!!! SEVERE WEATHER !!!
Its effects are felt by many of us during our lifetimes.
To obtain critical weather information, the National Weather Service of the U.S. Department
of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and cooperating organizations,
have established SKYWARN Spotter Networks. Although SKYWARN spotters are essential information
sources for all types of weather hazards, your largest responsibility as a SKYWARN spotter
is to identify and describe severe local storms. In the average year, 10,000 severe thunderstorms,
5,000 floods, and over 900 tornadoes occur across the United States. During the past 10 years,
tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and flash floods have killed nearly 2,300 people in the United
States and injured thousands others. Because of storm spotter reports,
plus the addition of new technology and improved warning dissemination, this death toll was
reduced by more than 800 from the previous 10 years. While the figures still appear staggering,
several thousand lives have been saved by reports from storm spotters.
SKYWARN is a group of trained severe weather spotters that report directly
to the National Weather Service. Year after year, reports from SKYWARN observers have
assisted the NWS in issuing timely warnings based on REAL-TIME reports throughout our 36 County
Warning Area covering parts of PA, WV, OH, and MD. The NWS's primary mission is to issue warnings
to protect life and property. The ground truth reports from SKYWARN spotters are a vital link in
using advanced radar data and meteorological skills to carry out our mission. Their observations
also provide us with information in compiling documentation of severe weather events and verification
of warnings. These reports become part of the Untited States Storm Data publication, which is used by
researchers and also provides climatological data on a wide variety of unusual weather phenomenom,
including statistics on death, injuries, and property and crop damage. Over half of our 1600 + spotters
are also licensed amateur radio operators (a.k.a hams). The hams throughout many of our counties meet and
organize their spotter efforts on one radio frequency (network or nets), when severe weather threatens.
Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) provides communication support for the SKYWARN program.
You DO NOT have to be a Amateur Radio Operator, nor do you HAVE TO BECOME ONE.
Click here, for the latest NWS training schedule.
|
Webmastered by: taara@qsl.net
© 2002 The Triple A Amateur Radio Association Inc.