Severe Weather: Warnings, Reporting, Spotting and Chasing

I'd like to report a severe weather event. How do I do that?

First, determine which office serves the area where the event occurred. Check a map of forecast/warning areas. Then, if possible, phone the appropriate office immediately. Otherwise, contact your local law-enforcement agency and ask them to relay the report to the National Weather Service. If the report is for a location within our forecast area, you can also use the storm report form on our main page. For other after-the-fact reports, you can e-mail the Webmaster of that office's Web site with the following information:

• What happened. We're mainly concerned with:
  • Tornadoes and funnel clouds
  • Hail at least 0.75 inches (19 mm) in diameter
  • Wind damage or wind gusts measured at 50 knots (58 mph, 93 km/h, or 26 m/s) or more
  • Significant flooding (roads closed, houses flooded, etc.)
  • Weather-related injuries or fatalities
• The exact location of the storm or damage (your best guess, if necessary), including the county name
• The time the event occurred, to the nearest five minutes or less, if possible
• Your name and training level, if any