Most people wait for the siren. By then you might have 5 minutes — or 30 seconds.

Here are the three radar signatures that tell you a tornado is happening before the warning drops:

1. The Hook Echo

When a supercell's rain wraps around the updraft, it creates a hook-shaped signature on radar. If you see a tight hook with a notch at the tip — that's debris being lofted. Take shelter now.

2. Velocity Couplet

Switch your radar to storm-relative velocity. Bright red and bright green pixels right next to each other = rotation. The tighter the couplet, the more likely a tornado is on the ground.

3. Debris Ball (CC Drop)

Correlation coefficient (CC) measures what the radar beam is hitting. Rain keeps CC high (0.95+). When CC drops below 0.80 inside a storm — that's non-meteorological debris. Tornado confirmed.

The takeaway: Don't wait for the siren. Learn to read radar. Your phone gives you a 10-minute warning. Radar gives you 30.

If you want daily severe weather forecasts and real-time storm tracking from someone who actually reads the data — that's what StormVault is for.

Welcome to StormVault — glad you're here.

Here's how to get the most out of your membership:

🌪️ Weather Intel — Where I post severe weather forecasts, radar breakdowns, and storm analysis. During active severe weather events, expect multiple updates per day.

💬 Storm Chat — Our community chat. Ask questions, share your local observations, post photos, and connect with other weather watchers.

What to expect:

• Severe weather outlooks posted ahead of active patterns

• Real-time storm tracking during tornado events

• Radar analysis you can actually understand

• No hype, no panic — just the data

Stay safe. When in doubt, take shelter first, ask questions later.