Essex County SKYWARN Masthead

Warm Weather Reporting Criteria

HIGHEST PRIORITY
Life Threatening Criteria (Please contact the NWS by phone or radio.)

  • Any deaths or injuries associated with hazardous weather.
  • Any TORNADO or WATERSPOUT.
Other High Priority/Life Threatening Criteria
  • Funnel or wall clouds.
  • Clusters of "Virga" that expand as they descend beneath the cloud base.
  • Thunderstorms with wind gusts of at least 58 mph, or that cause structural damage to homes, power lines, or whole trees.
  • Hail 3/4 inch in diameter (about the size of a penny) or greater.
  • Flooding of rivers or streams into homes or industries.
  • Also stream, river, or poor drainage urban flooding which make roadways totally impassable.
  • Rainfall reports following a short (less than 1 hour) torrential downpour
    • (e.g., 0.7 inches in 15 mins., 1.2 inches in 20 mins.)
  • Report 2 inches of rain in 3 hours.
  • Report 1 inch of rain or more in an hour (urban areas).
Other Priority Items
  • Thunderstorm gusts of 40-57 mph. (These are strong enough to down tree limbs.)
  • Hail of any size less than 3/4 inch in diameter.
  • Event total rainfall.
  • Rises of streams or rivers to bankfull condition.
During Tropical Storm or Hurricane Warnings...
  • Please report only the Life Threatening Criteria listed above.
  • Report any wind gusts 58 mph or greater.
  • Any KNOWN storm surge inundations of coastal areas.
  • Never go to the shore to investigate it yourself, and EVACUATE immediately if told to do so by Emergency Management Personnel.
  • The highest wind gust during the tropical storm/hurricane.
  • The lowest barometric pressure and time it occurred.
  • Event total rainfall.