National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

NWS Raleigh would like to receive your reports of significant weather. Please use one of the following methods to submit your weather report to NWS Raleigh:

 

When to send a storm report?

When you can do safely, please send us a report when you observe one or more of the following:

  • Tornado
  • Hail
    • 0.25" or less - Pea
    • 0.50" - Mothball
    • 0.75" - Dime/Penny
    • 0.88" - Nickel
    • 1.00" - Quarter
    • 1.25" - Half Dollar
    • 1.50" - Walnut/Ping Pong
    • 1.75" - Golf Ball
    • 2.00" - Hen Egg
    • 2.50" - Tennis Ball
    • 2.75" - Baseball
    • 3.00" - Tea Cup
    • 4.00" - Grapefruit
    • 4.50" - Softball
  • Wind damage
  • Flooding
  • Snowfall or ice accumulation
  • Rainfall over 1.5"

Definitions:

  • Tornado: A violently rotating column of air, usually pendant to a cumulonimbus, with circulation reaching the ground. It nearly always starts as a funnel cloud and may be accompanied by a loud roaring noise. On a local scale, it is the most destructive of all atmospheric phenomena.
  • Severe Thunderstorm: A thunderstorm that produces a tornado, winds of at least 58 mph (50 knots), and/or hail at least 1" in diameter. Structural wind damage may imply the occurrence of a severe thunderstorm. A thunderstorm wind equal to or greater than 40 mph (35 knots) and/or hail of at least ½" is defined as approaching severe.
  • Flash Flood: A flood which is caused by heavy or excessive rainfall in a short period of time, generally less than 6 hours. Also, at times a dam failure can cause a flash flood, depending on the type of dam and time period during which the break occurs.

Please include in your report, the location (town and county) and time/date that the severe weather occurred.

If you can supply a picture of the severe weather you are experiencing, please do.