Ample moisture, moderate instability and strong daytime heating, combined with a nearly stationary frontal boundary across the region, resulted in fairly widespread reports of scattered severe thunderstorms across north and central Georgia.
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.
Ample moisture, moderate instability and strong daytime heating, combined with a nearly stationary frontal boundary across the region, resulted in fairly widespread reports of scattered severe thunderstorms across north and central Georgia.
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 15, 2:16 PM EST, 26 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 316 PM EDT Wed Jul 15 2020 .SHORT TERM /Tonight through Thursday Night/... An upper level ridge continues to slowly move eastward across the eastern CONUS through the short term period, and will be centered over the Atlantic coast by Thursday morning. With the ridge axis and surface high pressure currently positioned to the east of the forecast area, surface winds have shifted to a southeasterly direction on the back side of the high pressure. Meanwhile, advection of low-level tropical moisture is contributing to increasing dewpoints and instability. Meanwhile, a weak surface boundary remains stalled near the I-20 corridor, which is maintaining deeper moisture and higher humidity along the boundary and to the south. Convection throughout the short term period will be diurnally-driven in nature, and is already developing across north and central Georgia. With increasing instability, an increase in showers/thunderstorms is anticipated across the forecast area, with slight chance PoPs or less only in northeast Georgia, and chance PoPs elsewhere across the forecast area. Widespread severe weather is not expected, but with SBCAPE values rising into the 2000-3000 J/kg range in west Georgia, a few storms could become strong to marginally severe and capable of producing gusty winds, in addition to frequent lightning and locally heavy rain. Showers and thunderstorms will gradually diminish tonight. With very light winds and humid conditions in central Georgia, some patchy fog is possible in central Georgia in the early morning. The pattern will remain consistent on Thursday as the ridge moves over the Atlantic. With continued southerly flow, moisture advection will continue and dewpoints will climb into the low to mid 70s areawide. Scattered afternoon thunderstorms are once again expected on Thursday. The highest rain chances will be in the high-end chance PoPs range (40-50 percent) across majority of the forecast area, with lower chances further east. Both low and high temperatures will be consistently above normal through the short term period. Notably, highs are expected to range from the low to mid 90s in north Georgia and mid to upper 90s in central Georgia. Considering deeper moisture in central Georgia, heat indices from 100 to 104 will be observed along and south of the Atlanta metro this afternoon. While some isolated areas will reach or exceed heat indices 105 degrees in central Georgia, values are overall not anticipated to reach advisory criteria. Heat index values will be slightly lower on Thursday, ranging from 97-102 degrees across the majority of the forecast area. King .LONG TERM /Friday through Wednesday/... No major changes made to the extended forecast. The long term will continue to be characterized by some level of upper level ridging across the area. This will keep diurnally driven showers and thunderstorms and very warm temps through day 7. There are minor differences in the models with increased moisture and timing but they are all showing a similar summertime pattern. Overall the trend is increased moisture as we go into next week, and temps remaining mainly in the 90s. Right now it appears Heat Indices will reach into the upper 90s to lower 100s each day as well. We will keep an eye on things as we may need to issue a heat advisory sometime over the next week or so. 01 .AVIATION... 18Z Update... VFR conditions will persist through the TAF period. Mid-level stratus over ATL has dissipated and a cu field at 040-050 has developed across north and central Georgia. Scattered convection is ongoing near the ATL sites, and a TEMPO group for TSRA is in place for the time the greatest coverage is anticipated, between 18-21Z. SHRA/TSRA is expected to come to an end this evening by 02Z, and mid- level stratus is once again possible in the overnight and early morning hours Thursday. Prevailing winds are expected to remain from the SE at 3-7 kts through the period, with the exception of gusts associated with any TSRA that occurs. //ATL Confidence...18Z Update... Medium to high confidence on all elements. King && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Athens 72 93 72 94 / 20 30 10 30 Atlanta 73 91 73 93 / 20 40 30 20 Blairsville 68 86 68 86 / 20 50 30 50 Cartersville 72 92 72 93 / 20 50 40 30 Columbus 74 94 74 95 / 30 40 30 20 Gainesville 71 89 72 91 / 20 40 20 30 Macon 73 94 72 94 / 30 30 20 20 Rome 72 93 73 94 / 20 30 30 30 Peachtree City 72 91 72 93 / 20 40 30 20 Vidalia 74 95 73 95 / 30 20 5 20 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...King LONG TERM....01 AVIATION...King
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 420 AM EDT Wed Jul 15 2020 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-161000- 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- 420 AM EDT Wed Jul 15 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North and Central Georgia. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight... Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are expected across much of north and central Georgia this afternoon and evening. The main hazards will be gusty winds, frequent lightning and brief heavy rain with any strong storms. Heat Indices of 100 to 105 degrees can be expected over central and portions of north Georgia this afternoon. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday... For Thursday through Saturday, isolated to scattered thunderstorms are expected across the area during the afternoon and evening hours. Some storms could be strong with gusty winds, frequent lightning and locally heavy rainfall. For Sunday through Tuesday, Scattered to numerous thunderstorms are expected across the area. Some storms will be strong with gusty winds, frequent lightning and locally heavy rainfall. Heat indices of 100 to 105 degrees can be expected over much of the area away from the mountains through Tuesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed through tonight.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
321 PM EDT Wed Jul 15 2020
GAZ095-105-151945-
Dooly GA-Houston GA-
321 PM EDT Wed Jul 15 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN DOOLY AND
SOUTHWESTERN HOUSTON COUNTIES UNTIL 345 PM EDT...
At 320 PM EDT...a strong thunderstorm was over Unadilla, or 11 miles
south of Perry...moving northwest at 10 mph.
HAZARD...40 to 50 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
Unadilla, Pinehurst, Elko, Grove Park and Henderson.
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 3217 8383 3229 8389 3229 8385 3236 8385
3236 8386 3238 8386 3238 8384 3240 8383
3242 8369 3225 8361 3225 8362 3224 8361
TIME...MOT...LOC 1920Z 143DEG 10KT 3229 8375
WIND...50MPHThe Atlanta radar (KFFC), 87 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:39 UTC.
9 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
The Cherokee County Emergency Manager reported trees blown down from Little Brook Drive to Meadow Brook Drive and Park Creek Ridge in the Hickory Flat area.
The public reported a wind gust of 60 MPH measured with a home weather station.
The Fayette County 911 center reported trees and power lines blown down on the northeast side of Fayetteville from around McDonough Road and Zoie Court to Allenwood Road.
The public reported hail the size of quarters in the Berkeley Lake area.
The Laurens County Emergency Manager and the 911 center reported numerous trees blown down from Dexter to Scooter Route Branch.
The Toombs County Emergency Manager reported a tree blown down across Highway 1 near Toombs Central.
The public reported hail the size of hen eggs along Mt Zion Church Road. A window and a patio table were broken at a home and car alarms were set off in the area.
The public reported hail the size of golf balls in the Hogansville area. several cars were dented and had windshields cracked.
The Lamar County 911 center reported trees blown down in the Brent Road and Ramah Church Road area.
The Laurens County Emergency Manager reported trees blown down east of East Dublin into East Dublin.
The Dodge County Emergency Manager reported 3 trees blown down on Highway 87 south of Eastman.
A report of hail the size of nickels in Gay was received over social media.
The Monroe County 911 center reported multiple trees blown down around the intersection of Juliette Road and Newton 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, July 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: 903079, 903106, 903080, 903069, 903085, 903086, 903073, 903074, 903089, 903100, 903101, 903076, 903104.