Full Notification

*****Sent with the permission of Fire Chief/EMA Director Landry Merkison*****

We wanted to address the potential for a few strong to severe thunderstorms late this afternoon through this evening, mainly across northwest Georgia. The risk is "marginal" but still something to keep an eye on and prepare for. If you are traveling northbound following work, please use extreme caution and monitor news stations for the latest weather information.
When & Where will the main storm threat be?
• Round 1 - this afternoon/evening between 3pm and 9pm (isolated to scattered storm coverage)
o Mainly north & west of an I-20/I-85 line -- where we expect the best chance to see any severe weather
• Round 2 - a secondary line of storms is possible late tonight (between 11PM and 3AM)
o mainly north of a line from Rome to Jasper to Blairsville (north GA)
Threats + Impacts:
• With initial round of isolated to scattered storms (3-9 PM)
o Damaging winds > 60 MPH
o Large hail of 1" to 1.5"
o Brief tornado not out of the question
• IMPACTS =
o downed trees and powerlines
o minor structural damage (roof shingles pulled off / small barn structures damaged)
o isolated flooding over areas where storms "train" (move over the same area for a period of time)
• Round 2 - overnight line of storms (11pm-3am). Severe threat is expected to diminish but we could still see a few storms generate strong gusty winds (40-50 MPH) and lightning, especially across extreme north Georgia.
Once again, please stay current with the latest information by downloading the ReadyClayton App available on your app store.

Sheriff Victor Hill.