StormLookup
ENES

Data sources and methods

Where every number in a StormLookup report comes from, in plain English.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database

A national record of significant weather events compiled by National Weather Service offices and published by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, usually a few months after the event. Hail sizes and wind speeds in it may be estimates.

NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center (SPC) storm reports

Preliminary hail, wind and tornado reports collected from National Weather Service offices, sent in by trained spotters, emergency managers and the public at about the time of the event. They are unverified, can change, and their locations can be approximate. We use them only for recent dates that Storm Events does not cover yet.

NEXRAD radar hail signatures (NCEI Severe Weather Data Inventory)

Automated radar detections that indicate hail may have been present in a storm, with an estimated maximum size.

How distance is measured

We convert the address to a map point, then measure the straight-line distance from that point to each source record's location, and show the direction as a compass point.

Important: hail sizes and wind speeds in a report are estimates from radar and from spotter or public reports. They are not measurements taken at the property. Actual weather at an exact address may have been different.

Limitations

  • Not every weather event is reported or recorded. If an event is not listed, that does not mean it did not occur.
  • SPC storm reports are preliminary and unverified. The SPC states that "All Reports Are Considered Preliminary." Reports can be duplicated, mislocated, changed, or removed, and likely do not contain all severe weather reports.
  • Radar hail signatures are not hail on the ground. A NEXRAD hail signature is an automated radar estimate that hail was probably present in a storm, with an estimated maximum size. NOAA describes this data as representing "probable conditions for an event rather than a confirmed occurrence."
  • Storm Events is published, not inspected. Its sizes and speeds can be estimates, and publication doesn't mean anyone checked conditions at any property.
  • Distances are straight-line distances from the map point to the location listed in each source record, which may be approximate.
  • The map point for the address comes from an automated lookup and may not match the exact building location.

Data attribution

Weather data comes from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including the National Weather Service and the National Centers for Environmental Information. The source data is a U.S. government work and is not subject to copyright; StormLookup's formatting and compilation are © 2026 TWISTED JESTER INC.

StormLookup is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NOAA, the National Weather Service, or any government agency. Reports are not official government products. NOAA and NWS names are used only to identify data sources; no NOAA or NWS logos are used.

Weather history only. StormLookup reports list weather events recorded near an address in public datasets. They are not an inspection or a damage determination, and they do not describe the condition of any building.

StormLookup is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NOAA, the National Weather Service (NWS), or any government agency. NOAA and NWS names are used only to identify data sources.

Hail sizes and wind speeds are estimates from radar, weather models and spotter reports, not measurements at the property. Source data is provided “as is.”