Bunnell, FL - A free Skywarn Storm Spotter class is scheduled for Saturday at the Flagler County Emergency Operations Center at 10 a.m. You must pre-register online or by calling the Center.
Emergency Management Technician Bob Pickering says people who take the class can assist Emergency Management and the National Weather Service. He said that storm spotters are trained to recognize the signs and report to the National Weather Service right away. "Spotters verify what's going on. They're trained on what to look for in the sky, what cloud structures, what phenomena that actually meet severe weather criteria or if there are cloud structures that might foretell a developing tornado or other severe weather events.
Pickering said spotters help during weather emergencies in a couple of ways. "A spotter report can do two things: it can actually help get warnings out earlier to warn the public of a potentially hazardous weather event. The other thing they do is verify existing severe weather."
An example of how volunteer storm spotters can make a difference is when a tornado traveled across the southern portion of the county last December. Pickering said, "We had storm spotters that were actually able to verify the tornado occurring on the ground. That information also helps the National Weather Service and helps with additional warnings."
It's easy to sign up online if you are on Facebook. Visit the Flagler County Emergency Services page to do so. If you're not on Facebook, you can call the office to register at 386-313-4200.
SPECIAL NOTE: The Volusia County training that had been scheduled for March 11 has been canceled. No new date has been scheduled.
