WELCOME! Diamond Lakes SKYWARN, Inc. {a 501(c)3 organization} consists of a dedicated group of Amateur  Radio Operators, Volunteer Firefighters, Law Enforcement Officers, Public Officials and members of the General Public. Our members have voluntarily attended training classes provided by the NWS on severe weather identification and storm spotting procedures. We are bound together by a strong interest in severe weather and a strong desire to serve our communities. A vital part of operations during severe weather is contact with weather spotters in the field to determine the 'ground truth' about what is being seen on radar. The National Weather Service office in North Little Rock uses Amateur Radio as one method of communicating with storm spotter and Emergency Management organizations. Although MOST spotter groups (amateur radio, law enforcement, fire and emergency services) separate themselves from one-another, our UNIQUE     approach combines those assets and form a single, co-operative work-group. This approach not only allows for a larger pool of trained spotters, but it also bolsters the working relationship between these organizations making them familiar with one-another.

Severe Weather Links All Arkansas Warnings Severe Weather Statements Little Rock Radar Western Arkansas Radar Arkansas Road Conditions Hot Springs Airport Current Conditions Storm Prediction Center SKYWARN Supply SPA Amateur Radio Assn. WarnIM - Storm Messaging

Diamond Lakes SKYWARN Officials J.M. Rowe, N5XFW     President Bob King, W5LVB       Vice President Wayne Mahnker, WA5LUY     Back-up NET Controller

WARNING! Severe storm spotting is an inherently dangerous activity. Although the risks can be reduced, they cannot be completely eliminated. THE STORM SPOTTER MUST TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR ACTIONS. At all times, SAFETY is the top priority of every Storm Spotter. You can do no one any good if you are reckless, careless or inconsiderate. The public's reception or rejection of us, as storm spotters, may depend only on one encounter and that might just be you. It is recommended that storm chasing be done by experienced, Advanced Storm Spotters who have had appropriate Advanced training. The Basic Storm Spotter is just as important or may be more important in a stationary position, because they can relay reports of the progression of the storm as it passes their area. REMEMBER: EVERYONE IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS EVERYONE ELSE. There are NO individuals or heroes. We are a TEAM and we are only as strong as our weakest link.

On Monday, May 7th, 2001, Hot Springs and Garland County were recognized as the FIRST StormReady Community in the North Little Rock NWS Warning Area. Representatives from Local, State and National levels were on hand for this event. Click on the logo for more information on the criteria to be StormReady.

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Contact us: Diamond Lakes Area SKYWARN c/o Garland County Department of Emergency Management 501 Ouachita Av., Suite B-2 Hot Springs National Park, AR.  71901 or E-mail to: n5xfw@arrl.org or w5lvb@arrl.net