Top web resources for severe weather info
— -- With hurricane season in full swing, it's high time to get prepared for stormy weather. It may not be much consolation, but there are a variety of high- and low-tech options besides your local air raid siren to help keep you apprised of severe weather events in your area. Please note that these tips are most useful for U.S. readers; readers overseas may find some relevant information on The Weather Channel and Weather Underground, but the most useful alerts will come from your local weather warning network.
Weather websites
For a quick, easy-to-read interface, you can't beat The Weather Channel. Just type in your zip code, and you'll see the forecast for the next 36 hours; if the National Weather Service has issued any advisories for your area, you'll be able to click on a red or orange banner above the forecast to read the official statement. You can also register to get severe weather alerts via text message on your mobile phone.
If you're interested in extremely comprehensive weather news, check out the official NOAA National Weather Service website. It's not as intuitive to use as Weather.com, but it does provide a wealth of information, including email alerts about severe weather in your area.
If you live in a hurricane-prone region, you can't do better than the National Hurricane Center website, which provides up-to-date radar as well as the hurricane forecast for the Atlantic and Pacific and general tips for hurricane safety. There's a mobile version, too. For a real-time projected path of Hurricane Isaac, Google has a useful "crisis map" that's worth a look.
Weather Underground is another useful resource that provides radar maps of severe weather both in the United States and Europe. It also has content aimed at a more meteorology-savvy audience. Don't let the terminology intimidate you; we don't know what "convection outlook" means, either, but the tornado wiki is pretty darn cool.
Weather apps
These days, it seems like there are as many weather apps as the day is long. Here are a few options to get you started.
The free Weather Channel app is available for iPhone, iPad and Android. Weather users. WeatherBug is another good bet, with free apps available for BlackBerry, iPhone, and iPad.
If you're willing to pay for your storm alerts, Storm Spotter might be worth a look. It's $4.99 for iPhone and iPad; features include severe weather alerts and access to radar maps. Finally, if hurricanes are your ticket, check out the Hurricane Tracker app for iPhone; it's available for $1.99.
Emergency preparedness resources
When you're preparing for severe weather events, it pays to think far ahead. For tips on how to deal with all kind of weather events, from floods to blizzards, check out the National Weather Service weather safety page.
One topic that comes up frequently is having access to a battery-powered radio in case of a power outage. The easiest solution is to use a normal radio that can run on batteries; in the event of severe weather, local stations generally relay any alerts. If you'd like to have a radio that's equipped with a hand crank or combined with a flashlight, check out Safety Central, which specializes in disaster preparedness merchandise.
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