NWS and NOAA training
Weather science, severe weather basics, cloud identification, storm safety, and public education.
Training links
Start here. These are the best official training and education paths for weather, emergency management, disaster readiness, and storm spotting.
FEMA training
Preparedness, incident command, emergency planning, exercises, and disaster operations.
First aid and disaster response
Medical basics, disaster action, household planning, sheltering, and community preparedness.
Hazard resource library
Use the official pages for each hazard. They stay current and go deeper than a homemade summary should.
Tornado
Shelter guidance, warnings, watches, and tornado safety basics.
NWS Tornado SafetyHurricane
Storm surge, wind, evacuation, inland flooding, and tropical alerts.
NOAA Hurricane PreparednessFlooding
Flash flooding, river flooding, flood safety, and water hazards.
NWS Flood SafetyLightning
Lightning distance, safe shelter, outdoor event rules, and risk reduction.
NWS Lightning SafetyHeat
Heat illness, heat index, vulnerable populations, and cooling actions.
NWS Heat SafetyWinter weather
Snow, ice, wind chill, hypothermia, travel safety, and power loss.
NWS Winter SafetyWildfire weather
Red flag warnings, smoke, evacuation, and fire weather awareness.
NWS Wildfire SafetyEarthquake
Drop, cover, hold on, earthquake maps, and preparedness guidance.
USGS Earthquake PreparednessWeather basics
Short field notes plus links to real training. This section gives visitors orientation without pretending to be a textbook.
Cloud types
Clouds help identify moisture, stability, lift, and storm growth.
Pressure, humidity, and wind
Pressure trends, dew point, wind direction, and gusts are core weather signals.
Thunderstorms
Severe storms require moisture, instability, lift, and often wind shear.
Quick measurement references
| Topic | Useful reference | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Wind speed | mph, knots, gusts, Beaufort scale, marine winds. | Beaufort Scale |
| Hurricane wind | Saffir Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. | NHC Scale |
| Tornado intensity | Enhanced Fujita Scale. | SPC EF Scale |
| Lightning distance | Flash to bang and lightning safety rules. | NWS Lightning Safety |
| Heat risk | Heat index, heat illness, and heat alerts. | NWS Heat Index |
Maritime weather
Marine weather deserves its own section because water changes the risk. Watch wind, gusts, waves, period, visibility, tides, currents, water temperature, and thunderstorm movement.
Marine forecasts
Buoys, tides, and currents
Boating safety
Dockside rule: The safest weather decision is made before departure. If the marine forecast is marginal, the boat is not ready, or the crew is inexperienced, stay tied up.
Equipment and needs
Keep this section short and practical. Link out for official kit guidance, then list the core categories people actually need.
Home readiness
Water, food, lighting, battery power, radio, first aid, medication, sanitation, documents, pet supplies, and backup cooking plan.
Ready.gov Build a KitVehicle readiness
Water, blanket, charger, flashlight, first aid, reflective vest, jumper pack, tire inflator, map, rain gear, and seasonal gear.
Ready.gov Car SafetyWeather tools
NOAA weather radio, flashlight, power banks, rain gauge, thermometer, barometer, anemometer, waterproof bags, and printed contacts.
NOAA Weather RadioLive tools and data
These are the operational links people will actually use when conditions are changing.
Active alerts
Current watches, warnings, and advisories.
NWS Active AlertsRadar
National and local radar from the NWS.
NWS RadarSevere outlooks
Convective outlooks, mesoscale discussions, and watches.
Storm Prediction CenterFlood outlooks
Rainfall, river, and excessive rainfall guidance.
Weather Prediction CenterRiver gauges
Observed and forecast river conditions.
National Water Prediction ServiceEarthquakes
Latest earthquakes and hazard information.
USGS Earthquake MapAir quality
Smoke, ozone, and particle pollution conditions.
AirNowLocal emergency alerts
Register with local emergency management where available.
Ready.gov AlertsResource library
A compact directory of high value sources.