# NWS Active Weather Alerts Scraper (`compute-edge/nws-weather-alerts-scraper`) Actor Extract active U.S. National Weather Service alerts in real time. Filter by state/area, severity, urgency, event type, status, and message type. Includes affected zones, effective and expiration timestamps, and full alert text. - **URL**: https://apify.com/compute-edge/nws-weather-alerts-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Compute Edge](https://apify.com/compute-edge) (community) - **Categories:** Lead generation - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $3.00 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## NWS Active Weather Alerts Scraper Extract **active U.S. National Weather Service alerts** in real time from `api.weather.gov`. Filter by state, severity, urgency, event type, status, and message type. Get structured JSON ready for emergency response dashboards, insurance loss models, logistics rerouting, and weather-aware AI agents. ### What this Actor does The U.S. National Weather Service publishes a live feed of all active alerts (Tornado Warnings, Flood Watches, Winter Storm Warnings, Heat Advisories, etc.) via the official `api.weather.gov` GeoJSON API. This Actor fetches the live feed, filters it server-side and client-side, and pushes a flat, analytics-ready record per alert. **Output fields include:** | Field | Description | |-------|-------------| | `id` | Unique alert identifier (URN) | | `event` | Alert event type (e.g. "Tornado Warning") | | `headline` | Short alert headline | | `areaDesc` | Human-readable affected area | | `affectedZones` | Array of NWS zone URIs | | `senderName` | Issuing office (e.g. "NWS Norman OK") | | `sent`, `effective`, `onset`, `expires`, `ends` | ISO timestamps | | `status` | Actual, Exercise, System, Test | | `messageType` | Alert, Update, Cancel | | `category`, `severity`, `certainty`, `urgency` | CAP categorization | | `response` | Recommended action (Shelter, Evacuate, etc.) | | `description`, `instruction` | Full alert text | | `hasGeometry`, `geometryType` | Whether the alert has GeoJSON polygon data | ### How to scrape NWS weather alerts 1. Click **Try for free** to add this Actor to your Apify account. 2. Configure filters (all optional): - **Area** — two-letter U.S. state/territory code (`CA`, `TX`, `FL`, etc.) - **Severity** — `Extreme`, `Severe`, `Moderate`, `Minor`, `Unknown` - **Urgency** — `Immediate`, `Expected`, `Future`, `Past`, `Unknown` - **Event Type** — partial match (e.g. `Tornado`, `Flood`, `Heat`) - **Status** / **Message Type** - **Max Results** — 0 for unlimited 3. Click **Start**. The Actor returns matching active alerts. ### Pricing - **$0.003 per result**. - A typical full-US run (200–500 active alerts) costs $0.60–$1.50. - Single-state runs are usually under $0.10. ### Example input ```json { "area": "TX", "severity": "Severe", "event": "Thunderstorm", "maxResults": 200 } ```` ### Example output ```json { "id": "urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0...", "event": "Severe Thunderstorm Warning", "severity": "Severe", "urgency": "Immediate", "areaDesc": "Harris, TX; Liberty, TX", "headline": "Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued May 22...", "effective": "2026-05-22T09:45:00-05:00", "expires": "2026-05-22T10:30:00-05:00", "senderName": "NWS Houston/Galveston TX", "response": "Shelter" } ``` ### Use cases - **Emergency operations centers** — pull state-filtered alerts into ops dashboards. - **Logistics & trucking** — reroute fleets around severe weather corridors. - **Insurance** — track Extreme/Severe events for claim-volume forecasting. - **AI weather agents** — feed structured alerts into LLM pipelines for natural-language warnings. - **Property management** — alert tenants and crews ahead of severe weather. ### Other Actors - `noaa-storm-events-scraper` — historical storm event database - `noaa-ncei-climate-scraper` — climate datasets - `fema-disasters-scraper` — federal disaster declarations ### FAQ **How fresh is the data?** Live. The Actor calls `api.weather.gov/alerts/active` on every run, which is updated as soon as NWS issues, updates, or cancels alerts. **What happens during quiet weather?** If the filters match no currently active alerts, the Actor emits one informational record explaining the empty result rather than failing. **Do I need an API key?** No — `api.weather.gov` is open and free for compliant use. The Actor sends a descriptive User-Agent as NWS requires. **Why not pull historical alerts?** Use `noaa-storm-events-scraper` for historical events. This Actor is for *currently active* alerts only. ### Legal This Actor only retrieves public, non-personal data from a U.S. federal government source. Use the data in compliance with NWS terms and applicable laws. The Actor is provided "as is" without warranty. For questions, contact the Actor maintainer through Apify Console. # Actor input Schema ## `area` (type: `string`): Two-letter U.S. state or territory code (e.g. 'CA', 'TX', 'FL', 'NY'). Leave empty to fetch all U.S. active alerts. ## `severity` (type: `string`): Filter by severity (exact match). One of: Extreme, Severe, Moderate, Minor, Unknown. ## `urgency` (type: `string`): Filter by urgency (exact match). One of: Immediate, Expected, Future, Past, Unknown. ## `event` (type: `string`): Filter by event type (case-insensitive partial match). Examples: 'Tornado Warning', 'Flood', 'Winter Storm', 'Heat Advisory'. ## `status` (type: `string`): Filter by status (exact match). One of: Actual, Exercise, System, Test, Draft. ## `messageType` (type: `string`): Filter by message type (exact match). One of: Alert, Update, Cancel, Ack, Error. ## `maxResults` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of alerts to return. Set to 0 for unlimited. ## Actor input object example ```json { "area": "", "severity": "", "urgency": "", "event": "", "status": "", "messageType": "", "maxResults": 1000 } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `dataset` (type: `string`): No description # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = {}; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("compute-edge/nws-weather-alerts-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = {} # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("compute-edge/nws-weather-alerts-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{}' | apify call compute-edge/nws-weather-alerts-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=compute-edge/nws-weather-alerts-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "NWS Active Weather Alerts Scraper", "description": "Extract active U.S. National Weather Service alerts in real time. Filter by state/area, severity, urgency, event type, status, and message type. Includes affected zones, effective and expiration timestamps, and full alert text.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "D08Vh64VxjeE1jq8H" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/compute-edge~nws-weather-alerts-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-compute-edge-nws-weather-alerts-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/compute-edge~nws-weather-alerts-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-compute-edge-nws-weather-alerts-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/compute-edge~nws-weather-alerts-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-compute-edge-nws-weather-alerts-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "area": { "title": "Area (State/Territory Code)", "type": "string", "description": "Two-letter U.S. state or territory code (e.g. 'CA', 'TX', 'FL', 'NY'). Leave empty to fetch all U.S. active alerts.", "default": "" }, "severity": { "title": "Severity", "type": "string", "description": "Filter by severity (exact match). One of: Extreme, Severe, Moderate, Minor, Unknown.", "default": "" }, "urgency": { "title": "Urgency", "type": "string", "description": "Filter by urgency (exact match). One of: Immediate, Expected, Future, Past, Unknown.", "default": "" }, "event": { "title": "Event Type", "type": "string", "description": "Filter by event type (case-insensitive partial match). Examples: 'Tornado Warning', 'Flood', 'Winter Storm', 'Heat Advisory'.", "default": "" }, "status": { "title": "Status", "type": "string", "description": "Filter by status (exact match). One of: Actual, Exercise, System, Test, Draft.", "default": "" }, "messageType": { "title": "Message Type", "type": "string", "description": "Filter by message type (exact match). One of: Alert, Update, Cancel, Ack, Error.", "default": "" }, "maxResults": { "title": "Max Results", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 10000, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of alerts to return. Set to 0 for unlimited.", "default": 1000 } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```