Tornado & Hurricane Alerts
Live National Weather Service warnings and watches for tornadoes and tropical cyclones across the entire United States. Data pulled directly from NWS — no delays, no third parties.
📋 Severe Weather Quick Reference for Ham Operators
Warning — a tornado has been spotted or indicated by radar. Take shelter immediately. Watch — conditions are favorable for tornado development. Stay alert and be ready to act. Warnings are issued by local NWS offices; watches by the Storm Prediction Center.
A Tornado Emergency is the highest-tier alert — reserved for confirmed, catastrophic tornadoes threatening densely populated areas. Issued rarely. If you see one on this page, it is an extreme life-threatening event.
Warning — hurricane conditions (sustained winds ≥74 mph) expected within 36 hours. Watch — possible within 48 hours. Tropical Storm Warning — TS conditions (39–73 mph winds) expected within 36 hours.
During tornado events, SKYWARN-trained storm spotters report ground truth to NWS offices via ham radio. ARES/RACES operators assist with emergency communications when infrastructure fails. If you're SKYWARN-trained, activate on your local SKYWARN net frequency during severe weather.
Monitor 162.400–162.550 MHz (NOAA Weather Radio) for continuous official alerts. During activations, SKYWARN nets typically operate on local 2m or 70cm repeaters — check with your local ARES group for the designated frequency.
Tornadoes: NOAA Storm Prediction Center · Hurricanes: National Hurricane Center · All alerts: weather.gov/alerts
📻 Frequencies to Monitor During Severe Weather
These are the verified, nationally recognized frequencies used before, during, and after tornado and hurricane events. No license is required to listen — you only need a license to transmit.
The most important thing to monitor during any severe weather event. Continuous NWS broadcasts including watches, warnings, and emergency alerts. A 1050 Hz tone activates SAME-capable receivers automatically. Program all seven channels — your local transmitter uses one of them.
| Frequency | Channel | Mode | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 162.400 MHz | WX1 | NFM | Most common primary channel in many areas |
| 162.425 MHz | WX2 | NFM | |
| 162.450 MHz | WX3 | NFM | |
| 162.475 MHz | WX4 | NFM | |
| 162.500 MHz | WX5 | NFM | |
| 162.525 MHz | WX6 | NFM | |
| 162.550 MHz | WX7 | NFM | Common in Southern US coastal areas |
These HF nets activate when hurricanes or tropical storms threaten populated landmasses. Anyone with an HF-capable radio and General class or higher license can check in. You don't need to be in the storm to participate — inland stations serve as critical relay points.
| Frequency | Net / System | Mode | Active When |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14.325 MHz | Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) — Primary daytime | USB | When hurricane within 300 mi of populated land, or at NHC request |
| 7.268 MHz | Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) — Primary nighttime | LSB | Same activation criteria — frequency shifts with propagation |
| 14.300 MHz | Maritime Mobile Service Net (MMSN) | USB | Daily 12PM–9PM ET · Repeats NHC warnings; handles maritime emergencies |
| 14.313 MHz | Maritime Mobile Service Net — Alternate | USB | Backup if 14.300 MHz is unusable |
| 7.268 MHz | Waterway Net | LSB | Daily 0745 ET · Safety and weather for coastal/offshore boaters |
| 14.265 MHz | SATERN — Salvation Army Emergency Radio Net | USB | Health-and-welfare traffic during major disasters including hurricanes |
| 7.290 MHz | 40m Emergency / Interoperability | LSB | Regional emergency coordination; monitored during activations |
| 3.950 MHz | 80m SKYWARN / Local nets (varies by region) | LSB | Several areas use 80m for SKYWARN HF backup during severe weather |
Tornado events are primarily handled locally on VHF/UHF repeaters. SKYWARN nets activate on local repeaters designated by each NWS office. Spotters in the field report directly to NWS forecasters via net control. Frequencies vary by region — contact your local ARES group or NWS office for the designated SKYWARN frequency in your area.
| Frequency / Band | Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 146.520 MHz | 2m National FM Simplex Calling | Monitor during severe weather if local repeaters are damaged or overloaded. Use to establish contact then move to a working frequency. |
| 446.000 MHz | 70cm National FM Simplex Calling | Same use as 146.520 — backup when repeater infrastructure is down. |
| Local 2m repeater | SKYWARN Net — your NWS-designated frequency | Each NWS forecast office designates a local repeater for SKYWARN operations. Activates on severe thunderstorm watch/warning or tornado watch/warning. |
| Local 70cm repeater | SKYWARN Backup / ARES | Secondary SKYWARN or ARES net frequency for your region. Check with your local ARES EC or NWS office. |
| 155.340 MHz | NWS Operations (receive only) | Used internally by some NWS offices for field operations. Hams may monitor but cannot transmit on this frequency. |
🌐 Severe Weather Nets — Who, What & When
A summary of the major nets you can monitor or participate in during tornado and hurricane events. All times Eastern unless noted.
| Net | Frequency | For | Who Can Use It | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Watch Net | 14.325 / 7.268 MHz | Hurricanes / Tropical Storms | General+ license. Spotters in affected areas; relay stations inland | hwn.org |
| VoIP Hurricane Net | EchoLink *WX_TALK* node | Hurricanes | Any licensed ham with EchoLink or IRLP | voipwx.net |
| SKYWARN Net | Local 2m/70cm repeater | Tornadoes / Severe Thunderstorms | Any licensed ham; SKYWARN training recommended for spotters | weather.gov/skywarn |
| Maritime Mobile Service Net | 14.300 MHz USB | Hurricanes / Maritime emergencies | General+ license. Monitor anytime; check in during storm events | mmsn.org |
| SATERN | 14.265 MHz USB | All major disasters | General+ license. Health-and-welfare traffic | satern.org |
| ARES / RACES Local Net | Local repeater (varies) | All severe weather events | Licensed hams registered with local ARES group | arrl.org/ares |
| Waterway Net | 7.268 MHz LSB | Hurricanes / Coastal weather | General+ license. Daily 0745 ET; continuous during tropical events | waterwayradio.net |
🎙️ Severe Weather Net Operating Tips
Give ground-truth observations only — what you can directly see or measure. No speculation. Key reportables: confirmed tornado/funnel, hail size, measured or estimated wind speed, rainfall rate, structural damage, and flooding. NWS forecasters need facts, not guesses.
Always know your exact location before keying up. Give your county, nearest town or intersection, and direction from that reference point. Mobile operators: know where you are at all times. Your grid square or lat/lon is even better.
During an active net, transmit only when net control calls for reports or you have urgent traffic. Keep transmissions short — ABC: Accuracy, Brevity, Clarity. Unnecessary transmissions can delay critical safety reports from reaching NWS forecasters.
Have battery backup for your radio before a storm arrives. A fully charged handheld or a radio with a charged external battery pack keeps you on the air if grid power fails. During a hurricane, charge everything before the storm makes landfall.
Free SKYWARN training from NWS teaches you exactly what to observe, how to report it, and how to stay safe while doing it. Trained spotters are given priority by net control. Training is offered online and in person — find sessions at weather.gov/skywarn.
The Hurricane Watch Net activates before a storm makes landfall. Check in early while conditions allow. Once sustained winds exceed 40 mph, outdoor antenna operations become dangerous — be set up and ready before the storm arrives, not during it.
Alert data sourced directly from the National Weather Service API (api.weather.gov). Refreshes every 5 minutes. Frequency information sourced from NWS, ARRL, Hurricane Watch Net, and Maritime Mobile Service Net official publications. During rapidly evolving severe weather, always monitor official NWS sources and your local emergency broadcast system. This page is for situational awareness only.