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Tornado simulator

Explore how a tornado’s wind, path and surroundings change its modeled impact. Place a starting point on the map, choose a preset, then adjust the settings to compare scenarios.

Build and compare a scenario

  1. Tap the map to place an origin. Choose World in the region controls for locations beyond the US and Canada.
  2. Open Settings to adjust wind speed, path length, width and forward speed. Type an exact value and press Enter or leave the field to apply it.
  3. Choose a straight, curved or drawn path. In Draw mode, add at least two points and use Finish drawing.
  4. Open Results for exposure, buildings and economic estimates. Results update when you change an input; Play path animates the route.

What the statistics mean

Route distance follows the simulated centerline. Swept area is route distance multiplied by path width; it can count overlapping parts of a drawn path more than once. Travel time assumes constant forward speed. Point exposure is width divided by speed, not the time available to take shelter.

People and buildings in the path are modeled from population and housing density. These are area averages, not an inventory of individual addresses. Damage and casualty estimates depend on simplified assumptions and have no calculated uncertainty range.

A model, not a forecast

This educational tool does not predict a real tornado, certify a building’s safety or calculate your personal risk. Changing scenarios does not change current weather warnings. The EF label is a wind-band comparison; official EF ratings are assigned from surveyed damage, as explained by the National Weather Service.

Understand the EF scale · Explore nearby historical tornadoes · View live warnings

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