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Skywarn
is the National Weather Service (NWS) program of trained volunteer severe
weather spotters. Skywarn volunteers support their local community and
government by providing the NWS with timely and accurate severe weather
reports. These reports, when integrated with modern NWS technology, are used
to inform communities of the proper actions to take as severe weather
threatens.
Skywarn, formed in the early 1970's, has historically provided critical
severe weather information to the NWS in time to get the appropriate
warnings issued . Thus the key focus of the Skywarn program is to save lives
and property through the use of the observations and reports of trained
volunteers.
Despite our elaborate radar and forecasting equipment here at the National
Weather Service, we are only able to determine the potential for
severe weather. We rely on reports from the public and law enforcement
personnel and the actual severe weather.
Accurate and reliable information from the general public is difficult to
obtain. Severe weather is complicated and confusing. The NWS has found that
only regular training of weather spotters improves the quality of
information we receive. The National Weather Service (NWS) collaborates with
Amateur Radio organizations and others to put together training programs.
The NWS brings its weather knowledge, the Amateur Radio Service brings its
expertise in emergency communications, and together they work with local
government and the Red Cross.
The Amateur Radio operator's participation in the Skywarn program is
formally acknowledged and encouraged in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
between the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) and the NWS. This agreement
indicates that ARRL will encourage its local volunteer groups operating as
the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) to provide the NWS with spotters
and communicators as requested by the NWS during times of severe weather.
Many civil disasters are the direct result of severe weather and/or are
exacerbated by severe weather. Accordingly, the NWS may utilize the Skywarn
Amateur Radio operators not only to obtain and disseminate severe weather
observations and warnings, but may also use them to maintain close
coordination with the Red Cross and Emergency Managers from local government
entities under ARES or Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES).
RACES is organization of volunteer Amateur Radio operators trained in
emergency communications and severe weather spotting. Authorized and
regulated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), RACES provides
essential communications and warning links for state and local governments
during emergencies. The importance of this additional role for Skywarn was
demonstrated during the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in August of 1992.
Trained Skywarn observers provide the Weather Service with accurate, and
timely reports from radio equipped cars and homes. The NWS is most
interested in severe weather reports. Severe weather includes flash
flooding, hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. If the NWS confirms severe
weather with radar and other available information, it then notifies local
authorities who then can activate Civil Defense sirens. The news media
receives notification so they can make reports on local broadcast stations.
Skywarn volunteers donate thousands of hours and the use of their own
personal radio equipment and vehicles to give their communities advanced
warning of life threatening weather. Since the NWS instituted the Skywarn
Program, there has been a significant decrease in the death rate due to
tornadoes and other severe weather.
Excerpts from: Gropper, Daniel R. Skywarn Net Control Operations Manual,
Washington, DC, 1993
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