Strong, non-thunderstorm, winds developed in a localized tight surface pressure gradient field behind an exiting low pressure center over portions of North Central and Northeast Georgia during the morning of October 4th. Several days of persistent moderate to heavy rain led to saturated soils which contributed to the widespread wind damage.
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.
Strong, non-thunderstorm, winds developed in a localized tight surface pressure gradient field behind an exiting low pressure center over portions of North Central and Northeast Georgia during the morning of October 4th. Several days of persistent moderate to heavy rain led to saturated soils which contributed to the widespread wind damage.
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 4, 12:40 AM EST, 2 hours 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED FOR AVIATION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 140 AM EDT SUN OCT 4 2015 .UPDATE... NO CHANGES TO THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH. THE POSSIBILITY FOR FLOODING OR FLASH FLOODING CONTINUES OVERNIGHT. ONLY TWEAKED THE POPS TO PUT HIGHER POPS A LITTLE FARTHER SOUTH OVER THE WESTERN COUNTIES. OTHERWISE SHOWERS...HEAVY AT TIMES FOR MAINLY N GA...WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT. FORECAST LOW TEMPERATURES GENERALLY CLOSE TO NORMAL. BDL && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 655 PM EDT SAT OCT 3 2015/ SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... RADAR TRENDS CONTINUE TO SHOW PLUME OF MODERATE TO HEAVY PRECIPITATION STREAMING NORTH UP THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE FORECAST AREA...AND SPREADING WEST. MEDIUM RANGE MODELS HAVE BACKED OFF THE QPF TOTALS SOMEWHAT BUT THEY ARE STILL FAIRLY HIGH AND I DO NOT ANTICIPATE ANY BIG CHANGES TO MY QPF GRIDS...OR TO THE CURRENT WATCH. MEDIUM RANGE AND HIGH-RES MODELS STILL INDICATING THAT THE GENERAL NORTH/SOUTH AXIS OF PRECIPITATION WILL ROTATE COUNTERCLOCKWISE BECOMING MORE NORTHWEST/SOUTHEAST OR EVEN WEST/EAST ORIENTED THROUGH THE EVENING AND THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD. WILL HAVE A FAIRLY DECENT GRADIENT IN THE POP GRID FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTH. THE UPPER LOW IS STILL EXPECTED TO SLOWLY SHIFT EAST THROUGH SUNDAY WITH THE AXIS OF HEAVIER PRECIPITATION SHIFTING EAST SUNDAY AS WELL. 20 LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... ASIDE FROM A FEW MINOR UPDATES TO POPS ON MONDAY INTO TUESDAY...NO MAJOR CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE LONG TERM. THERE WILL STILL BE THE CHANCE FOR LINGERING SHOWERS ON MONDAY FOR EASTERN GEORGIA AS THE UPPER LOW CONTINUES TO PULL SOME MOISTURE INTO THE AREA. THE REGION WILL FINALLY START TO DRY OUT IN EARNEST NEXT WEEK AS THE CLOSED LOW PUSHES OFFSHORE WITH DRY AND TEMPERATE CONDITIONS FOR SEVERAL DAYS. MODELS DIVERGE SIGNIFICANTLY BY NEXT WEEKEND WITH THE EVOLUTION OF THE UPPER LOW OVER THE SOUTHWEST U.S. AND ANY POTENTIAL IMPACT FOR OUR AREA. RW PREVIOUS LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... MODELS IN FAIR AGREEMENT ON CLOSED UPPER LOW CIRCULATING VICINITY OF SOUTHEAST GA OR JUST OFF SHORE AT THE START OF THE PERIOD. EASTERLY FLOW AND A CONNECTION TO JOAQUIN STILL EVIDENT...BUT THE BULK OF THE HEAVIER RAIN STILL LOOKS LIKE IT WILL BE ACROSS THE CAROLINAS SUNDAY NIGHT. LIKELY POPS LOOK OKAY SUNDAY NIGHT FOR THE FAR NORTHEAST WITH LOWER POPS ELSEWHERE. UPPER LOW PULLING TO THE NORTHEAST MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT SHOULD DIMINISH RAIN CHANCES FOR THE FORECAST AREA. UPPER RIDGE EXPECTED TO BUILD ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST TUESDAY THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. HAVE CONTINUED WITH DRY WEATHER DURING THAT TIME. 41 && AVIATION... 06Z UPDATE... IFR-MVFR CEILINGS AND IFR-VFR AND HIGHLY VARIABLE VSBYS EXPECTED AT THE TAF SITES THROUGH TONIGHT. INCREASING MODERATE TO HEAVY SHOWERS OVER THE NORTH AND EAST. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE. SURFACE WINDS BECOMING NORTHEAST AT 6-12 KTS WITH GUSTS 15-25KTS OVERNIGHT AND SUNDAY. SLIGHTLY HIGHER AT ATL SUNDAY. //ATL CONFIDENCE...06Z UPDATE... MEDIUM CONFIDENCE ALL ELEMENTS EXCEPT HIGH HIGH CONFIDENCE FOR WIND SPEEDS. 41 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 59 67 60 69 / 100 90 70 30 ATLANTA 58 69 61 71 / 80 80 40 20 BLAIRSVILLE 59 70 58 71 / 100 80 40 20 CARTERSVILLE 58 72 61 73 / 90 80 30 10 COLUMBUS 58 71 62 72 / 60 50 40 10 GAINESVILLE 58 68 60 69 / 100 90 50 20 MACON 57 70 63 71 / 60 60 50 20 ROME 59 74 60 75 / 90 70 30 10 PEACHTREE CITY 58 68 61 71 / 80 70 40 10 VIDALIA 60 72 62 72 / 50 50 30 30 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: BALDWIN...BANKS...BARROW...CATOOSA...CHEROKEE...CLARKE... DADE...DAWSON...FANNIN...FORSYTH...GILMER...GLASCOCK...GORDON... GREENE...GWINNETT...HALL...HANCOCK...JACKSON...JEFFERSON... LUMPKIN...MADISON...MORGAN...MURRAY...OCONEE...OGLETHORPE... PICKENS...PUTNAM...TALIAFERRO...TOWNS...UNION...WALKER... WALTON...WARREN...WASHINGTON...WHITE...WHITFIELD...WILKES. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 1121 PM EDT SAT OCT 3 2015 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-050330- 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- 1121 PM EDT SAT OCT 3 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT... MINOR TO POSSIBLY MODERATE FLOODING WILL CONTINUE AS WE GET INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOUR...PRIMARILY OVER EASTERN SECTIONS AS WIDESPREAD RAIN AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY. IN ADDITION...WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE OVER NORTHEAST GEORGIA. WITH THE SATURATED SOILS IN PLACE...FALLEN TREES WILL BE EASY TO COME BY THROUGH SUNDAY. WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED... HEAVY RAINFALL MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING...AREAL FLOODING AND RIVER FLOODING. OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED IN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. DOWNED TREES DUE TO MODERATE WINDS AND SATURATED SOILS. DISCUSSION... AN UPPER LOW OVER THE SOUTHEAST COMBINED WITH DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE WILL PRODUCE WIDESPREAD RAIN AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS MAY LEAD TO INSTANCES OF FLASH FLOODING. REFER TO THE LATEST FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... AN UPPER LOW PRESSURE AREA WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE WIDESPREAD RAINFALL THROUGH SUNDAY. RAIN WILL DIMINISH LATE SUNDAY INTO MONDAY AS THE LOW MOVES EAST OF THE STATE. STORM TOTALS ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 3 TO 5 INCHES OVER MUCH OF THE EASTERN PORTION OF GEORGIA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Banks County Emergency Manager reported numerous trees blown across the county from several hours of sustained 30 to 35 MPH winds. Gusts were estimated over 40 MPH. Multiple roads were blocked and power lines downed.
The Hall County 911 Center reported numerous trees blown down across the county from several hours of 30 to 35 MPH sustained winds with gusts estimated over 40 MPH. Several roads were blocked by downed trees, including Cornelia Highway and Chandler Road, and power outages were reported.
The Dawson County Emergency Manager reported approximately 50 trees blown down across the county from several hours of 30 to 35 MPH sustained winds with gusts estimated over 40 MPH. Several roads were blocked by downed trees and power outages were reported.
The ASOS at the Athens-Ben Epps Airport, KAHN, recorded a 51 MPH wind gust. No reports of damage were received from the several hours of strong winds in the county.
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, October 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: 603724, 603725, 603726, 603728.