puck (they/she 🏳⚧) 27.09.2024 11:37:56
idk how much y'all know about how the National Weather Service issues severe weather warnings but types have two levels: watch and warning
e.g. Tornado Watch or Severe Thunderstorm Warning
a Watch means that conditions are favorable in and near the watch area for the development of severe weather.
a Warning means that severe weather is imminent or already occurring.
over time, the NWS introduced a third level of warning specifically for tornadoes and flash floods. so those two severe weather types now have watches, warnings, and EMERGENCIES.
a flash flood or tornado emergency is issued when there is an imminent catastrophic threat to life and property, like a confirmed major tornado on the ground.
right now there are over THREE DOZEN active flash flood emergencies down south, not including any of the normal warnings 😰