Lightning TrackerTornado warnings and watches right now
A tornado warning means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar — take shelter now. A tornado watch means tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area. The panel below lists every alert in effect right now.
Active tornado and severe thunderstorm alerts
Live alerts for the United States
Checking the National Weather Service…
Tornado watch vs tornado warning
Tornado watch — tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area. Watches come from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center and usually cover many counties or even several states. Review your plan and know where you would shelter.
Tornado warning — a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Warnings come from your local National Weather Service office and cover a much smaller area, around the size of a city or small county. Act immediately.
Where to shelter
- Best: a basement, storm cellar or purpose-built safe room.
- No basement: a small interior room or hallway on the lowest floor, away from windows — put as many walls between you and the outside as you can.
- Protect your head and neck; helmets and mattresses help against debris.
- Mobile homes and cars are not safe — go to a sturdy building if you can reach one in time.
Tornado history near you
Each city page counts the tornado reports within 25 miles of the city since 2016 and the strongest rating (EF scale), from NOAA Storm Prediction Center data. State pages show tornado reports by year. Start from the storm tracker.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning?
A tornado watch means tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area; it is issued by the Storm Prediction Center and typically covers numerous counties or even states. A tornado warning means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar; it is issued by the local forecast office for a much smaller area, around the size of a city or small county.
Where should I go during a tornado warning?
Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. If there is none, go to a small interior room on the lowest floor, away from windows, and cover your head. Mobile homes and vehicles are not safe shelters.
How do I know if there is a tornado warning near me?
Check the live panel on this page or the page for your city, which shows every National Weather Service alert for that location. Local sirens and Wireless Emergency Alerts on your phone are also used.
Sources
Get storm alerts on your iPhone
Lightning Tracker shows storm risk around you, live severe-weather alerts and how close the storm is — free on the App Store.
Storm trackers for the stormiest cities
Updated Sep 29, 2026.