Start with what you need to do. Then check the hazard, the places affected and the timing in the full alert.
An alert may ask you to take shelter, avoid travel or prepare for flooding. Read that instruction before interpreting technical details. A watch gives you time to get ready; a warning calls for the action and timing stated in that warning.
A short summary can leave out important information. Check the full alert for named locations, start and end times, the issuing office and updated instructions. Look for a newer alert if you are reading a shared message or screenshot.
A tornado warning calls for immediate shelter in a safe place. Keep receiving official updates there. A time quoted in an earlier message is not a promise that the danger will be over then; warnings can be updated or replaced.
Learning example — not a current alert
Example: A tornado warning describes radar-indicated rotation and directs people in the warned area to take shelter immediately.
Plain language summary
Example: If this warning covers you, take shelter now. Use a basement or a small interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows. Keep checking official updates.
Check the complete official warning for its locations, timing and instructions.
