National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Severe Thunderstorms and Heavy Rainfall Across the Central Plains and Central Appalachians

Severe thunderstorms producing damaging winds, heavy rainfall, hail and possibly a few tornadoes will continue through tonight across portions of Kansas and Oklahoma. Heavy rainfall will persist across the Central Appalachians through tonight, potentially leading to areas of flooding. The severe weather and heavy rainfall threat will shift into the lower Great Lakes on Wednesday. Read More >

 

How Do I Send My Storm Report?

Reporting for the first time? Be SURE to read this information.

The following methods of relaying a storm report are listed from the quickest received by the NWS at the top, to the last received at the bottom. Therefore, if a report is urgent (i.e. a developing tornado), you should begin with methods at the top of the list.

If you are just reporting precipitation, consider joining the CoCoRaHS network.

Here is how to make a good storm report:

 

For detailed storm reporting information click here.

  • WHO
    Give your name and any affiliations you may have (i.e. member of a spotter organization, amateur radio club, sheriff's department, etc).

  • WHAT
    Provide a detailed description of what happened, including any damage, measurements, injuries, or fatalities. Mention how you arrived at your values. For instance, don't just say there was "nickel size hail", say whether you measured this with a ruler or estimated.

  • WHEN
    Try to give as precise of a time as possible for the event occurrence.

  • WHERE
    Give as exact of a location as you can when reporting. Try to give a distance to the nearest tenth of a mile from the nearest town, village or city. Cross streets can be very valuable to include in your report, especially if you are in an urban area. Be aware of where you are! Also, be sure to distinguish between where YOU are and where the EVENT is occurring.

  • EXAMPLE OF A GOOD REPORT
    "My name is Joe Public and I'm a trained storm spotter. I measured quarter sized hail with a ruler at 4:46PM about 1.5 miles west of Watonga. Also, at the same time I can see a rotating wall cloud about 2 miles to the west of my location."