What does the shape on a tornado warning map actually mean?
A warning polygon is a forecast area. Learn how to read its boundary, how it relates to storm movement, and why it is different from a confirmed tornado path.
Read the guide →Understand the storm.
Explore the science behind tornadoes, learn from the storms that made history, and see how a changing scenario affects a modeled tornado path.
Explore the simulator ↗Find a guide →
A closer look
All guides →When the rain hides the tornado
Why some tornadoes are difficult to see, even in daylight.
Joplin, May 22, 2011
The storm, the warning, and the lessons that followed.
Reading a debris signature
What dual-polarization radar can tell us about a storm.
Put your curiosity to work
All tools & games →A storm scenario.
Your parameters.
Place a tornado on the map. Adjust its wind speed, width, and path. Explore modeled exposure and damage using regional population data.
Educational estimates; not a forecast or warning service.
Open the tornado simulator ↗A new Tornadle, every day
Six guesses. One tornado name, town, or weather term.
Can you read the damage?
Use the clues to estimate an EF rating.
Weather, in numbers
Explore heat index, wind chill, dew point, and more.