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Levelland Fire hosts storm spotters’ training
Levelland Fire hosts storm spotters’ training
HIGHWAY COLLISION - The LFD was dispatched to the intersection of U.S. Highway 385 and FM 597 in regard to a two-vehicle wreck on Wednesday morning. While enroute, the unit in response could see smoke and requested additional resources. A milk truck was identified on its side and the engine compartment was on fire. Once the fire was extinguished, fire personnel remained on scene to provide additional resources. According to a DPS report, the collision resulted in the death of Elaine Maribel Martinez, 19, of Sudan. (Photo courtesy of Hockley County Emergency Management)
Many people think radar and other technology has made in person storm tracking a thing of the past, but National Weather Service Lead Forecaster Kaitlin Scheuth said that isn’t necessarily the case.
Scheuth and NWS Public Information Officer Marissa Pazos were on hand to train local first responders, Levelland SKYWARN personnel and interested members of the public Tuesday night at the Levelland Fire Station.
“Spotters are necessary in spite of technology,” said Scheuth.
She explained that radar moves in a straight line and can’t follow the curvature of the earth.
“By the time a storm gets to Clovis, our radar can see rotation, but can’t see a tornado on the ground,” she said. “We get valuable ground truth from our spotters.”
West Texas can be a hot spot for severe weather because of several geographic factors. Downslope winds from the mountains in New Mexico bring dry air which combines with either Pacific moisture carried by the jet stream or moist air coming from the Gulf of Mexico to create unstable air masses.
Scheuth said the main season for tornadic activity is April through June, but severe weather can occur anytime of year.
“The number of tornados can vary greatly from year to year,” she said.
One problem with predicting storms is the typical rainfall patterns in the area.
“Most of our rainfall comes from thunderstorms,” she said. “If a storm dumps two inches on Levelland, the rainfall total increases, but if it rains a few miles north, Levelland has a dry month.”
The public can get information through the weather service from the Storm Prediction Center at spc.noaa.gov or the NWS office in Lubbock at weather.gov/Lubbock.
The information from the spotter training is also available at weather.gov/spotterguide There are three levels of information.
The weather service puts a weather outlook out that covers seven days over a large area. If there is potential for severe weather, the service will put out a watch for a 4-8 hour period that covers a large area – possibly even multi-state.
The final step is a warning. A warning means that severe weather is happing at the moment and will cover the area in which the weather event is expected to impact over the next 30-60 minutes.
For those interested in spotting storms, Scheuth emphasized safety first.
The NWS uses the acronym ACES when it comes to safety Be AWARE of your surroundings. It is important to know not only where you are, but what risks are around you – i.e. power poles or water crossings.
COMMUNICATE your location and intentions to others. Have multiple lines of communication open so that you can get help quickly if needed.
It is also important to follow local radar and storm reports in order to know where storms are moving or new storms are firing up.
ESCAPE routes are vital. In most cases, storms on the south plains will move to the northeast so the safest place is often to the south of the storm.
It is not always the case that one can escape, so SAFE ZONES need to be identified where you can find shelter in case of emergency.
Some other safety rules to keep in mind include traveling in pairs, not spotting at night, do not “punch storms” (driving into the core of the storm) and watching for other traffic.
Storm damage may be reported to the national weather service at 877-582-5697 or texted to 806-416-9354.
The weather service is interested in all damage reports as that gives them a better idea of the severity and movement of storms.
Remember to tell them who you are, what you have witnessed, when and where it happened.
The spotters’ guide has specific information concerning tornadoes and storms that the weather service will need when reporting.
The weather service is also interested in photos, also Scheuth emphasized that spotters should not risk their safety to get a picture.
Pictures can give a lot of information. They are also helpful in training spotters.
Other programs that help the weather service include the Citizen Weather Observer Program (CWOP) and the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Net (CoCoRaHS.)
Both programs are made up of volunteers who share information with the weather service that helps in understanding weather events.
For those who wish to be better informed about local emergencies, there is the Resident Communications Registry through RUaware.us.
Hockley County Emergency Preparedness Director Cole Kirkland said emergency management uses the system to inform local residents of severe weather events and public safety incidents, including traffic accidents and fires.
Both Scheuth and Pazos also talked about careers in meteorology. In addition to the weather service, there are openings in broadcast and research as well.
“A bachelors’ degree in meteorology will get you in the door,” said Pazos.