Heat and Fire Weather Concerns in the West; Excessive Rainfall Possible in the South-Central U.S.

Heat will build over the Intermountain West and the Southwest the next couple of days. Lightning from dry thunderstorms can create new fire starts and combined with gusty winds may cause a fire to rapidly grow in Oregon and northern California. Flash flooding will be possible in New Mexico and west Texas today, as well as parts of the southern and central Plains due to slow moving thunderstorms. Read More >

Frequently Requested Resources

Hazardous Weather Outlook
Quad City Metro Siren Guidelines
Spotter Training Schedule (for the area we serve)

Hazardous Weather Strategy Guides

Weather Hazards
Alerting Systems
Family Preparedness
Especially for Spotters
Especially for Emergency Managers
More Info

Hazards in Every Season

Storms

Severe Weather Self-Briefing
Severe Weather Awareness Campaigns

About Floods & Flash Floods
About Lightning
About Thunderstorms & Tornadoes
About Storm Spotters

Heat

About Heat
About Heat Index

Winter Weather

Winter Weather Self-Briefing
Winter Weather Awareness Campaigns

About Winter Storms
About Wind Chill
How to Measure Snow

Especially for Kids

NWS's Owlie Skywarn
FEMA's Ready Kids
CDC's Emergency Preparedness

Alerting Systems

With technology today, there are many ways to be alerted to weather warnings. The most important point is to be intentional and proactive:

Have multiple ways to receive warnings.
Know which hazards alert on the various systems.
Choose the alert methods that work best for you in different situations (at home, at the ball park, etc.).
React quickly when the hazard occurs.

Some Types of Alerting Systems

NOAA Weather Radio
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)
Alert Iowa
Outdoor Warning Sirens (FAQ)
Quad City Metro Siren Guidelines
Commercial apps and services for email and text alerts (many of them free)

Family Preparedness

Any time of year, there are three simple steps you can take to be more prepared:

Build a kit. Your emergency supply kit should have everything you need to sustain you and your family for 3-5 days.

Make a plan. Knowing what to do in the event of an emergency is key. Make sure everyone in your family knows what to do.

Be Aware. Learn about the hazards that can affect your community, and learn how to get information about current weather and road conditions.

Dig deeper at beready.iowa.gov or ready.illinois.gov

Image courtesy ready.iowa.gov

Especially for Storm Spotters

Trained storm spotters play a critical role in effective and timely warning decisions. If you are already a spotter, thank you! If not, please learn more below!

Resources for Spotters