What to Know: Storm Alerts

4/26/2021 (Permalink)

Remember to go to your local weather station to keep up-to-date on important weather information and storms.

Have you ever been watching TV or listening the radio and heard a storm alert and was confused by what it meant or what you should do when you heard it? There are four common storm alerts based on threat of a storm. Below is a list in order for least to most threating and what to do when you hear the warning.

Outlooks– the least serious of weather alerts. It is issued if hazardous weather is due to occur with in the next 3 to 7 days. For any outlook warning you should stay tuned and monitor the situation for further updates

Advisory- less serious weather alert. When issued the weather is usually less serious but can still cause some inconvenience. For an advisory warning exercise caution and monitor the situation.

Watch- more serious. When issued the weather has an increased risk of causing a hazardous weather event but the location and times are still uncertain. When a watch has been issued continue to listen for further information and be prepared for the weather to change quickly

Warning- most serious of storm alerts. A warning means a weather event is occurring and there is an increased threat life and property exists. When a warning is issued take action immediately and protect yourself and property.

There is no order in which an alert could occur. Some storms can start out as an advisory and go though the proper order of alerts and other times a storm can happen out of nowhere and go right to a storm warning.

To find out what weather alerts are active in your area visit your local or national weather websites or your local news channel if you’re expecting a storm or currently having active weather.