A brief rundown on tropical storm watches and warnings

Preparedness is of paramount importance when storm seasons kick into high gear. Supplies are the first thing many people think of when preparing for storms, and rightfully so. But it’s equally important that people living in areas vulnerable to certain types of storms learn to distinguish the differences between storm watches and storm warnings.
The National Weather Service (NWS) offers the following breakdown to help people learn what makes a storm watch different from a storm warning.
• Hurricane watch: The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association/NWS that is responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems. When the NHC issues a hurricane watch, that means hurricane conditions, which are defined as sustained winds of 74 miles per hour or greater, are possible within the area where the watch is issued. The NWS notes it may not be safe to prepare for a hurricane once winds reach tropical storm force, so the NHC issues hurricane watches 48 hours before it anticipates the arrival of such winds.
• Hurricane warning: A hurricane warning is issued 36 hours in advance of the arrival of tropical-storm-force winds (sustained winds of 74 miles per hour or greater).
• Tropical storm watch: A tropical storm watch is declared when sustained winds between 39 and 73 miles per hour are possible within a specified area. A tropical storm watch indicates such winds are possible within 48 hours.
• Tropical storm warning: A tropical storm warning is issued when sustained winds between 39 and 73 miles per hour are expected within a specified area within 36 hours.
• Storm surge watch: A storm surge watch is issued when there is a possibility of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the shoreline within a specified area. The storm surge watch is generally issued within 48 hours of the expected arrival of such conditions.
• Storm surge warning: A storm surge warning indicates the danger of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the shoreline within a specified area within 36 hours.
Storm watches and warnings are issued to help people prepare for the potential arrival of serious storms that could prove dangerous and deadly. More information is available at weather.gov/safety/hurricane.