Data Sources

Information about where Storm Scout gets its data

Primary Weather Data Source
NOAA / National Weather Service

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Weather Service (NWS) provide real-time weather alerts, warnings, and advisories for the United States. Storm Scout uses the official NOAA Weather API to fetch active alerts.

  • Data License: Public domain — US government work, no usage restrictions
  • API Access: No API key required — only a User-Agent header with a contact email
  • Update Frequency: Every 15 minutes (configurable)
  • Coverage: All 50 US states and territories
  • Data Types: Watches, Warnings, Advisories, Statements
  • Cost: Free — no usage fees or licensing costs
Visit NOAA Weather API Documentation
Office Location Data
Office Location Data

Storm Scout monitors 300 locations across the United States, including:

  • All 50 US states
  • US territories (Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Guam)
  • Alaska and Hawaii

Each office includes precise GPS coordinates (latitude/longitude) for accurate weather alert matching.

Data Processing
How Storm Scout Works
  1. Data Collection: Backend server queries NOAA API every 15 minutes
  2. Alert Matching: Incoming weather alerts are matched to monitored locations by geographic location and affected zones
  3. Normalization: Weather alerts from different sources are standardized into a common format
  4. Status Calculation: Office operational status (Open/Closed/At Risk) is automatically determined based on alert severity and type
  5. Dashboard Display: Frontend displays the pre-processed data without heavy client-side computation
Version History

Storm Scout is actively maintained. View the full commit history and release notes on GitHub.

View Commit History Changelog
Questions or Issues?

If you notice missing data, incorrect alerts, or have suggestions for additional data sources, please contact the project maintainers.