A meteorologist from the National Weather Service will present severe weather training next month at the Crest Theater in Great Bend.
The program “Storm Fury on the Plains,” presented by Chance Hayes from the Wichita office of the NWS, is ideal for storm spotters in particular, but the training and education is important for everyone, said Amy Miller, Barton County emergency management director.
The two-hour sessions will be held at 3 and 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 4. Sessions consist of a multimedia presentation, lecture, and question and answer period.
“The sessions are a public service effort to make everyone safer, whether at home, on the road, or maybe at the lake camping,” Miller said.
Although Barton County does not have an official storm spotters organization, many people do enjoy watching storms, Miller noted. “Most people don’t know where to safely locate themselves or how to spot a storm safely.”
Law enforcement officers typically monitor storms in the area and send reports to the National Weather Service. During a severe weather watch, the public should always keep up with current announcements, including looking at radar updates.
The NWS shows, which are being offered to the general public by meteorologists across the state, focus on severe storm safety, preparedness and awareness. Storm structure and accurate identification of important cloud features associated with supercell and squall line thunderstorms are also touched on.
During the past 10 years, tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash floods have killed nearly 2,300 people in the United States and injured thousands of others, according to NWS information. However, because of storm spotter reports and improved technology for gathering and sharing weather information, the death toll was reduced by more than 800 from the previous 10 years.
Additional information from the NWS is available online. The Basic Spotter’s Field Guide can be found at http://skywarn.org/wp-content/uploads/basicspot.pdf.