I recently had the honor of completing Skywarn training with the National Weather Service. This seems very timely given the recent tragedy in Kentucky. Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky says this is the worst tornado tragedy to hit the state in history with over 80 dead. They expect over 100 fatalities. Tornadoes are not isolated to Kentucky.
Erratic weather has been a reality in this nation from its inception. Over time the country has tried to mitigate the effects of the weather with various innovations. The current structure is the National Weather Service (NWS), a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This is a government agency with a network of satellites, aircraft, computers, ships, and an army of meteorologists. Yet, even with this arsenal of resouces mother nature still maintains a dominant hand.
Every state or territory of this country has their own unique weather challenges. In Hawaii, it is volcanic activitity that effects the atmosphere and hence the weather. In the West, it is flooding and lightning that creates wildfires. In the south, it is droughts, Hurricanes, and flooding that has taken the lives of many. In the Northeast, it is Thunderstorms and Snow Storms that cripple the nation annually. In my home state of Puerto Rico, it is Hurricanes, lest we forget about Maria and Rita. None of us are safe and hence weather it is a concern of us all.
So what can we do? Well, the NWS has a program that allows us to do our part. It is called Skywarn. It allows concerned citizens, particularly Amateur Radio Operators, to assist in protecting ourselves. With a mandatory training we can become the NWS “eyes on the ground.” We can report to the NWS major storm systems and/or storm related damage that helps the NWS do their work. There are numerous resources and additional trainings we can take to better equip us for the job. It is a voluntary service but when you think of what the service does it would also seem it should be mandatory.
If you are interested contact your local chapter of the National Weather Service or use the Skywarn website.
