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| When is a thunderstorm
is considered "severe"?
A thunderstorm is considered severe if it produces wind gusts of 58 miles per hour or greater and / or hail æ inch in diameter or larger. Severe thunderstorm reports are archived by the National Climatic Data Center and are available from their online Storm Events Database at http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/. Preliminary storm reports are collected by the Storm Prediction Center http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/. For an official copy of a Storm Data publication, please contact the Midwestern Regional Climate Center or the National Climatic Data Center. 
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| How fast are the winds
in a tornado?
The winds in a tornado are classified by the Fujita Scale, which was created by T. Theodore Fujita. The scale is based on observational studies of tornado damage paths.
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| What is the difference
between a watch and a warning?
A watch indicates that conditions are favorable for severe weather to develop. You should remain alert for changing weather conditions and be ready to move to a place of safety. A warning means that dangerous weather is occurring or imminent and that you should seek safety immediately!
Severe thunderstorm watches and tornado watches are issued by the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. A watch may cover large portions of a state and will usually be in effect for a time period of 4 to 6 hours. Warnings are issued by your local forecast office on a county-by-county basis. Tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings are usually in effect for 30 to 60 minutes
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