHERN JACKSON NC-MACON NC-OCONEE MOUNTAINS SC-
224 PM EDT MON AUG 10 2015

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF NORTHEASTERN RABUN...
SOUTHEASTERN MACON AND NORTHERN OCONEE COUNTIES UNTIL 315 PM EDT...

AT 222 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4
MILES EAST OF CLAYTON...OR 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MOUNTAIN CITY...
MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

HEAVY DOWNPOURS...SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH WILL BE
POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
CLAYTON...MOUNTAIN CITY...DILLARD...SKY VALLEY...SALEM...BLACK ROCK
MOUNTAIN STATE PARK...OCONEE STATE PARK...LAKE KEOWEE...PINE MOUNTAIN
AND BAD CREEK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TORRENTIAL RAINFALL MAY FLOOD AREAS WITH POOR DRAINAGE...SUCH AS
DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES. AVOID THESE AREAS AND DO NOT CROSS FLOODED
ROADS. WATER LEVELS OF SMALL STREAMS AND RIVERS MAY ALSO RISE
RAPIDLY. SEEK HIGHER GROUND IF THREATENED BY FLOOD WATERS.

&&

LAT...LON 3479 8339 3498 8344 3505 8311 3502 8299
      3479 8293
TIME...MOT...LOC 1822Z 264DEG 17KT 3490 8332

JPT

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 104 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:33 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Elbert

When: August 10, 1:35 PM EST
Where: Elbert County, Dewey Rose
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: 911 Call Center
Coordinates: 34.170, -82.950

County comms reported a couple of trees blown down near Dewy Rose.

Thunderstorm Wind, Habersham

When: August 10, 4:25 PM EST to 4:40 PM EST
Where: Habersham County, 1.14 mi W of Harvest to 1.38 mi N of New Switzerland
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: 911 Call Center
Coordinates: 34.630, -83.620

County comms reported multiple trees and power lines blown down throughout Habersham County and roof damage to a government office in Clarkesville.

Thunderstorm Wind, Stephens

When: August 10, 4:45 PM EST
Where: Stephens County, 0.57 mi W of Toccoa to 0.9 mi SW of Toccoa
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.580, -83.330

Spotter reported multiple trees and power lines blown down along Falls Rd in the vicinity of Toccoa and along Elberton St in south Toccoa.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Georgia in 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history Warnings in Georgia, August 2015

Sources

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: 599697, 599706, 599711.