Data Sources

Data Sources

Our Data Sources

FindTheTornado.com relies exclusively on free, official U.S. government data. We do not manufacture, interpolate, or modify the underlying storm reports.

NOAA Storm Prediction Center (SPC)

The SPC publishes preliminary storm reports for tornadoes, hail, and damaging winds across the contiguous United States. Data is updated continuously throughout each convective day (12:00 UTC to 12:00 UTC the following day). Reports are preliminary until verified by local NWS offices.

Note on hail size: SPC reports hail size in hundredths of inches (e.g., "175" = 1.75"). Our plugin converts this correctly — a common source of confusion in third-party tools.

NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) API

The NWS provides active warnings, watches, and advisories through a public REST API (api.weather.gov). We display active Tornado Warnings, Tornado Watches, and Severe Thunderstorm Warnings. Alert geometry and affected zones are parsed to derive accurate state codes.

NOAA / National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

Historical storm data used in our state pages comes from NOAA's Storm Events Database (NCEI), the official public archive of U.S. severe weather events since 1950.

Data update frequency: Live feeds are cached for 15 minutes. NWS alert cache expires every 10 minutes.

Accuracy: SPC storm reports are preliminary at the time of publication and may be updated or revised by local NWS offices. Always verify critical information with your local NWS forecast office.

FindTheTornado.com is an educational information resource. We do not perform inspections, repairs, or insurance work. All content is for informational purposes only.

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