A moderately unstable atmosphere and strong daytime heating combined with a weak upper-level short wave to produce isolated severe thunderstorms during the afternoon.
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 moderately unstable atmosphere and strong daytime heating combined with a weak upper-level short wave to produce isolated severe thunderstorms during the afternoon.
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 31, 9:30 AM EST, 3 hours earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 1030 AM EDT SUN JUL 31 2016 .UPDATE... After some morning stratus delayed heating this morning a bit...now seeing full sun across most all locations. Convective temp slightly higher this morning but should have no problem realizing good coverage of storms once again today. Best chances appear to be along and south of the I85 corridor where best deep layer moisture resides but certainly cannot rule out for the north either where still sufficient moisture for low end sct storms. Warm mid levels will once again inhibit robust convection and limit strong to severe threat. Exception may be far north where some slightly cooler mid level air moves in this afternoon. Current grids have an excellent handle on all of this and no changes planned. Deese && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 740 AM EDT SUN JUL 31 2016/ SHORT TERM /Today through Monday/... Still not expecting any major changes to the general pattern we have seen over the area for the past several days. Weak upper troughing remains in place through Monday. Models are indicating that the better moisture...with PWs around 1.75 to 2 inches has settled south into Central Georgia. Better instability also expected over the southern half of the forecast area through the period. Scattered convection expected to develop each day with slightly better POPs across our Central Georgia zones. As with the past several days... lack of any strong upper-level support and moderate instability at best should keep convection below severe limits. Increased convective cloud cover and precipitation coverage each afternoon will help to moderate temperatures a little bit...but we should see highs at or slightly above seasonal normals each day. Heat Index values are expected to remain below advisory levels. 20 LONG TERM /Monday Night through Saturday/... Long-range models continue to show a weak... yet persistent long wave trough drifting along the Atlantic seaboard by early Tuesday. Disturbances traversing through this upper trough will deepen a surface low off the mid-Atlantic coast and help drag a weak surface front into the state by late Tuesday. At this time... it appears a developing northwest flow aloft could spread some drier air into at least parts of north GA and help push the boundary into mainly central GA by Tuesday afternoon. This suggest a lessor rain chance across north GA and maybe only a low scattered coverage across central GA on Tuesday and Wednesday. Weak disturbances in the west to northwest flow aloft combined with increasing low level moisture from a developing southerly low level flow should help increase rain chances across the area by Thursday and this pattern may continue into the weekend. For now... will continue to show 30-40 percent pops for the later half of the work week and into Saturday. The overall pattern shows a weakly sheared environment with only modest instabilities... all suggesting any severe threat will be minimal with nothing widespread or organized severe-wise expected through the long term at this time. Otherwise... highs in the 90s and lows in the 70s will persist. 39 AVIATION... 12Z Update... VFR conditions will predominate across the majority of the forecast area through the forecast period outside of convection. Will see some scattered MVFR or lower visibilities and ceilings through about 14Z. Although an isolated shower or thunderstorm will be possible at any time...the best coverage will be between 16Z and 02Z. Winds will remain west to southwest through the period...generally 6KT or less through 14Z then increasing to 6-10KT after. //ATL Confidence...12Z Update... Medium confidence concerning the extent of any MVFR or lower ceilings and visibilities this morning and on coverage of convection this afternoon and evening. High all other elements. 20 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Athens 94 73 93 73 / 40 40 40 30 Atlanta 90 74 91 74 / 50 50 40 30 Blairsville 87 68 88 67 / 30 30 40 30 Cartersville 91 72 92 71 / 40 40 40 30 Columbus 93 75 93 74 / 50 50 50 40 Gainesville 90 73 90 73 / 30 30 40 30 Macon 94 73 93 73 / 50 50 50 40 Rome 91 71 93 72 / 30 30 40 30 Peachtree City 91 73 92 71 / 50 50 40 30 Vidalia 95 76 94 75 / 50 50 50 40 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...Deese LONG TERM....16 AVIATION...Deese
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 540 AM EDT SUN JUL 31 2016 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-011100- 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- 540 AM EDT SUN JUL 31 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. ALTHOUGH A FEW STORMS MAY BE STRONG DURING PEAK DAYTIME HEATING... SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED... GUSTY WINDS UP TO 45 MPH... FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE STRONGER STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY...MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. A FEW STORMS COULD BE STRONG WITH GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
114 PM EDT SUN JUL 31 2016
GAZ080-311745-
TAYLOR GA-
114 PM EDT SUN JUL 31 2016
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR TAYLOR COUNTY UNTIL 145 PM EDT...
AT 113 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR BUTLER...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
HAZARD...UP TO 40 MPH WIND...PEA SIZED HAIL AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING.
IMPACT...PEOPLE OUTDOORS SHOULD SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. EXPECT
MINOR DAMAGE TO TREE LIMBS AND BLOWING AROUND OF
LIGHT...UNSECURED OBJECTS. LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURE'S
LEADING KILLERS. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU
ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. ELECTRICAL
APPLIANCES SHOULD NOT BE USED UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY.
SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE
BUTLER...REYNOLDS...POTTERVILLE AND FICKLING MILL.
LAT...LON 3261 8432 3269 8420 3268 8418 3269 8414
3268 8413 3269 8411 3264 8408 3263 8406
3263 8407 3258 8407 3256 8405 3255 8402
3254 8401 3251 8409 3251 8411 3250 8413
3247 8421
TIME...MOT...LOC 1713Z 239DEG 14KT 3258 8419
16SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
127 PM EDT SUN JUL 31 2016
GAZ080-092-093-311800-
MACON GA-TAYLOR GA-SCHLEY GA-
127 PM EDT SUN JUL 31 2016
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN MACON...SOUTHERN
TAYLOR AND SCHLEY COUNTIES UNTIL 200 PM EDT...
AT 127 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR ELLAVILLE...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
HAZARD...UP TO 40 MPH WIND...PEA SIZED HAIL AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING.
IMPACT...PEOPLE OUTDOORS SHOULD SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. EXPECT
MINOR DAMAGE TO TREE LIMBS AND BLOWING AROUND OF
LIGHT...UNSECURED OBJECTS. LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURE'S
LEADING KILLERS. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU
ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. ELECTRICAL
APPLIANCES SHOULD NOT BE USED UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY.
SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE
ELLAVILLE...IDEAL...WALLS CROSSING AND MURRAYS CROSSROADS.
LAT...LON 3218 8438 3237 8439 3244 8422 3224 8416
TIME...MOT...LOC 1727Z 241DEG 14KT 3232 8430
16The Robins AFB radar (KJGX), 79 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:31 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
The Taylor County Emergency Manager reported that shingles were blown off of a house and an attached carport was damaged at a home near the intersection of Highway 137 and Suggs Mill Road. A camper across the road from the house was rolled and damaged.
The Crawford County 911 center reported trees blown down on manor street in Roberta and on Marshall Mill Road.
The Johnson County Emergency Manager reported that parts of the roof on two barns were blown off along Highway 57 Near Moores Chapel. Six trees were also blown down in this area.
The Cherokee County Emergency Manager reported three homes struck by lightning on Windridge Drive. One family was displaced by the damage to their home.
The Cherokee County Emergency Manager reported trees blown down on Woodstock Road at Sable Trace Lane.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, July 2016
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: 653891, 653893, 653895, 653898, 653899.