Has a tornado struck your home or neighborhood? Have you received a tornado warning? NOAA scientists are interested in hearing your story.
The new Tornado Tales citizen science tool is an online survey that provides a way for people to anonymously report their tornado experiences. Developed by researchers at the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), the tool will be used to better understand how people receive, interpret and respond to tornado information from NOAA.
The survey asks basic questions to collect information about an individual's responses to warnings and watches, including how they prepared for and monitored the weather and what safe space they used to shelter when a warning was issued by NOAA's National Weather Service. This information can help NOAA identify areas where warning messages may not be resulting in the most safe and effective actions. This knowledge will help NOAA hone safety messages.
The information gathered by the Tornado Tales tool can also be used by other social scientists, local emergency managers and NOAA's National Weather Service forecasters to inform research and community engagement activities.
To share your story, visit https://apps.nssl.noaa.gov/tornado-tales/survey
