‘Radar holes’ leave one in five Americans vulnerable to surprise tornadoes

If a tornado were about to hit your house, what would you do? Of course, your answer depends on your physical capabilities and your proximity to a basement or other safe space. Most Americans usually have at least 15 to 20 minutes to decide before impact, thanks to technology that enables the National Weather Service to issue warnings in advance. You’d likely have enough time to seek shelter.

But what if you had no advance notice that a tornado was coming? What if your only warning was the rumble of a twister as it crept toward your home?

This was the unfortunate reality for the residents of Watford City, North Dakota, when a strong tornado roared through their town in 2018 and killed a newborn baby. Although a severe thunderstorm warning had been issued for the area, a tornado warning was not. Watford City had no idea what was coming. And this isn’t the only instance of severe weather striking without warning: In March 2022, a pileup of over 50 vehicles occurred in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, due to an intense snow squall that was not detected by weather radar.

From these accounts, you might think that National Weather Service meteorologists have been asleep at the radar screen and recklessly failing to send out warnings. But the problem actually stems from what atmospheric scientists call “radar holes”—a lack of radar coverage that is likely to get worse under the current administration.

Holes in weather forecasts

Climate change, which the Trump administration has repeatedly dismissed, has been linked to a potential increase in severe weather. This includes the warming of sea surface temperatures , which causes hurricanes to intensify more rapidly, and an increased frequency of atmospheric conditions that support tornado formation. Meteorologists within the National Weather Service—which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA—rely on radar to help track hurricanes and to identify thunderstorms, precipitation, and tornadoes. But radar isn’t always reliable over long distances. NEXRAD Doppler radar, the version currently used by weather forecasters, works by emitting beams that hit particles in the atmosphere (such as water droplets) and bounce back to the radar. These signals are converted into a pixelated, colorful image that meteorologists use to visualize approaching storms.

Because of the Earth’s curvature, radar beams increase in height as they travel farther from their source. Eventually, these beams extend high above the ground, missing what may be occurring near the surface. Areas known as radar holes are where meteorological phenomena close to the ground—such as tornadoes—can be hard to identify and easily missed. Ultimately, this creates a challenge for meteorologists: They are unable to rely on radar to identify severe weather and issue timely watches and warnings.

Although radar holes are most common in mountainous areas of the western United States, they are widespread throughout the country: As of 2014, approximately 20 percent of the US population in the lower 48 states was not covered or was sparsely covered by weather radars. While this percentage was approximated in the mid-2010s, a newer 2023 NOAA report outlined the lack of radar initiatives taken to resolve radar gaps, stating that “the vast majority of radar gaps have not been addressed.” Moreover, this report noted that radar holes in the Eastern United States often overlap with predominantly Black areas (such as western Mississippi) and federally recognized Native American reservations, making these populations “inordinately” at risk of missing severe weather warnings.

There have been attempts to fill radar gaps. In April 2025, North Carolina Republican Congressman Tim Moore introduced bipartisan-sponsored legislation proposing nationwide weather radar coverage requirements, filling radar gaps with commercial radar and implementing a plan to upgrade weather radars. The bill hasn’t gotten past its initial introduction. I’m not surprised. One barrier to “patching” radar gaps is the cost of weather radar maintenance: In 2024, NOAA’s Radar Operations Center budgeted $150 million to extend the lifespans of 159 radar sites for nine years.

Although maintaining weather radars is costly, money isn’t the only roadblock preventing the National Weather Service from eradicating radar gaps. Because of the Trump administration’s approach to climate change, I don’t believe the problem will be remedied any time soon.

Mind the radar gap

Unfortunately, growing awareness of climate change has resulted in the politicization of weather, altering the way the topic is approached. A year ago, the Trump administration slashed NOAA funding and eliminated approximately 880 jobs —including atmospheric scientists—from the department. NOAA later reinstated and refired some of these employees.

The Trump administration is now making plans to dismantle Colorado’s National Center for Atmospheric Research, which White House Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought has falsely called “one of the largest sources of climate alarmism.” In reality, the research center is not only acclaimed for its authoritative climate research; it is also a hub for research on severe weather and contributes to developing and maintaining weather models.

I don’t feel a sense of doom about radar holes or climate action as a whole. Although the prospects for scientific funding at universities and federal organizations are grim right now, environmental legislation can change. Representatives like Congressman Moore still care, and public opinion can still make a difference.

Despite the Trump administration’s recent actions against environmental sustainability, a 2025 Gallup poll shows that 57 percent of Americans believe the US government is doing too little to protect the environment. State legislators are pushing for changes such as a California carbon dioxide pipeline safety law and a Maine transition of all retail electricity to 100 percent sustainable sources by 2040 , and 24 states have adopted specific targets for reducing the production of climate-altering greenhouse gases. By voicing concern and applying pressure to representatives, the public can push for patches to dangerous radar holes, ensuring that Americans will someday be able to go to sleep without stressing about surprise tornadoes lurking in the distance.