Best Links US: Weather

Worldwide weather forecasting and live radar

Watching the Weather and Tornado TIPS

This page offers you forecasts, and interactive radar from all over the US and Europe. Most TV stations use National Weather service's widespread radar system to spot storms. You can zero down to the neighborhood level and most people tend to watch their own parts of town and generally a larger area to the SOUTHWEST of their locations since that's the direction from which most storms track.

You'll also get lots of tips on preparing for all kinds of weather.

Tornado season has become almost year round although usually sweeps in the South late winter or early spring, then a bit later through the midwest plains, and then towards the northeast later in the spring.

When storms are present, your local TV weather staff will show you cut-ins and radar where the most danger is, but they may not focus where YOU are. You can listen to them while looking at national radar feeds on the internet---the same radar they show you on TV. But you can focus more closely on storms approaching you while they're giving warnings to counties facing on the ground tornadoes elsewhere.

So look out for YOU! Look over these choices which radar display you like the most:

WeatherBug Radar

Weather Channel

A major player in forecasting, fieldwork and more.

Using Weather Service Radar and Forecasts by zip code (or just mouse around the map)

Slide mouse on the map to any city or state and zoom in or Enter your zipcode. To pull back your view or zero in, click the (+ and -) buttons.

Most National weather service maps on TV repeat National Watches and Warnings naming COUNTIES but their own maps often show only the major cities and towns, not where the names counties are on their maps. So it might be hard to tell where the storms are compared to where YOU are!

To find this COUNTY Labeled map quickly, also make this URL an MS EDGE "Favorite" or "GOOGLE "Bookmark"

You may like having your TV on and also be on the internet in these links often for a different view than you see on TV. The TV meteorologist will tell you want to look for and where it is.

NOAA.GOV radar, forecasts, currents and more

National Weather Svc
- nationwide radar sites

Nat'l Interactive Radar
Slide Mouse to any city, worldwide, and zoom in
KMBC-TV 9 KansasCity Forecast

AccuWeather

Navigating Interactive RADAR maps provided by TV stations on their websites or government pages.
MOUSE CLICK anyplace on your computer maps and drag your mouse in any direction to move the view anywhere in the country. (Map will redraw in a few seconds.)

Resize Wider [-] ZOOM OUT to other states or countries
Resize Closer [+] ZOOM IN all the way down to your own neighborhood!
Click the bottom line's >-arrow to start the ANIMATE loop to show you the last few hours motion and direction a storm cell is heading (towards or away from you or easily missing you altogether.)

Note that storms can pop up rather suddenly from nothing to a nasty red image in only a few minutes, so press F5 to REFRESH the page and check it often. Before your county turns 'red' may well be enough preparation time to right now put your survival kit in your safe place where you will hide so when the sirens sound you only need to gather the kids, the dog, get safe!

Protecting Your Family - A Survival Guide

The US Government's FEMA Emergency Management website has plenty of tips on preparing in advance and what to do if a storm is barreling down on you. These are their brief tips, plus some practical detailed ones below for your family.

Ready.gov

Federal Emergency Management home planning

If the sirens are sounding right now, you have NO time to prepare. Just gather the kids, call the dog, and get into your safe place!

You'll be glad if they're dressed for outside and wearing good shoes and you have your PURSE or billfold. Have a spare pet leash in your safe space. Don't' go gathering up things NOW you forgot, hoping you have time. You don't. By the time the sirens sound, the danger is already here--especially if you're at the SW, S or West edge of town!

You should already have survival gear in your safe place, such as:

Your battery powered weather/AM/FM radio if it's not now sitting in your bedroom.
Bring any medications your family needs for at least a week or more in case you must leave home after a strike or power outage.
Have at least ONE Flashlight with 1 or 2 sets of extra batteries. Since batteries tend to leak and ruin the flashlights if stored in them for months, leave it empty of batteries until you get in there to hide.
A sturdy box or safe containing money or important papers-- originals or copies of your home and car ownership, bank account numbers, next of kin addresses and phone numbers, insurance policy in case you need it.
Cellphone chargers with a long cord which you can plug in ON CHARGE from your safe space to fully charge your i phones and ipads during an hour's storm warning.
A TV not too far from your safe space that has an ANTENNA on it to hear your local stations without your cable or internet hookup. (Yes some stations or internet providers can lose power and signal too!)
Have your TV turned up loud to hear the best weather station in your area. That will work so long as you and they have power.
Open a window or garage door if you can, plus a door into the house or apartment since tornados generate a much different air pressure than in your house and that could damage or destroy more of it. Of course you don't choose a window that would cause water damage in a heavy rain. If a tornado is very close to you, you can expect your ears to pop because of the pressure.
Most importantly, play storm spotter at your own risk. If you can't see blue sky over you, you should be in your safe place on a lower floor or basement, where there are NO windows or skylight which very often shatter because of a tornado's or high wind's sudden pressure changes all over a room, injuring anyone there.

Spend some time choosing your safe place beforehand, assuring no heavy objects could fall on you if you will be hiding in a closet. Basements are best but many communities don't typically build basements so you'll need to plan this...beforehand, not when the sirens sound!

Power Outages

Saving your appliances, keeping warm and cold when the juice is out. Here are planning ahead tips--a comprehensive list for both short term and long term life without heating, cooling and lights.

Your house could be in the dark during ICE STORMS, High winds that hit trees breaking above ground power poles and overhead electrical, cable and phone service. If that happens, expect to be groping around in pitch black finding a flashlight to get out of bed headed for your safe place.

Your SMARTPHONES have built-in lights. Know how to turn them on in the dark. They need to be fully charged and at bedside when you hear storms or winds are coming.
Set out flashlights or battery lanterns in central places--like the kitchen counter, by your bed, by or in your safe place, and the escape back door. (Have a flashlight by the basement stairs to get to your safe place in the dark.)
Don't use candles for they may blow over during aa storm and catch fire. But do know where they are for an extended outage later.
Have a flashlight, coat/raincoat by the door if you must go outside to inspect damage after a harsh storm has passed.
Have coats/shoes very handy for everyone and plans where in the house what to do or where to go in the dark.
Secure your pets on a leash and keep calm so you'll keep THEM calm too.
Have your weather/AM/FM radio HANDY to turn on if the power goes out.
Don't open the refrigerator/freezer except for short periods to keep food cold s long as possible.
If bad weather's coming, have your cars gassed up hours beforehand and equipped with a cigarette lighter iphone charger.
Call your nearby family members to exchange plans for emergencies.
If you have a wood or gas fireplace or patio firepit, have dry wood and know how to turn it on and off.
Keep your BBQ grill stored outside and ready (and with an igniter lighter) for extended outside cooking and make sure you have a full tank of propane year round, if required.
Always know where and how to turn off your ELECTRICITY, GAS, and WATER feeding your house. (Gas and water require a big $10 wrench tool you can buy in advance at a lumberyard, and keep it in a place close to the gas meter.)
If you require electrical medical equipment, like oxygen, or other critical needs, have a distant family or friend that still has power, or a generator in case you have an extended power outage. Plan this in advance.
During storm-ice seasons, have stocked up on food, water products to last your family a week or more--or even longer. Think about how you'd cook meals, rotate your extra non-perishable food stocks so they don't spoil, and how to cook without electricity for a week or more. Remember, during a disaster, your home may be intact but thousands of your neighbors may also be without power for many days. Plan for those things.

Making Storm Maps -

MY State, MY Counties, MY City-County

Randy Majors.org

Weathermen often give the names of Cities under Watches and Warnings, but not always showing unfamiliar counties. You can make your own by choosing a state map from RandyMajors, Copying it to a Browser favorite, then Zooming in to multiple counties West, South and SW of you where storms are likely to gather and move, and finally a close=up map of your county and small towns close by. Those are the ones Weathermen talk about watches and warnings.

Make them in advance, and put them in your Weather/Maps Edge Browser Favorites or Google Chrome Browser Bookmarks. Or you can print them out on a color printer.

Click this Link on an Interactive Map, CLICK YOUR STATE and then Zoom in. Make and Print other more closer-up maps ready to bring up during watches and warnings. Then SAVE them in your BROWSER's Bookmarks or Favorites, ready to go! Provide them to your nearby family and help them put their favorite stations and radar maps on THEIR computers too.

(Click to zoom larger)

During Watches and nearby Warning counties, Watch Your Local TV weather cutins locally or elsewhere like on the Natnl Weather Service or Weatherbug's live radar.. On laptop or printed copies in your home office/safe space, watch the animated radar on TV with maps you might draw on as you watch storms path across your state, especially ones heading in your direction.

When Sirens Sound, HURRY to Hide

Severe Weather Watchers

TC Vortex of Michigan (facebook)

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https://www.flightradar24.com/39.6,-98.24/6

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