A mid-level short wave, and an associated surface low and cold, front swept through the region. A moderately unstable airmass ahead of this system helped to fuel scattered severe thunderstorms across north Georgia during the afternoon and into the 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.
A mid-level short wave, and an associated surface low and cold, front swept through the region. A moderately unstable airmass ahead of this system helped to fuel scattered severe thunderstorms across north Georgia during the afternoon and into the 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 Apr 24, 3:07 PM EST, 1 hour 11 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 407 PM EDT Sat Apr 24 2021 .UPDATE... Updated to add the severe thunderstorm watch. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 301 PM EDT Sat Apr 24 2021/ SHORT TERM /Today through Monday/... Warm front looks to be along or just north of the I-20 corridor. The forecast dilemma for today remains the potential for convective development this afternoon and evening...and if it will be strong/severe. Most of the CWA is now in the warm sector and clouds have begun to break. With some ascent provided by a 500mb trough/cold pool, do expect additional thunderstorms to develop. It may take awhile for the airmass to recover after this mornings widespread rain...so timing should be late afternoon/early evening. The primary hazards would be damaging wind gusts and large hail. An isolated brief tornado cannot be ruled out. High pressure and dry conditions anticipated for the remainder of the short term period of the forecast. NListemaa LONG TERM /Monday Night through Friday/... Dry start to the extended with a surface high sinking into the Carolina with a broad trough aloft approaching the CWA. This ridge will be the primary weather inhibitor that keeps the area PoP free through the most of the extended. Approaching Wednesday, synoptic pattern begins a slow transition with model guidance solutions showing a mid/upper level trough deepen over the southern Great Plains. Past Wednesday however, guidance differs drastically on what exactly they want to do with this trough. The GFS progs a very deep single trough developing with a surface low moving up the Ohio River Valley, bringing the associated cold front across the area on Thursday Night/Friday morning. Meanwhile, the European model has the same deep trough developing, but continuing to deepen into a cut-off upper low that eventually becomes stacked over Texas. Euro solution also shows another long wave trough starting to sink down into the Midwest during this same period, while the GFS is really sticking with one deep trough system. So in short and to put it lightly, there is a great deal of model disparity in the long term past Wednesday so went with low range slight chance pops starting Thursday afternoon, lasting through and topping out at mid range chance on Friday. 41 AVIATION... 18Z Update... MVFR cigs expected for much of the afternoon. A few breaks showing up in the clouds with higher cigs, but do think it will be short lived, especially if sct tsra around. Best timing for tsra will be during the late afternoon/eve if the airmass is able to recover. Not confident on IFR cigs overnight, but added a SCT deck. Clearing expected right around 12Z SUN. //ATL Confidence...18Z Update... Med confidence all elements. NListemaa && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Athens 52 74 51 78 / 40 0 0 0 Atlanta 51 71 52 77 / 40 0 0 0 Blairsville 46 67 44 75 / 30 0 0 0 Cartersville 49 71 46 79 / 40 0 0 0 Columbus 54 75 53 81 / 60 0 0 0 Gainesville 51 72 50 77 / 40 0 0 0 Macon 55 76 52 81 / 70 0 0 0 Rome 51 72 47 81 / 40 0 0 0 Peachtree City 51 72 48 79 / 50 0 0 0 Vidalia 60 76 56 81 / 90 0 0 0 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 10 PM EDT this evening for the following zones: Chattahoochee...Crisp...Dooly...Harris... Macon...Marion...Muscogee...Schley...Stewart...Sumter...Talbot... Taylor...Webster. && SHORT TERM...NListemaa LONG TERM....41 AVIATION...NListemaa
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 1051 AM EDT Sat Apr 24 2021 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-251500- 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- 1051 AM EDT Sat Apr 24 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North and Central Georgia. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight... Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms are currently pushing across the state this morning. In addition, there remains a risk for strong to severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall again this afternoon, generally along and south of a line from Columbus to Macon to Swainsboro. The main threats include damaging wind, large hail and a few brief tornadoes will be possible. While widespread flash flooding is not anticipated, heavy rain could create localized flooding especially across south central GA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday... Thunderstorms are possible again on Thursday and into Friday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not requested at this time, but spotters are encouraged to submit reports of severe weather through the web by going to weather.gov/atlanta. Please relay any information about observed severe weather to the NWS while following all local, state, and CDC guidelines.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
436 PM EDT Sat Apr 24 2021
GAZ044-053-054-242100-
Fayette GA-Coweta GA-South Fulton GA-
436 PM EDT Sat Apr 24 2021
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN FAYETTE...NORTHERN
COWETA AND SOUTHWESTERN SOUTH FULTON COUNTIES UNTIL 500 PM EDT...
At 436 PM EDT...a strong thunderstorm was over Arnco-Sargent, or near
Newnan...moving east at 50 mph.
HAZARD...40 mph wind 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
Newnan, Peachtree City, Union City, Fairburn, Tyrone, Palmetto,
Whitesburg, Chattahoochee Hills, Plant Yates, Arnco-Sargent, Dunaway
Gardens, Cannongate, Sandy Creek, Roscoe, Thomas Crossroads and
Madras.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
People outdoors should seek shelter immediately. Motorists should
slow down and be prepared for possible loss of control due to
hydroplaning.
LAT...LON 3348 8490 3349 8488 3349 8486 3351 8484
3351 8483 3353 8482 3365 8461 3357 8447
3342 8452 3337 8490 3344 8492
TIME...MOT...LOC 2036Z 247DEG 44KT 3343 8485
WIND...40MPHSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
450 PM EDT Sat Apr 24 2021
GAZ042-043-242115-
Douglas GA-Carroll GA-
450 PM EDT Sat Apr 24 2021
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN DOUGLAS AND CARROLL
COUNTIES UNTIL 515 PM EDT...
At 450 PM EDT...a strong thunderstorm was over Carrollton...moving
east at 40 mph.
HAZARD...40 mph wind 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
Carrollton, Villa Rica, Mount Zion, Abilene, John Tanner State Park,
Treasure Lake, Hannah, Bill Arp and Fairplay.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
People outdoors should seek shelter immediately. Motorists should
slow down and be prepared for possible loss of control due to
hydroplaning.
LAT...LON 3362 8519 3375 8490 3366 8479 3356 8482
3355 8483 3354 8483 3353 8517
TIME...MOT...LOC 2050Z 254DEG 36KT 3358 8512
WIND...40MPHSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
456 PM EDT Sat Apr 24 2021
GAZ033-044>046-054-055-057-242130-
Fayette GA-North Fulton GA-Rockdale GA-Clayton GA-DeKalb GA-Henry GA-
South Fulton GA-
456 PM EDT Sat Apr 24 2021
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN FAYETTE...NORTH
FULTON...SOUTHWESTERN ROCKDALE...CLAYTON...SOUTHWESTERN DEKALB...
NORTHWESTERN HENRY AND SOUTHEASTERN SOUTH FULTON COUNTIES UNTIL 530
PM EDT...
At 456 PM EDT...a strong thunderstorm was over Union City, or 9 miles
northwest of Fayetteville...moving east at 50 mph.
HAZARD...40 mph wind 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
Atlanta, Decatur, Jonesboro, East Point, Stockbridge, Union City,
Forest Park, Riverdale, College Park, Fairburn, Tyrone, Morrow,
Hapeville, Avondale Estates, Lake City, Belvedere Park,
Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, Candler-Mcafee, Rex and Belmont.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
People outdoors should seek shelter immediately. Motorists should
slow down and be prepared for possible loss of control due to
hydroplaning.
LAT...LON 3379 8424 3370 8411 3355 8413 3349 8459
3358 8463
TIME...MOT...LOC 2056Z 249DEG 49KT 3356 8455
WIND...40MPHSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
511 PM EDT Sat Apr 24 2021
GAZ042>044-242145-
Douglas GA-Carroll GA-South Fulton GA-
511 PM EDT Sat Apr 24 2021
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN DOUGLAS...EASTERN
CARROLL AND WESTERN SOUTH FULTON COUNTIES UNTIL 545 PM EDT...
At 511 PM EDT...a strong thunderstorm was over Hannah, or 12 miles
southwest of Douglasville...moving east at 45 mph.
HAZARD...40 mph wind 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
Union City, Fairburn, Palmetto, Chattahoochee Hills, Byers
Crossroads, Hannah, Campbellton, Chapel Hill, Fairplay and Bill Arp.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
People outdoors should seek shelter immediately. Motorists should
slow down and be prepared for possible loss of control due to
hydroplaning.
LAT...LON 3352 8489 3364 8490 3372 8465 3363 8455
3352 8462
TIME...MOT...LOC 2111Z 260DEG 41KT 3359 8483
WIND...40MPHThe Atlanta radar (KFFC), 49 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:16 UTC.
20 hail, 11 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The DeKalb County Emergency manager reported quarter size hail near I-20 and Columbia Road.
Several reports of hail up to the size of quarters were received over social media from the east Atlanta area.
The public reported hail as large as golf balls in the East Lake area.
An amateur radio operator reported nickel size hail at McKoy Park in Decatur.
An amateur radio operator reported hail up to the size of quarters at Stone Mountain Park.
The broadcast media reported hail the size of ping pong balls at the intersection of Highways 103 and 18.
The public reported hail the size of quarters at Emerald Forest Circle SW and Five Forks Trickum Road SW.
A report of quarter size hail at the intersection of Main Street and Broome Street was received over social media.
A report of hail the size of quarters on North Davis Road near Hogansville Road was received over social media.
The broadcast media reported quarter size hail along St. Marks Road near Greenville Road.
A trained spotter reported hail the size of quarters 2 miles southeast of Holbrook.
The Forsyth County Emergency Manager reported quarter size hail in the southern part of the county.
The Forsyth County Emergency Manager reported hail the size of quarters near the intersection of Highway 9 and Hopewell Road.
The public reported quarter to half dollar size hail near the intersection of Highway 9 and Hopewell Road.
A trained spotter reported quarter size hail near the intersection of Hopewell Road and Jot Em Down Road.
A retired National Weather Service employee reported hail as big as golf balls on Chestatee Point on Lake Lanier.
A report was received over social media of hail the size of half dollars near the intersection of Highways 400 and 136.
A trained spotter reported quarter size hail in the 6200 block of Dahlonega Highway in Clermont.
The Carroll County Emergency Manager reported several trees blown down across the southern half of the county from around Bowden to Roopville, Carrollton and Whitesburg. Trees were blown onto a house near Tyus Veal Road.
The Paulding County Emergency Manager reported numerous trees and power lines blown down across the southern half of the county in a swath around 5 to 10 miles wide from the Draketown area to Dallas, Hiram and Floral Path.
A report of quarter size hail on Laurel Creek Court was received over social media.
The Douglas County Emergency Manager and the public reported numerous trees blown down in the Fairplay area, generally along Liberty Road from Tyree Road to Banks Mill Road.
The Troup County Emergency Manager reported numerous trees and power lines blown down across the county from West point northeastward across LaGrange to Hogansville.
The Clayton County Emergency Manager and the general public reported numerous trees and power lines blown down from the Forest Park area to Morrow.
An off-duty National Weather Service employee reported a large tree blown down across Lower Fayetteville Road just east of Chandlers Creek.
The weather observer at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport reported hail up to the size of half dollars.
The ASOS at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (KATL) recorded a wind gust of 76 mph.
The Rockdale County Emergency Manager reported numerous trees and power lines blown down across the county in a swath around 5 miles wide from the southwestern reaches of the county northeastward across Conyers into the Zingara area.
The Gwinnett County Emergency Manager reported trees and power lines blown down between Centerville and Loganville from the 4000 block of Summer Place to the 2700 block of Lenora Road SW.
The Upson County Emergency Manager reported a couple of trees blown down along Manley Road.
The Baldwin County Emergency Manager reported a tree blown down around the intersection of 1st Street and Luhaven Street.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, April 2021
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: 950724, 950725, 950721, 950726, 950727, 950728, 950729, 950730, 950731, 950732, 950733, 950734, 950735, 950736, 950737, 950738, 950739, 950740, 950754, 950755, 950741, 950757, 950764, 950758, 950759, 950742, 950790, 950769, 950779, 950781, 950785.