Thunderstorm Wind — Coffee, Georgia

2024-05-09 · near Douglas, Coffee, Georgia

Event narrative

Power lines and trees were blown down with tin metal sheeting blown around across the city. Widespread damage was reported across the city. The time of damage was based on radar data. The cost of damage was unknown, but it was estimated for inclusion of the event in Storm Data. The wind speed estimate of 50 mph was extrapolated between a measured 55 mph gusts in Alma and a 38 mph wind gust in Douglas as storms moved across the area.

Wider weather episode

Steep lapse rates and the development of a low level jet of 40-50 knots at 850

mb maintained a southeastward moving squall line, as a cold pool from an upstream MCS progressed southward and pushed convective coverage across the Altamaha/Ocmulgee Rivers during the mid to late afternoon hours. This broken squall line raced east to southeastward during the late afternoon and early evening hours, and weakened as it neared the I-10 corridor towards sunset where drier and more stable air mass remained in place. Damaging straight line wind gusts of 50-70 mph was the primary threat for locations north of I-10. The Storm Prediction Center had an Enhanced Risk for severe thunderstorms across southeast GA, where a 10% probability of downburst wind gusts in excess of 74 mph existed.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (31.5100, -82.8500)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1170699. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.