Read this first
- This is life-safety weather guidance. Confirm every response step against current National Weather Service, Ready.gov, and Red Cross guidance before you rely on it. When an official warning or evacuation order is issued, follow it — it overrides anything here.
What to do
- 1Know your area's hazards and get alerts — Wireless Emergency Alerts, NOAA Weather Radio, local warnings.
- 2Understand watch vs. warning — a watch means prepare; a warning means take protective action immediately.
- 3Tornado warning — go to the lowest, most interior, windowless space (basement or interior bathroom); cover up. Caught outside: low spot, lie flat, cover your head.
- 4Hurricane — evacuate if told to (the surge is the killer); otherwise shelter in the highest sturdy place and follow official instructions.
- 5Flood or flash flood — move to higher ground; never enter floodwater on foot or by vehicle; camp away from gullies and streambeds.
- 6Have your kit and plan ready — the "be prepared" gear and family plan.
- 7Follow official evacuation and shelter guidance.
The three hazards
- Tornadoes — violently rotating columns from thunderstorms, winds up to ~300 mph; the danger is flying debris. Put as many walls and floors between you and the wind as you can.
- Hurricanes — large tropical cyclones, sustained winds over 74 mph; the deadliest part is the storm surge, so it's treated like a flood.
- Floods & flash floods — flash floods rise and fall fast from intense rain (even miles away); larger floods crest over days.
Common mistakes & safety
- Turn Around, Don't Drown — never enter floodwater. Most flood deaths are people driving or walking into water; a small depth of moving water sweeps away cars and people.
- Tornado: lowest, most interior, away from windows. Flying debris is the killer; a vehicle or mobile home is dangerous — get to sturdy shelter.
- Hurricane: evacuate for the surge. The rising ocean water causes most deaths; leave the danger zone when told, before roads flood.
- A warning means act NOW — don't wait to "see how bad it gets."
- Don't camp in gullies or dry washes — flash floods fill them fast, even from rain miles away.
- Get alerts and have a plan — you can't respond to a hazard you don't know is coming.
Going deeper
- Watch = prepare, Warning = act. The two words that decide your response — learn them cold.
- Turn Around, Don't Drown. The flood rule in four words — a foot of moving water can float a car; never drive or walk into it.
- Tornado: put walls between you and the wind. Go low and interior; every wall and floor is more protection from flying debris.
Official source
Weather Merit Badge study guide (PDF) — NOAA / National Weather Service →Tornado, hurricane, flood, and watch-vs-warning content is from the NOAA/NWS guide. Confirm all response steps against current NWS / Ready.gov / Red Cross guidance. No medications or dosages appear here.