NWS Houston/Galveston Skywarn - Storm Spotters

SKYWARN® is a volunteer program with nearly 290,000 trained severe weather spotters. These volunteers help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service. Although SKYWARN® spotters provide essential information for all types of weather hazards, the main responsibility of a SKYWARN® spotter is to identify and describe severe local storms. In the average year, 10,000 severe thunderstorms, 5,000 floods and more than 1,000 tornadoes occur across the United States. These events threatened lives and property. Since the program started in the 1970s, the information provided by SKYWARN® spotters, coupled with Doppler radar technology, improved satellite and other data, has enabled NWS to issue more timely and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash floods. SKYWARN® storm spotters are part of the ranks of citizens who form the Nation's first line of defense against severe weather. There can be no finer reward than to know that their efforts have given communities the precious gift of time--seconds and minutes that can help save lives. Do you have to be a member of the amateur radio service to be a SKYWARN spotter? Simply answered, no. Anyone over 16 with an interest can train as a spotter. It should be noted, however, that the NWS may utilize the SKYWARN Amateur Radio operators to maintain close coordination with the *Red Cross* and Emergency Management through both the Amateur Radio Civil Emergency Services (ARES) and the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES). Additionally, SKYWARN is formally acknowledged in a Memorandum of Understanding (MAU) between the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the *National Red Cross* and the National Weather Service. This agreement states that the ARRL will encourage local volunteers operating under ARES to provide spotters services and red cross communications as requested by either the NWS during times of severe weather, and the National Red Cross while administering disaster relief efforts. A copy of the Memorandum may be obtained by contacting the *ARRL, publications department*.

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when NWS Houston/Galveston Skywarn - Storm Spotters posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.