Guides
Find the safety guide for the hazard in front of you, then prepare, stay safe and recover
What alerts mean and what to do, from NWS, NHC, FEMA and CDC sources.
Prepare
Before a storm: zones, supplies and plans.
Preparing
Hurricane preparedness checklistGet ready for a hurricane with this NWS and Ready.gov checklist: know your zone, build a kit, make a family plan, review insurance and protect windows.Read guide Preparing
Hurricane evacuation zones: what they mean and how to find yoursWhat a hurricane evacuation zone is, how to find yours, and what an evacuation order means. Zones are set locally; this guide points to official lookups.Read guide Warnings
Winter storm watch vs warning, blizzard and ice storm warningsTell a winter storm watch from a warning, and learn what blizzard and ice storm alerts and advisories mean and what the NWS says to do.Read guide Preparing
What to keep in your winter car kitPack a winter storm survival kit for your car using the NWS list, and prepare your vehicle and yourself before winter weather arrives.Read guide Preparing
How to get weather and emergency alerts on your iPhone or Android phoneHow to turn on weather and emergency alerts on iPhone and Android, which weather warnings Wireless Emergency Alerts send, and other ways to get warnings.Read guide Preparing
Emergency kit and family planBuild an emergency kit from the Ready.gov supplies list and write a family emergency plan your household can find, with NWS guidance.Read guide Preparing
Hurricane shelters: how to find one and what to bringHow to find a shelter before a hurricane, what the Red Cross says to bring, why a mobile home is not safe shelter, and what to do if you stay home.Read guide Preparing
Tornado safe rooms and shelters: what counts and what to doWhat FEMA means by a safe room, the next-best tornado shelter Ready.gov names, and what to do in a car or mobile home, from official FEMA and Ready.gov pages.Read guide Preparing
Winter storm preparedness: getting your home readyGet your home ready for a winter storm with Ready.gov guidance on insulation, detectors, several days of supplies and a car kit.Read guide Preparing
Securing your home and yard before a hurricaneSecure your home, yard and belongings before a hurricane the way FEMA and NOAA advise, including what not to do with window tape.Read guide Understanding
How tornadoes are rated on the EF scale, from EF0 to EF5How the National Weather Service rates tornadoes from EF0 to EF5, the wind estimates for each rating, and why a rating comes only after a damage survey.Read guide Understanding
How to read the hurricane cone and what it does not showRead the NHC forecast cone correctly. See how its size is set from past forecast errors, what it leaves out, and how the wind and warning graphic works.Read guide Understanding
When is hurricane season? Atlantic and eastern Pacific dates and peakOfficial start and end dates of hurricane season for the Atlantic and eastern Pacific, when activity peaks, and what an average season looks like.Read guide Understanding
Watch vs warning vs advisory and what each weather alert meansTell a watch, a warning and an advisory apart for floods, heat, wind, thunderstorms, fire weather and cold, with NWS thresholds.Read guide Understanding
Frost advisory vs freeze warning: what each meansTell a frost advisory from a freeze warning, and see what each alert means, how cold it gets, and how frost differs from a freeze.Read guide Understanding
Strongest, deadliest and biggest tornadoes in U.S. historyThe deadliest, widest, costliest and strongest-measured tornadoes in U.S. history, with numbers from NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.Read guide Understanding
Tornado outbreaks: what they are and the biggest on recordWhat a tornado outbreak is, how the Storm Prediction Center counts one, and the largest outbreaks on record, including April 2011 and the 1974 Super Outbreak.Read guide Understanding
Tornado season and Tornado Alley: when and where tornadoes happenFind when tornado season peaks by region, what Tornado Alley means, and how many tornadoes hit the U.S. each year, from NOAA.Read guide Understanding
Nor'easters explained, including when they hit and notable stormsLearn what a nor'easter is, how it got its name, where and when these coastal storms form, and the notable storms the NWS lists.Read guide Understanding
Lake effect snow: what causes it and where it fallsFind out how lake effect snow forms over the Great Lakes, why it falls in narrow bands, and how heavy it can get, from the NWS.Read guide Understanding
The polar vortex explained: what it is and how it brings Arctic coldThe polar vortex is always there. See how it can send Arctic air south and how to prepare for a cold snap, from the NWS.Read guide Understanding
Wind chill explained: what it is and how the NWS calculates itWind chill measures how cold it feels. See the NWS formula, when it becomes dangerous, and example values from the NWS chart.Read guide Understanding
Worst snowstorms in U.S. history: NOAA's list of historic stormsThe biggest U.S. snowstorms from NOAA NCEI's historic storm list: the 1993 Superstorm, Blizzard of 1996, 1978 blizzard and 1950 Appalachian storm.Read guide Warnings
Tornado watch vs tornado warning: what each means and what to doA tornado watch means tornadoes are possible; a tornado warning means one has been sighted or shown on radar. Who issues each, and what to do in each.Read guide Preparing
How to make a hurricane evacuation planHow to make a hurricane evacuation plan before an order comes: check your zone, pick more than one place to go, plan for pets and keep a go bag.Read guide Stay safe
When a warning is in effect.
Staying safe
What to do in a hurricane warningEvacuate if ordered, know where to shelter if you stay, and watch for dangers beyond the wind in a hurricane warning. From NWS guidance.Read guide Staying safe
Generator safety: preventing carbon monoxide poisoningHow to use a portable generator without carbon monoxide poisoning: keep it outdoors, 20 feet from windows, doors and vents, and use a battery CO alarm.Read guide Staying safe
What to do if you are stranded in a vehicle in snowWhat the NWS says to do if you are stranded in a vehicle in a winter storm or blizzard: stay with the vehicle, run the engine sparingly, signal for help.Read guide Staying safe
Staying warm and safe in a winter power outageHow to keep warm during a winter power outage and avoid carbon monoxide poisoning from generators and heaters, from NWS, CDC and Poison Control.Read guide Staying safe
Driving in floods: turn around, don't drownWhy you should never drive or walk into floodwater, how little water can sweep a car away, and what to do when water starts to rise. From NWS guidance.Read guide Staying safe
Tornado safety: watch vs warning and where to take shelterKnow what a tornado watch and warning mean and where the NWS says to shelter at home, in a mobile home or in a vehicle.Read guide Staying safe
Extreme heat safety: staying cool and recognizing heat illnessCool your home in a heat wave and learn the signs of heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, from Ready.gov.Read guide Staying safe
Wildfire evacuation, smoke at home and returning safelyAct on a wildfire alert with Ready.gov guidance: alerts, a 30-foot fire-resistant zone, evacuating, keeping smoke out and returning home.Read guide Staying safe
Thunderstorms and lightning: what to do when thunder roarsReady.gov guidance for a thunderstorm warning: get indoors, avoid plugged-in electronics and running water, and never drive through floodwater.Read guide Staying safe
Extreme cold: dressing, frostbite and hypothermiaDress and go out safely in dangerous cold, and learn the signs and first actions for frostbite and hypothermia, from NWS and Ready.gov.Read guide Understanding the forecast
Air quality alerts and the Air Quality Index, explainedIs the air safe today? What an air quality alert means, who issues it, and what the six AQI colors and number ranges mean, from the NWS and AirNow.Read guide Understanding
Dense fog advisory: what it means and how to drive in fogLearn what an NWS dense fog advisory means, the visibility it is issued for, and how to drive safely in fog.Read guide Understanding
Funnel cloud vs tornado: what is the difference?See how a funnel cloud differs from a tornado, according to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center, and why it still deserves a response.Read guide Understanding
Tornado sirens: what they mean and why some towns have noneWhat tornado sirens are for, why there is no national rule on them, and why you should not depend on them indoors.Read guide Understanding
Ice storms, freezing rain and black ice: what they do and how to stay safeSee what heavy ice does to trees, power lines and roads, how black ice forms, and the minimum lake ice thickness the NWS gives.Read guide Understanding
What a tornado emergency means, and how it differs from a PDS tornado warningWhat a tornado emergency is, how it differs from a tornado warning and a PDS warning, when the National Weather Service issues one, and every one since 1999.Read guide Forecast models
European and GFS hurricane models, and which one is more accurateThe European (ECMWF) and American (GFS) hurricane models explained, what the NHC found about their accuracy, and why the official forecast comes first.Read guide Recover
After the storm: returning home, food, insurance and aid.
Recovering
Returning home after a storm or floodCheck that your home is safe to enter after a storm or flood: structure, power, gas, water and mold, plus cleanup steps, from CDC guidance.Read guide Recovering
Food safety after a power outage or floodKnow how long food stays safe without power, what to throw away after an outage or flood, and how to make water safe to drink, from USDA.Read guide Recovering
Insurance claims and FEMA help after a disasterStart your insurance claim, document the damage and apply for FEMA individual assistance with this first-steps guide, from FEMA guidance.Read guide Recovering
Flood cleanup and mold safety, and what to throw awayHow to deal with mold after a flood, from EPA and CDC guidance: dry everything fast, discard porous items, and when to call a professional.Read guide Recovering
How to stay safe after a hurricane during cleanupIs it safe to go back after a hurricane? Ready.gov guidance for the first days: floodwater, electrical hazards, cleanup gear, phone use and documenting damage.Read guide Understand the forecast
What alerts, categories and models mean.
Warnings
Hurricane watch vs warningA hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible and a warning means they are expected. Here is what to do in each, from official sources.Read guide Impacts
What is storm surge?What storm surge is, why it can flood coastal areas far from a hurricane's forecast track, and why the cone and the category do not show surge risk.Read guide Forecast models
How spaghetti models workSpaghetti model lines show many possible hurricane tracks. See why they spread out and why no single line is the official forecast.Read guide Storm intensity
Hurricane categories 1 to 5, explainedThere are five hurricane categories, from Category 1 at 74 mph to Category 5 at 157 mph or higher, with wind speeds in mph, knots and km/h from the NHC.Read guide Storm intensity
Tropical depression vs tropical storm vs hurricaneSee the wind speed that separates a tropical depression, a tropical storm and a hurricane, and what comes before and after each stage.Read guide