Subscribe Now

Recent flooding, wildfires and earthquakes provide good reminders of the importance of being prepared for natural disasters and other emergencies. According to NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center, there have been 10 billion-dollar weather disasters so far in 2011, including flooding from Hurricane Irene; drought, heat waves and wildfires in the Southern Plains and Southwest; and [...]

May 22-28, 2011 is Hurricane Preparedness Week.  Hurricanes come with many hazards – storm surge, high winds, heavy rains, inland flooding and even tornadoes. The official Atlantic Hurricane Season begins on June 1 and ends on November 30.  As peak season approaches, it is important to understand and prepare for hurricane hazards, even if you [...]

September is National Preparedness Month! A national preparedness survey by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) found that of respondents who considered themselves prepared for an emergency, 35 percent did not have a household plan, 77 percent had not conducted a home evacuation drill, and 73 percent did not know community evacuation routes. Viewer Tip: [...]

Have you ever wanted to help keep your community by reporting severe weather?  SKYWARN is a volunteer network of nearly 290,000 trained severe weather spotters around the country.  SKYWARN spotters help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate information to the National Weather Service about weather events like thunderstorms, winter weather and [...]

May 23-29, 2010 is Hurricane Preparedness Week.  Hurricanes encompass many hazards – storm surge, high winds, heavy rains, flooding and even tornadoes. The official Atlantic Hurricane Season begins on June 1 and ends on November 30.  As peak season approaches, it is important to understand and prepare for hurricane hazards. Viewer Tip: This is the [...]

The National Weather Service estimates that about 1200 tornadoes occur in the U.S each year, causing up to 70 fatalities and 1500 injuries nationwide.  When severe thunderstorms occur, changing wind direction and speed can create an area of rotating air, which is where most tornadoes form.  Thunderstorms can also be accompanied by high winds, hail [...]

February 21-27 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Oklahoma.  This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather experienced in Oklahoma, including tornadoes, flash floods and thunderstorms. Viewer Tip: Consider building or updating your family emergency preparedness kit this week.  Having supplies set aside will help ensure you [...]

February 21-27 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Louisiana.  This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather experienced in Louisiana, including flash floods, thunderstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes. Viewer Tip: Consider building or updating your family emergency preparedness kit this week.  Having supplies set aside will help ensure [...]

February 22-26 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Arkansas.  This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather experienced in Arkansas, including flash floods, thunderstorms and tornadoes. Viewer Tip: Consider building or updating your family emergency preparedness kit this week.  Having supplies set aside [...]

February 22-26 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Arizona.  This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather experienced in Arizona, including flash floods, thunderstorms and damaging winds. Viewer Tip: Consider building or updating your family emergency preparedness kit this week.  Having supplies set [...]

February 22-26 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Alabama.  This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather experienced in Alabama, including flash floods, thunderstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes. Viewer Tip: Consider building or updating your family emergency preparedness kit this week.  Having supplies set [...]

February 21-27 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Texas.  This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather experienced in Texas, including flash floods, thunderstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes. Viewer Tip: Consider building or updating your family emergency preparedness kit this week.  Having supplies set aside will help ensure [...]

September is National Preparedness Month, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to encourage all Americans to take easy steps to prepare for natural disasters and emergencies at home, work, and school.  A study conducted by the Ad Council and DHS in 2006 found that 91 percent of respondents said it was “very” [...]

Violent tornadoes comprise only two percent of all tornadoes, but are responsible for about 70 percent of tornado-related deaths.  Once the storms are over, home and business owners face additional health and safety risks as they assess damage to structures and begin clean-up activities.  Viewer Tip: Keep these tips in mind to stay safe after tornado [...]

April 27th through May 3rd is Severe Weather Awareness Week in New York, designed to alert New York residents to the types of severe weather the state experiences – flooding, tornadoes, thunderstorms - and how to be prepared.  There will be statewide hazardous weather communication drills taking place on April 29th and May 1st.  This is the perfect time [...]

April 14th through 18th is Montana Severe Weather Awareness week, sponsored by by Montana’s local National Weather Service offices.  Severe Weather Awareness week is designed to alert Montana residents to the types of severe weather the state experiences, and how to be prepared.  Each day has a different theme: Monday, April 14: NWS Watch and Warning [...]

New Mexico’s Severe Weather Awareness Week runs from March 31st through April 4th, 2008 to promote thunderstorm and tornado safety awareness throughout the state.  Taking steps to prepare for severe weather events well before they occur can help ensure that you and your family members stay safe. Viewer Tip: While peak tornado time is generally [...]

March 23-29, 2008 is Ohio’s Severe Weather Awareness Week, focused on getting Ohio residents prepared for tornadoes, thunderstorms, floods, and other severe weather events that occur during the spring and summer seasons. Viewer Tip: Ohio’s peak tornado season is generally April through July, and the state has designated today, Wednesday, March 26th for the “Statewide Tornado [...]

Tuesday, March 18th, 2008 is Virginia Tornado Preparedness Day – a chance for schools, businesses, and residents in Virginia to test their tornado preparedness plans. National Weather Service offices that serve Virginia will issue a tornado drill warning over NOAA Weather Radio, which will be coordinated with the state’s Emergency Alert System on television, radio, [...]

Did you know that typical thunderstorm lasts about 20 to 30 minutes and has a diameter of fifteen miles? Severe thunderstorms can be accompanied by a range of dangerous conditions, including high winds, hail, and tornadoes. Every thunderstorm produces lightning, which can strike up to ten miles away from any rainfall, and often strikes outside [...]