Data Disclaimers

Detailed notes about the public weather data sources StormAuditor displays and their limitations.

Source-by-source disclaimers

Each public dataset StormAuditor displays carries its own caveats: MRMS MESH estimates hail size aloft from radar, not ground truth. URMA/RTMA is a gridded analysis at 2.5-km resolution — an areal estimate, not a point measurement. HRRR is a model. ASOS/AWOS instruments measure accurately at their location, which may be miles from yours. Local Storm Reports are human-filed and uneven in coverage. NWS warnings document forecaster expectation, not confirmed occurrence at every address. NCEI Storm Events is authoritative but delayed. FEMA declarations mark administrative recognition, not meteorological measurement.

What follows from this

No single value should be treated as proof of conditions at an address. StormAuditor presents estimates with their evidence and distances so you can weigh them — and states plainly that it does not determine damage, causation, coverage, or liability. The synthesis rules live on the methodology pages; the practical reading guide on Limitations.

For how the aggregated datasets may be reused and cited, see the data license.