Despite weak upper ridging building into the region, strong afternoon heating and ample moisture resulted in moderate instability and isolated severe thunderstorms each afternoon and evening.
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.
Despite weak upper ridging building into the region, strong afternoon heating and ample moisture resulted in moderate instability and isolated severe thunderstorms each afternoon and evening.
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 Aug 8, 12:30 PM EST, 25 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 130 PM EDT Sat Aug 8 2020 .PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 1039 AM EDT Sat Aug 8 2020/ UPDATE... Weak boundary remains across central GA this afternoon. Typical isolated to scattered convection expected today. Have made some tweaks to the temps, but otherwise, no major changes anticipated. PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 740 AM EDT Sat Aug 8 2020/ SHORT TERM /Today through Sunday/... An upper ridge will build across the southeast through the short term. The remnants of a surface boundary persists across central GA while somewhat drier air has spread into portions of north GA. An unstable air mass and diurnal heating will support isolated to scattered convection this afternoon into the evening...mainly across central GA. Not much change expected for Sunday. Slight chance to chance pops for the afternoon with diurnal heating. Heat Index values are forecast to remain below advisory criteria today and Sunday...ranging from 100 to 103 mainly across central GA. 41 LONG TERM /Sunday Night through Friday/... A somewhat typical summertime pattern looks to be in store for the long term highly characterized by weak flow aloft and weak surface high pressure. The nature of the upper flow will allow for weak short waves to move across the area. This will enhance shower and thunderstorm chances along with daytime instability. The shower and thunderstorm chances will favor the afternoon and evening but not necessarily end at night. Model guidance is increasing the overall moisture and this will lead to higher rain chances during the week, especially Wednesday through Friday. Aiding the shower and thunderstorm chances will be high temperatures in the 90s for much of the area away from the mountains. This will allow the heat index to get into the 100 to 105 range for central and portions of N GA well into the week. BDL && .AVIATION... 18Z Update... Winds will remain the forecast problem. Speeds are very light and are typically averaging 3-4kt. Models do seem to want to favor the west side today, so at ATL have indicated a direction. Elsewhere, winds may be more VRB. Wind speeds again tomorrow will be 3-4kt and even more variable in nature. Pops pretty low the next two days...so have only included a VC. //ATL Confidence...18Z Update... Med confidence winds through the period. High confidence remaining elements. NListemaa && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Athens 94 71 94 70 / 30 20 20 10 Atlanta 93 73 92 72 / 20 20 20 10 Blairsville 86 64 85 64 / 30 10 20 10 Cartersville 94 70 93 70 / 20 10 20 10 Columbus 96 74 95 73 / 20 20 30 10 Gainesville 92 70 92 69 / 30 10 20 10 Macon 97 73 95 73 / 30 20 30 10 Rome 94 70 93 70 / 20 10 20 10 Peachtree City 94 71 92 71 / 20 20 20 10 Vidalia 96 74 95 74 / 50 40 50 20 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...NListemaa LONG TERM....BDL AVIATION...NListemaa
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 1043 AM EDT Sat Aug 8 2020 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-091000- 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- 1043 AM EDT Sat Aug 8 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North and Central Georgia. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight... Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are expected across central and portions of north Georgia this afternoon and evening. A few storms will be strong and possibly severe with strong to damaging winds, frequent lightning and locally heavy rainfall. Heat indices of 100 to 105 can be expected for much of central Georgia this afternoon. Those outside for prolonged periods should make sure to take precautions from the heat. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday... Isolated to scattered thunderstorms can be expected Sunday and scattered to numerous thunderstorms Monday through Friday. A few storms will be strong to severe with strong to damaging winds, frequent lightning and locally heavy rainfall. Heat indices of 100 to 105 can be expected over central and portions of north Georgia well into the week. Those outside for prolonged periods should make sure to take precautions from the heat. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed through tonight.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
144 PM EDT Sat Aug 8 2020
GAZ097-098-111>113-081815-
Toombs GA-Wheeler GA-Treutlen GA-Montgomery GA-Laurens GA-
144 PM EDT Sat Aug 8 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN TOOMBS...NORTHEASTERN
WHEELER...SOUTHERN TREUTLEN...NORTHERN MONTGOMERY AND SOUTHEASTERN
LAURENS COUNTIES UNTIL 215 PM EDT...
At 144 PM EDT...a strong thunderstorm was over Barnhill, or near
Soperton...moving east at 15 mph.
HAZARD...Up to 40 mph wind...frequent cloud to ground lightning
and heavy rain.
IMPACT...Expect minor damage to tree limbs and blowing around of
light...unsecured objects. Heavy rain may cause temporary
street flooding especially in poor drainage areas.
Some locations in the path of this storm include
Lyons, Soperton, Mount Vernon, Vidalia, Glenwood, Ailey, Higgston,
Santa Claus, Tarrytown, Lothair, Landsburg, Ponderosa, Cedar Grove,
Barnhill, Kibbee, Lowery and Normantown.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
People outdoors should seek shelter immediately. If you can hear
thunder...you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Motorists
should slow down and be prepared for possible loss of control due to
hydroplaning.
LAT...LON 3212 8225 3218 8269 3227 8301 3243 8293
3233 8237 3229 8235 3229 8228 3231 8226
3230 8223 3228 8223 3224 8221 3221 8221
TIME...MOT...LOC 1744Z 280DEG 15KT 3230 8266
WIND...40MPHSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
148 PM EDT Sat Aug 8 2020
GAZ080-092-093-081815-
Macon GA-Schley GA-Taylor GA-
148 PM EDT Sat Aug 8 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN MACON...NORTHERN
SCHLEY AND SOUTHERN TAYLOR COUNTIES UNTIL 215 PM EDT...
At 148 PM EDT...a strong thunderstorm was over Garden Valley, or 8
miles southeast of Butler...moving east at 15 mph.
HAZARD...Up to 40 mph wind...frequent cloud to ground lightning
and heavy rain.
IMPACT...Expect minor damage to tree limbs and blowing around of
light...unsecured objects. Heavy rain may cause temporary
street flooding especially in poor drainage areas.
Some locations in the path of this storm include
Butler, Montezuma, Reynolds, Ideal, Whitewater State Park, Rupert,
Charing, Garden Valley, Bartlett, Hicks and Potterville.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
People outdoors should seek shelter immediately. If you can hear
thunder...you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Motorists
should slow down and be prepared for possible loss of control due to
hydroplaning.
LAT...LON 3239 8438 3257 8434 3256 8405 3256 8403
3253 8400 3252 8400 3251 8402 3250 8400
3230 8404
TIME...MOT...LOC 1748Z 280DEG 15KT 3246 8416
WIND...40MPHThe Robins AFB radar (KJGX), 59 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:57 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Laurens County Emergency Manager reported a tree blown down on Scotland Road at St. Mark Road.
The Toombs County 911 center reported trees and power lines blown down across the county from the south side of Vidalia to near English Eddy.
The Emanuel County Emergency Manager reported a tree blown down along Modoc Road near the Swainsboro Raceway.
An off-duty National Weather Service employee reported several trees blown down in the Kirkwood community just north of Memorial Drive.
The Walton County 911 center reported a tree blown down on Clegg Farm Road near West Hightower Trail.
A report of a few trees blown down near the intersection of Social Circle Road and Highway 11 was received over social media.
The Morgan County 911 center reported power lines blown down across Bostwick Road at Sandy Creek Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, August 2020
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: 916416, 916417, 916418, 916419, 916420, 916421, 916422.