TornadoBuddy

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👋 Hey, weather explorer! Welcome to TornadoBuddy, where you can learn interesting facts, test your memory, and explore cool links!

Weather Memory Game

Match 10 pairs of weather symbols
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👆 Tap two cards to find matching weather symbols!

Did you know?

Tap the Fact Generator for random tornado science — or look up terms in the Definition Finder below.

TORNADOBUDDY WX RADIO
CH 01 · FACT BROADCAST
Press Fact Generator for a random tornado fact!
CH 02 · DEFINITION SCANNER

Type a term above and tap Find Definition — or try Random Term!

Tornado Safety Checklist

Practice these steps with your family. Check each box when you've talked about it!

Tornado Safety Checklist

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Warnings & Alerts

When skies look scary, these are the places grown-ups check for official warnings.

LIVE 🇺🇸 Weather.gov Find your local National Weather Service forecast
OUTLOOK 🗺️ Storm Prediction Center U.S. severe weather outlooks and risk maps
ALERT 📱 Wireless Emergency Alerts How tornado warnings reach your phone
PLAN 🏠 Ready.gov Tornadoes Before, during, and after a tornado — family plans

Live Trackers & Radar

LIVE RADAR SCAN ACTIVE
📊 SPC Products Today's severe weather watches and reports 🌩️ Iowa Mesonet — Severe Live storm reports, warnings, radar maps, and SPC outlooks 💨 Windy.com Animated wind, radar, and storm layers worldwide 🌡️ AccuWeather Live radar, forecasts, and severe weather alerts worldwide 👀 Spotter Network Trained storm spotter locations (with a grown-up) 📻 NWS Radar Official U.S. Doppler radar loops

Learn From the Experts

Trusted sites for tornado science, weather safety, kid-friendly learning, and meteorology training.

📖 Learning sites & meteorology schools

Tornado Intercept Vehicles (TIV)

Meet the armored science trucks built to film tornadoes up close — not something you'd build in your driveway!

Tornado Intercept Vehicle 1, an armored truck with a camera turret on top
Tornado Intercept Vehicle 2, a larger armored six-wheeled storm research truck
🔧 Cool TIV facts — tap to expand

Why they exist

Filmmaker Sean Casey designed TIVs to carry IMAX cameras into storms for science documentaries — like a movie studio on wheels!

Armored shell

Steel frames and thick polycarbonate windows help block wind-blown debris. TIV 2 can lower hydraulic spikes and skirts to hug the ground.

360° turret

A rotating dome on the roof holds the IMAX camera so the crew can film in any direction while staying inside.

TIV 2 power

TIV 2 uses a turbocharged Cummins diesel — boosted to around 625 horsepower so it can keep up with storms at over 100 mph.

Anchor mode

Before an intercept, hydraulic claws or spikes dig into the ground and the body drops low so wind has less room to push underneath.

Famous intercept

On May 27, 2013, TIV 2 recorded winds around 150–175 mph near Lebanon, Kansas — one of the strongest intercepts ever filmed.

🛠️ TIV mods vs. an average vehicle — tap to expand

A TIV is custom-built over months by welders and engineers. Here's how it compares to a normal family car — and why scientists don't just bolt armor onto a minivan!

🚛 Purpose-built TIV

  • 1/8-inch (or thicker) steel skin on a heavy steel tube frame
  • Bullet-resistant polycarbonate windows (windshield ~1.5 in thick)
  • Hydraulic ground claws or spikes to anchor before intercepts
  • Retractable wind skirts to deflect air over the vehicle
  • Air suspension to lower the body close to the ground
  • Reinforced, multi-lock doors and composite armor layers (Kevlar, rubber)
  • Roof turret for IMAX filming and weather instruments
  • Heavy-duty truck chassis, big diesel engine, large fuel tanks
  • Trained chase team, radar support, and years of engineering tests

🚗 Average family vehicle

  • Comes standard: seat belts, crumple zones, airbags, glass windows
  • Smart add-ons: NOAA weather radio, phone alerts, emergency kit, helmet in shelter (not in car!)
  • Not realistic or safe: steel armor (too heavy), spike claws, chasing tornadoes
  • Why it fails: normal cars are built for highways, not 150+ mph debris fields
  • Bottom line: when a warning is issued, go indoors — don't outrun a tornado in any car

📎 Learn more: Wikipedia — TIV · HowStuffWorks — How the TIV works

TIV chase videos

Science Video Library

Science and meteorology videos for curious storm learners — tap a thumbnail to watch.

Web Cams around the world

Explore camera locations worldwide. Click a pin to watch a real live stream right on the map.

Live camera feeds play right on the map. Use + to zoom in, or scroll and drag to explore.