Tornado tracker: live tornado warnings, watches and reports

Is there a tornado warning near me?

Tap the button and this page checks the warning areas above against your location, on your own device; your location isn't sent anywhere. If you're inside a tornado warning, take shelter now rather than reading further. Your phone's Wireless Emergency Alerts, NOAA Weather Radio and local sirens are faster and more reliable than any website, so keep them on.

No state has a tornado warning in force right now.

Where is the tornado now?

The red shapes on the map are the National Weather Service's warning areas: where the threat is expected over the next half hour or so. Each warning's text gives the storm's latest location and direction, which we show in the table where the text states them. A warning doesn't mean a tornado is on the ground everywhere inside it; it means you should be sheltering there.

What's the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning?

A watch means conditions are right for tornadoes to form. The Storm Prediction Center issues it for a large area, usually for several hours, so you should be ready to act. A warning means a tornado is happening or about to, seen by spotters or indicated by radar. A local NWS office issues it for a smaller area, usually for under an hour. Take shelter immediately.

What is a tornado emergency?

It's the most serious tornado warning the National Weather Service issues. It's used rarely, when a large, confirmed tornado is heading toward a populated area and severe damage and loss of life are likely. If one covers you, get to the safest shelter you can reach immediately: a basement, storm shelter or small interior room on the lowest floor.

What should I do during a tornado warning?

Go to a basement, storm shelter or a small interior room on the lowest floor, away from windows, and protect your head and neck. Mobile homes and vehicles don't protect you; get to a sturdy building if you can. Don't shelter under a highway overpass. Stay put until the warning expires or officials say it's safe. See Ready.gov and the National Weather Service tornado safety pages.

How do you spot a tornado on radar?

Forecasters look for a "hook" shape on the storm's edge in the reflectivity view, and for a tight pair of winds moving toward and away from the radar side by side in the velocity view, which shows rotation. A sudden patch of mixed "debris" readings suggests a tornado is already lofting material. Reading radar takes practice; rely on official warnings.

How are tornadoes rated?

US tornadoes are rated on the Enhanced Fujita scale, from EF0 to EF5, after the event. National Weather Service teams survey the damage and estimate the wind speeds that caused it. That's why a tornado's rating can come a day or more later, and why live trackers can't show an EF rating while the storm is happening.