A large upper-level ridge of high pressure centered over the southern plains resulted in several days of persistent northwesterly upper-level flow over the region. A series of weak short waves combined with a moderately unstable atmosphere to produce isolated to scattered severe thunderstorms each day, mainly during the afternoon and evening hours.
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 large upper-level ridge of high pressure centered over the southern plains resulted in several days of persistent northwesterly upper-level flow over the region. A series of weak short waves combined with a moderately unstable atmosphere to produce isolated to scattered severe thunderstorms each day, mainly during the afternoon and evening hours.
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 13, 12:30 PM EST, 2 hours earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED FOR AVIATION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 130 PM EDT MON JUL 13 2015 .UPDATED... NO CHANGES PLANNED FOR THE FORECAST. 41 .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 419 AM EDT MON JUL 13 2015/ SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... WEAK SHORTWAVE MOVING SE IN THE FLOW HAS HELPED INITIATE AND SUSTAIN SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EARLY THIS MORNING. OVERALL...THE ACTIVITY HAS BEGUN TO WEAKEN OVER THE LAST HOUR...BUT SHOWERS MAY END UP LINGERING FOR ANOTHER HOUR OR TWO. NW FLOW ALOFT WILL BE A MAJOR PLAYER IN THE SENSIBLE WEATHER FOR THE SHORT TERM PERIOD. IN ADDITION...A LEE TROUGH SITUATED DOWN THE SPINE OF THE APPALACHIANS WILL HELP FOCUS PRECIP AT THE SURFACE. BUSY AND UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL ACCOMPANY THE NW FLOW. SEVERAL PIECES OF SHORTWAVE ENERGY ARE PROGGED TO DROP SOUTH IN THE FLOW. THESE SHORTWAVES WILL POSSIBLY LEAD TO MCS DEVELOPMENT FURTHER UPSTREAM THAT WOULD SUSTAIN ITSELF AND MOVE INTO PORTIONS OF GEORGIA...MAINLY LATE TODAY AND AGAIN ON TUESDAY. UNFORTUNATELY...THESE TYPES OF SYSTEMS ARE VERY HARD TO PIN DOWN WITH TIMING...EVEN IN THE SHORT TERM. THE HI-RES WRF IS PROGGING A CLUSTER OF STORMS TO BEGIN IMPACTING PORTIONS OF NORTHERN GA THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. HAVE BUMPED UP POPS ACCORDINGLY. NOT CONFIDENT ON COVERAGE...SO CAPPED POPS AROUND 40 PERCENT FOR NOW. EVEN THE SYNOPTIC MODELS HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT WITH PROGGING A STRONGER PIECE OF SHORTWAVE ENERGY TO DROP SOUTH IN THE FLOW ON TUESDAY. CURRENTLY...THE TIMING LOOKS TO BE TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THE HI-RES WRF HAS PICKED UP ON THIS ALSO. SINCE THE MODELS HAVE BEEN RATHER CONSISTENT WITH THIS FEATURE...HAVE FAIRLY HIGH POPS UP NORTH. NOT CONFIDENT ON HOW FAR SOUTH THE LIKELY POPS SHOULD EXTEND AT THIS TIME. FOR TODAY...OUTSIDE OF ANY MCS DEVELOPMENT...THE HI-RES MODELS ARE PROGGING ONLY SCT CONVECTION THROUGH MUCH OF THE AFTERNOON. STORMS MAY TRY TO ORGANIZE ALONG THE LEE TROUGH. SO...LOW END SCT/ISOLD POPS ARE IN THE FORECAST FOR THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. IF CONVECTION DOES OVERSPREAD THE AREA LATE THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS (MCS)...THEN THAT MAY HAMPER CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT EARLY ON TUESDAY...UNTIL THE NEXT PROGGED MCS ARRIVES. THE ATMOS WILL BE UNSTABLE...WITH HIGH SB CAPE ESPECIALLY DURING PEAK HEATING. ANY OVERNIGHT MCS DEVELOPMENT WILL ALSO FEED ON ANY LINGERING INSTABILITY...BUT WILL ALSO BE AIDED BY MID LEVEL DYNAMICS. THE PRIMARY MODE OF SEVERE WEATHER OUTSIDE OF ANY MCS DEVELOPMENT SHOULD BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. DECENT INVERTED V SOUNDINGS ARE NOTED. WITHIN ANY MCS DEVELOPMENT...DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. STEEP MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES...FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR...ARE ESPECIALLY NOTED ON TUESDAY ALONG WITH SOME DECENT SHEAR ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHERN GA. TORNADO DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE MOST LIKELY ALONG ANY SURFACE BOUNDARY INTERACTIONS. IN ADDITION TO THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER...TEMPS WILL CONTINUE HOT. HAVE GONE AHEAD AND RAISED A HEAT ADVISORY FOR THE FAR SE CWFA THIS AFTERNOON WITH HEAT INDICES NEAR 105 DEGREES. THE AREA LOOKS TO EXPAND ON TUESDAY...BUT NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH IN AREAL COVERAGE TO ISSUE THE HEADLINE OUT THIS FAR. NLISTEMAA LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... NO BIG CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE LONG TERM. AN OVERALL PERSISTENT PATTERN WILL PREVAIL. THE MAIN CONCERN WILL BE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES IN THE NW FLOW ALOFT AFFECTING GA. THIS WILL BRING SOMEWHAT HIGHER CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS TUE NIGHT AS AN UPPER TROUGH SETS UP OVER THE EASTERN SEABOARD. HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT BUILDS SOME OVER THE SOUTHEAST U.S. ON THURSDAY AND THIS CONTINUES THROUGH SATURDAY. THIS WILL WEAKEN THE UPPER TROUGH ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD AND MOVE IT OFFSHORE. THE MAIN IMPACT WILL BE THE HOT AND HUMID WEATHER EXTENDING THROUGH THE WEEK. MAX TEMPS IN THE LOW TO MID 90S CAN BE EXPECTED DAILY WITH A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING. TEMPERATURES WILL BE AROUND 5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL DURING THE PERIOD. 16 .AVIATION... 18Z UPDATE... EXPECTING AFTERNOON AND EVENING SCATTERED CONVECTION. WILL HOLD OFF ON INTRODUCING THUNDER IN THE TAFS UNTIL DEVELOPMENT AND TIMING BECOME MORE CERTAIN. CONVECTIVE COMPLEX MOVING SOUTHEAST FROM THE OHIO VALLEY COULD AFFECT THE TAF SITES OVERNIGHT IF IT HOLDS TOGETHER AND TIMING IS UNCERTAIN. VFR OUTSIDE OF CONVECTION. WINDS SHOULD STAY ON THE WEST SIDE THROUGH THE PERIOD. //ATL CONFIDENCE...18Z UPDATE... MEDIUM FOR CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT. OTHERWISE...HIGH CONFIDENCE ON REMAINING ELEMENTS. 41 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 95 74 94 74 / 30 40 40 40 ATLANTA 92 76 92 76 / 30 30 40 40 BLAIRSVILLE 87 67 86 67 / 30 40 60 60 CARTERSVILLE 92 73 93 73 / 30 30 50 60 COLUMBUS 95 76 94 76 / 30 20 30 30 GAINESVILLE 91 74 91 74 / 30 40 50 40 MACON 96 75 97 75 / 30 20 40 40 ROME 94 73 94 73 / 30 40 60 70 PEACHTREE CITY 93 74 93 74 / 30 30 40 40 VIDALIA 97 75 96 75 / 30 20 30 40 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HEAT ADVISORY FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: DODGE...EMANUEL...JOHNSON...LAURENS... MONTGOMERY...TELFAIR...TOOMBS...TREUTLEN...WHEELER. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 548 AM EDT MON JUL 13 2015 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-141000- 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- 548 AM EDT MON JUL 13 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED... DAMAGING WINDS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL BE THE PRIMARY HAZARDS. LARGE HAIL AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. DISCUSSION... WEAK UPPER DISTURBANCES EMBEDDED WITHIN THE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... ..SEVERE STORM THREAT TO INCREASE ON TUESDAY.. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING BEING THE PRIMARY HAZARDS. LARGE HAIL AND HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED BUT SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH THE WEB BY GOING TO WEATHER.GOV/ATLANTA. 16
The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 125 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:31 UTC.
30 thunderstorm wind, 6 lightning, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
The Dawson County Emergency Manager reported trees blown down around Highway 9 and Perimeter Road and on River Valley Road.
The Dooly County Emergency Manager reported a three-sided metal barn along with several trees blown down east of Drayton.
The Treutlen County 911 Center reported several trees blown down and power outages in Soperton.
The Towns County 911 Center reported a few trees down across the county.
The Lumpkin County 911 Center reported quarter sized hail and one tree blown down on Yahoola Road near Highway 19.
A trained storm spotter reported multiple trees down near Tate City.
The Fannin County 911 Center reported numerous trees blown down across the county.
The Gilmer County Emergency Manager reported numerous trees and power lines blown down around Boardtown Road and Whitepath Road.
The Whitfield County Emergency Manager reported trees blown down on Seep Springs Road in Rocky Face and on Riverbend Road in Dalton.
The Banks County Emergency Manager reported multiple trees blown down west of Homer on Carson Segars Road near Highway 323.
The Cleveland Police reported a tree down at the intersection of Airport Road and Lothridge Road.
The Walker County 911 Center reported numerous trees blown down across the county.
The Pickens County 911 Center reported numerous trees blown down, mainly across the southern portion of the county.
The Cherokee County Emergency Manager and the 911 Center reported trees blown down from around Little Refuge Road and Highway 140 to Ball Ground.
The Chattooga County Emergency Manager reported 30 to 40 trees blown down across the county, especially from Trion to Subligna. One of the trees landed on a home.
The public reported quarter sized hail in Summerville.
The Forsyth County Emergency Manager reported trees and power lines blown down from along Post Road around Drew Road and Bentley Road to Trailside Way in Chestatee. A home on Trailside Way sustained significant damage from a tree falling on it.
The Cherokee County Emergency Manager reported numerous trees down across the county. One tree fell on a house on Wilkie Road. Trees were also blown down on Union Hill Road, Land Road and on Birmingham Highway. Power lines were blown down on Fields landing Drive.
The Floyd County Emergency Manager reported numerous trees down in the vicinity of Martha Berry Highway in Rome.
The Gordon County 911 Center reported several trees blown down across the county, including in the Calhoun area.
The Jackson County 911 Center reported a tree blown down on Jackson Trail Road southeast of Braselton.
The Clarke County 911 Center reported power lines blown down at a shopping center on Atlanta Highway.
Reports of numerous trees and power lines blown down across Cobb County were received from the Cobb County Emergency Manager, the Cobb County 911 Center and from the public. The most significant damage included approximately 60 trees snapped or up-rooted along Stilesboro Road and multiple trees downed in the Gordon Combs Road and Fallwood Drive areas. Large trees were downed in the Burnt Hickory Road and Caisson Road areas as well. Several trees fell on houses and automobiles. One injury was reported when a tree fell on a house on Gordon Combs Road, however the extent of the injury was not known.
An Atlanta television news station reported trees blown down along Kilgore road near Buford and on Telfair Court near Suwanee. One tree fell on a house at the Telfair Court location, no injuries were reported.
The Cherokee County Emergency Manager reported a house fire started by lightning on Arbor Lake Drive at Lower Scott Mill Road.
The Polk County Emergency Manager reported a house fire caused by lightning on Waddell Circle in Aragon.
The Bartow County 911 Center reported numerous trees blown down across the county. The greatest impact was around Cartersville.
The Oconee County 911 Center reported trees and power lines down on Epps Bridge Parkway.
The Cherokee County Emergency Manager reported a house fire caused by lightning on Trinity Church Road.
The Oglethorpe County 911 Center reported several trees blown down from Meyers Farm Road to Onnie Colquitt Road and Lexington-Carlton Road.
The Cherokee County Emergency manager reported a house fire caused by lightning on Sterling Brook Lane near Holly Springs.
The Cherokee County Emergency Manager reported a house fire caused by lightning on Florence Road near Woodstock.
The Cherokee County Emergency Manager reported a house fire caused by lightning on Walnut Circle near Woodstock.
The Paulding County Emergency Manager reported a large tree and numerous power lines blown down on Merchants Drive near Dallas.
The Cherokee County Emergency Manager reported a tree blown down onto a house off Wiley Bridge Road.
The Fulton County Emergency Manager reported numerous trees down across the county. Several trees were blown down in Roswell, including one on a house on Highland Colony Drive. Trees and power lines were blown down on West Conway Drive Northwest. A tree was down on a car with a motorist trapped inside at Montgomery Ferry Drive and Monroe Drive and a tree fell on a house on Argonne Avenue. No injuries were reported.
The DeKalb County 911 Center reported numerous trees and power lines blown down across the county.
The Macon-Bibb 911 Center reported numerous trees blown down and power outages across Macon including at Shurling Drive at Stratford Drive, on Kingsley Drive, Pierce Drive North and South, and Spring Street.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, July 2015
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: 594561, 592347, 592349, 592350, 592351, 592352, 592353, 592354, 592355, 592356, 592357, 592358, 592361, 592362, 592364, 592365, 592369, 592374, 592375, 592376, 592377, 592378, 592379, 592383, 592384, 592386, 592387, 592388, 592389, 592360, 592390, 592391, 592393, 592394, 592395, 592396, 592397, 592399.