(Adopted by AMS Council on 8 October 2004)
Bull. Amer. Met. Soc., 86

The tornado poses a significant threat to life and property somewhere in the United States at nearly any time of the year. It is the responsibility of the National Weather Service and its partners in the warning and dissemination process to provide forecasts, nowcasts, and confirmation of the tornado threat. Although it is the responsibility of the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue official warnings, all sectors are encouraged to alert both the N WS n ational w eather service and the public of existing tornadoes. Adequate human and technological resources are necessary for such forecasts and warnings to be accurate and timely. Successful dissemination of this information to the public demands the mutual cooperation of the NWS, local authorities, trained storm spotters, the commercial weather industry, and the media. Finally, proper response by the public requires the public’s ability to correctly perceive the tornado threat based on this information. The American Meteorological Society (AMS) recognizes the importance of each of these components of the watch-warning-response system. On occasion, meteorological and/or non-meteorological circumstances may cause some components of this system to fail. Therefore, the AMS encourages continued investment in new research, technology, training, and public education that in the future should help mitigate injury and loss of life from tornadoes through the best possible watches and warnings.

[This statement is considered in force until September 2013 unless superseded by a new statement issued by the AMS Council before this date.]