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Tornado and Severe Weather Statement
The Severe Weather Statement (SVS) is a National Weather Service text product issued to update, cancel, correct, or announce the expiration of an active Tornado or Severe Thunderstorm Warning.
Tornado myths
Tornado myths, also known as common misconceptions about tornadoes, are incorrect beliefs about tornado behavior and safety, like the myth that highway overpasses offer shelter.
Tornado warning
A tornado warning is an alert issued by local National Weather Service offices when a tornado is sighted or indicated by radar, telling people to take shelter immediately.
Tornado watch
A tornado watch is an alert issued by the Storm Prediction Center when tornadoes and severe thunderstorms are possible, calling for preparation rather than immediate shelter.
Tropical cyclone preparedness
Tropical cyclone preparedness, or hurricane preparedness, covers the household planning, warning systems, evacuation, and structural mitigation used to reduce deaths, injuries, and property damage from tropical cyclones.
Waffle House Index
The Waffle House Index is an informal, color-coded gauge of disaster severity, read from whether local Waffle House restaurants are open, on limited menu, or closed.
Warming center
A warming center, also called a warm bank, is a short-term heated facility opened during extreme cold, primarily to protect homeless people from cold-related illness and death.
Weather of 2025
The weather of 2025 was the second or third warmest year on record at about 1.44 °C above pre-industrial averages, and the warmest without an El Niño.
Weather of 2026
The weather of 2026 was shaped by a strong El Niño and record global heat, bringing a record-quiet Atlantic hurricane season and a record March heat wave in the western United States.
Winter storm warning
A winter storm warning is an alert issued by the National Weather Service when a winter storm is producing or forecast to produce heavy snow or significant ice.
Winter weather advisory
A winter weather advisory is a National Weather Service alert for snow, sleet, or freezing rain that warrants caution but falls below winter storm warning criteria.
Wireless Emergency Alerts
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are short emergency messages that US authorities broadcast to mobile phones in a targeted area, administered by FEMA and delivered over commercial mobile networks.