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PITTSBURG —
When digging out from under sleet, severe spring weather may not be the first thing on most people’s minds.
However, the storm system that brought the area several inches of snow, sleet and ice actually was more typical of a spring storm setup.
Earlier this week, more than 100 people, including law enforcement officers, fire department employees and the general public, gathered at Memorial Auditorium to learn about the formation of storms and how to safely serve as a spotter during severe weather events.
Warning Coordination Meteorologist Steve Runnels said storm spotting is a challenging act and that he hopes those who do so will attend year after year to keep their training fresh.
He also said he is not trying to turn anyone into a storm chaser, and that he wants those who do spot or chase to remain safe.
“In order for you to remain safe you’ve got to be aware of what’s going on around you,” Runnels said.
He added that storm spotters do provide a crucial verification service for what radar may indicate.
“Radar is good,” he said. “You guys are confirming the threat.”
“Each time I issue a tornado warning, I guarantee you that storm is spinning,” Runnels continued, but said a spinning storm does not confirm a funnel. “Radar is good. You guys are better.”
He cited the 2011 Joplin tornado and said that people who heard there was a confirmed sighting took better shelter.
However, not everything that looks like a tornado is, and Runnels reviewed several photos of low clouds and pointed out key points, including debris and rotation, to look at before reporting a tornado.
“Simply put, when you report a tornado to us, you’ve got to be accurate,” he said. "If you are not accurate, people will not pay attention to spotter confirmations.”
Spotters also can catch sight of threats before they become unrecognizable.
Runnels said he is aware of several large tornados where they grew so wide that people didn’t even recognize them as tornados, including the Joplin event.
“Ultimately, the spotters are the ones continuing to provide the information that it is still on the ground,” Runnels said.
He again cited the Joplin tornado when talking about the polygons issued on maps with warnings. He said the polygons indicate directions, but storms can switch directions quickly. In the case of Joplin, the storm was headed east and slightly north, but then turned to the south.
When digging out from under sleet, severe spring weather may not be the first thing on most people’s minds.
However, the storm system that brought the area several inches of snow, sleet and ice actually was more typical of a spring storm setup.
Earlier this week, more than 100 people, including law enforcement officers, fire department employees and the general public, gathered at Memorial Auditorium to learn about the formation of storms and how to safely serve as a spotter during severe weather events.
Warning Coordination Meteorologist Steve Runnels said storm spotting is a challenging act and that he hopes those who do so will attend year after year to keep their training fresh.
He also said he is not trying to turn anyone into a storm chaser, and that he wants those who do spot or chase to remain safe.
“In order for you to remain safe you’ve got to be aware of what’s going on around you,” Runnels said.
He added that storm spotters do provide a crucial verification service for what radar may indicate.
“Radar is good,” he said. “You guys are confirming the threat.”
“Each time I issue a tornado warning, I guarantee you that storm is spinning,” Runnels continued, but said a spinning storm does not confirm a funnel. “Radar is good. You guys are better.”
He cited the 2011 Joplin tornado and said that people who heard there was a confirmed sighting took better shelter.
However, not everything that looks like a tornado is, and Runnels reviewed several photos of low clouds and pointed out key points, including debris and rotation, to look at before reporting a tornado.
“Simply put, when you report a tornado to us, you’ve got to be accurate,” he said. "If you are not accurate, people will not pay attention to spotter confirmations.”
Spotters also can catch sight of threats before they become unrecognizable.
Runnels said he is aware of several large tornados where they grew so wide that people didn’t even recognize them as tornados, including the Joplin event.
“Ultimately, the spotters are the ones continuing to provide the information that it is still on the ground,” Runnels said.
He again cited the Joplin tornado when talking about the polygons issued on maps with warnings. He said the polygons indicate directions, but storms can switch directions quickly. In the case of Joplin, the storm was headed east and slightly north, but then turned to the south.
And, Runnels said spotters can provide damage reports behind the storm so that those still ahead can take cover.
“Telling you there’s a tornado is one thing, but saying St. John’s Hospital has just been destroyed is another.”
Runnels said those who do spot need to be able to identify the updraft - often the funnel or the area where the air is flowing upwards, and the down-draft - where the wind or rain are flowing out of the storm.
“If you are too close to spot both the updraft and the downdraft, you are too close,” Runnels said.
Crawford County Emergency Manager Eldon Bedene said it is important for people to be trained and for everyone to be aware of severe weather.
“In today’s lifestyle with 300 channels, they’re not watching the local weather or the local news,” Bedene said.
He said sirens provide an outdoor warning system only and that there aren’t as many ham radio operators, so staying aware and being able to spot weather moving in is crucial.
