Storm Spotting
Operating Procedure
OVERVIEW
Volunteer
severe storm spotters serve an important function
in the system of severe storm warning in the Kansas City area. Dedicated ham operators, with their mobile and other
communication capabilities do heavy lifting in the volunteer storm spotting
service.
Spotter groups that make up our Metro
area exist as part of city or county emergency management and/or ARES¨ group.
The spotter groups report severe weather information to the governmental
agencies that they serve. This remains their first responsibility. In addition,
spotters providing information to the National Weather Service also have
network connections to the National Weather Service office at Pleasant Hill.
Spotter reports might come to the National Weather Service over the
Metropolitan Emergency Radio System or MERS. The Metropolitan Emergency
Management Committee operates this radio system. It is a committee of the Mid-America
Regional Council or MARC. Several area police, fire, sheriff and emergency
preparedness offices use MERS. MERS is a repeater system with an analog FM output
on 154.130 MHz. Only authorized agencies may communicate over the MERS system.
The other radio storm reporting network available to the National
Weather Service is the amateur radio operated Skywarn¨ Network. This network
backs up the other electronic systems that an emergency preparedness office may
use to contact the National Weather Service office. For some spotter groups,
this network provides a primary means of contact with the National Weather
Service. The Skywarn¨ Network operates in parallel with other communication
methods employed by National Weather Service and spotter
groups. The Skywarn¨ Net is intended for the use of National Weather
Service. It is not intended for public reception of weather information. Other
means exist to inform and warn the public. To function as an effective backup
system, the Skywarn¨ Network activates whenever requested by the National
Weather Service. If the Skywarn¨ Network is only activated upon failure of a
telecommunication system, due to the brief nature of certain weather
situations, it may not be possible to become operational in time to be of
benefit.
The
Skywarn¨ voice net normally operates on the KC¯SKY 146.700 MHz. repeater. The
KC¯SKY 145.190 MHz. repeater can be used for Skywarn¨ operations
in case the 146.700 MHz. repeater becomes unusable. Both KC¯SKY repeaters
employ a negative 600 kHz. offset and requires a 107.2
Hz. CTCSS tone for access.
Any ARES¨ station may activate the
Jackson County ARES¨ storm spotting net. When we operate our Jackson County
spotter's net, one of our net stations needs to serve as liaison with the Skywarn¨
Net if it is operational. A fixed station may perform this liaison. The
operator must be able to listen to our spotter net and Skywarn¨ Net
simultaneously. This liaison station shall relay important reports to the Skywarn¨
Net from our spotter net as directed by Jackson County ARES¨ net control. The
liaison station also reports information from the National Weather Service on
the Skywarn¨ Net back to Jackson County ARES¨ storm spotting net. The liaison
station therefore operates under direction of two net control stations. We
always seek a station to perform liaison duty when we operate a spotter net.
WEATHER
AWARENESS
A
weather spotter should possess an awareness of the possibility for severe
weather occurrence on a given day.
Morning local and network TV news programs identify potential severe weather
areas for the day during their weather segments. Most TV and broadcast radio
weather forecasts at other times during the day should mention if severe
weather is likely that day. The Cable Weather Channel carries information on
prospects for severe weather once or twice an hour.
Daily,
about 6 A.M., again about 1 P.M. and also about 6 P.M. during severe storm
season the National Weather Service Pleasant Hill office issues a Hazardous Weather
Outlook for the remainder of the day and the following six days. This forecast
contains statements that predict the likelihood for severe weather, the
possible weather hazards and the likelihood that weather spotters would be
needed today. This forecast is available from many sources. Upon release, it is
read over the MERS radio system on 154.130 MHz. The Hazardous Weather Outlook
broadcasts over the NOAA Weather Radio station callsign:
KID-77 on 162.55 MHz between 6 and 9 A.M., again between 1 and 4 P.M. daily and
between 5 and 8 P.M. during severe storm season. The Emergency Managers Weather
Information System or EMWIN captures these Hazardous Weather Outlook forecasts.
These forecasts are also available on the Internet at http://www.weather.gov/eax/hwo.
One of the best methods of severe
weather danger notification is by means of an alarm equipped weather radio. One
may buy these radios at consumer electronics and Price Chopper grocery stores at
reasonable prices. If you are contemplating purchase of such a radio, you might
consider the models with the specific county messaging feature.
Television stations carry Emergency
Alert System messages concerning the most dangerous weather conditions.
The Wireless Emergency Alert system
sends location specific alerts to cellular phones involving imminent treats to
safety and life.
The Cable Weather Channel carries
repetitive announcements of watches and warnings following an alert tone. These
statements usually follow by some minutes the alert available on KID-77.
The Pleasant Hill National Weather
Service Office also has a Facebook page operating at https://www.facebook.com/US.NationalWeatherService.PleasantHill.gov/.
It
is hoped that, by being aware of weather situations, you will be able, in your
personal circumstances, to be available for weather spotting. We understand
that not every trained spotter may be able to participate every time. This is
why we want as many ARES¨ members as possible to have recent spotter training.
We need a large pool of spotters from which to draw.
PREPARATION
Be
prepared to participate in severe weather spotting. It would be good to have
some printed instructional, and reference information at hand. If you browse
the Internet, check https://www.weather.gov/media/owlie/SGJune6-11(1).pdf. There is a Weather SpotterÕs Field Guide
there. If you picked up printed spotter information at a spotter training
session, use that material. The printed material once offered at spotter
training is no longer being printed, so hold on to any printed material
previously obtained.
Review your materials from time to
time. I suggest you keep your materials near your radio. Some spotters
recommend the use of binoculars and blue-light-filtering sunglasses to observe
weather phenomena.
NET PROCEDURES
When
you become aware of a severe thunderstorm or tornado watch, monitor our spotter
frequency for announcements. We would normally use the frequency of 146.820
MHz. There is no designated backup repeater at this time.
Our
ARES¨ spotter net may or may not activate during a severe thunderstorm watch or
warning. Factors such as the location of the affected area may have a bearing
on whether we activate. If the Skywarn¨ Net goes on the air, expect our spotter
net to operate in some fashion. Our spotter net activation status probably will
follow the lead of the status of Skywarn¨ net. If the Skywarn¨ Net activates
and after about fifteen minutes of monitoring our net frequency, you do not
hear a net control station, call for a net control station. A net control, if
there is one, should respond. If no net control station responds, those
stations on frequency should establish among themselves a net control station.
If our ARES¨ net is not activated and you experience severe weather you feel
needs reporting to the National Weather Service, there are non-radio methods
for doing so. If you can do so safely, call your local law enforcement agency.
Identify yourself as a National Weather Service trained spotter. Give your
report and request your report be forwarded to the National Weather Service.
You may also call the National Weather Service with your report to their
toll-free telephone number. The number is 816-540-6126 or 1-800-438-0596. When
offering a report by telephone, include all the information you would as if you
were making a spotting report over the radio.
If
you use Twitter, you can also send reports to @NWSKansasCity
using the hashtag #mowx or #kswx.
You can also incorporate photos with your Twitter report.
Following the issuance of a watch by
the National Weather Service, there may be a time before the spotter net starts
and spotters deploy. During such a period, the ARES¨ net is in standby status.
If the Skywarn¨ Net is in standby status, our spotter net may also be in
standby status. Consider the net on standby status as an alert period during
which preparations are made for possible spotter activities. During standby
status, normal repeater activity can continue without causing a problem to net
activities. As repeater usage allows, the net control station should make
periodic announcements concerning the net and weather status and may ask for
stations to declare their availability for subsequent spotter duty.
NET CONTROL RESPONSIBILITIES
The
responsibility of the net control station includes leading and organizing the
spotter activity. When net control station requests spotters, report your
availability status and location. The net control station will try to assign
you to a spotter post at or near your current location. Due to the associated
dangers with storm spotting at night, we discourage mobile spotting after
sunset. If it appears we have a sudden need for more spotters than we have
currently on the net, we may make mass contact attempts using telephone and/or
text messages. In such case we would appreciate your help, but we understand if
you cannot participate at this particular time.
The
net control, or a designated operator needs to notify Kansas City Emergency
Management when our spotter net is in operation. Do so by telephoning Craig
Schley at 816-564-8725 and the Emergency Management Duty Officer at
866-417-6400. If you get voice mail, leave a message that the Jackson County
ARES¨ spotter net is activated, the net frequency and the callerÕs telephone
number. Follow the same procedure when the net is deactivated.
The
net control station needs to appoint a station to liaison with Skywarn¨ Net.
The liaison must be able to receive the Skywarn¨ Net and our spotter net
simultaneously. This station should act as liaison for our spotter group
only and not attempt to be liaison for other groups as well. The liaison
station enters the Skywarn¨ Net by identifying as the liaison from Jackson
County ARES¨ and by reporting the status of our spotter operation. Thereafter,
the liaison should inform the Jackson County ARES¨ net of any specific
reporting requests made by SKYWARN¨.
The
net control also needs to assign a station the responsibility of recording our
net. A voice-operated tape or digital recorder would be best for this purpose.
Alternatively, a recorder continuously running or turned on and off to record
transmissions will do. Recordings are desired in case transmission content is
questioned and for critique purposes. Recordings need only be kept for a week.
The station doing the recording, like Skywarn¨ liaison, should ideally be with
the net for the duration of operation.
A function of our spotter group
activity with the National Weather Service is to assist in the issuance of
warnings and advisories. The National Weather Service has a mission to save
lives and reduce property damage through the issuance of warnings and
forecasts. It is the intent that weather warnings are issued with sufficient
time to prepare and with enough information to motivate those in the stormÕs
path to seek shelter. The Pleasant Hill office issues warnings for 43 counties
besides Jackson County. If the National Weather Service issues warnings for our
county, the focus of our spotter activities may change. For example, during a
tornado warning, the net may be suspended so participants in the warned area
may take cover. Following a tornado or severe thunderstorm warning, spotters
may be asked to provide storm damage information damage. If sufficient rain falls during a storm, we may ask spotters to observe
locations suspected to be prone to flooding and report flood situations.
SPOTTER SAFETY PROCEDURE
Volunteer
spotters carry out spotting activity at their own risk. The personal safety of
the spotter is of utmost importance in selection of your spotter location. If mobile
spotting, avoid being near overhead electric power lines or trees that could
attract lightning or be blown onto your vehicle. Be sure you have multiple exit
routes from your spotter location. Avoid cul-de-sacs and dead-end streets. DonÕt
park your car where other vehicles might block your exit. Be aware of sites
affording protection from hail, such as covered parking or drive-through teller
lanes. When parked, point the car into the wind to avoid being struck broadside
by wind gusts.
Always
be observant of the local environment. When near a thunderstorm, keep a three
to four mile Òbuffer zone" between you and the storm. Do not drive into
the north or west side of a supercell storm. For best
visibility and safety, it is best to stay on the south side of the storm with
an eye to the north. Frequently check the sky overhead and behind to ensure
against unexpected events such as a new tornado development. It is easy to
become engrossed in developing weather phenomenon to the disregard of the total
weather environment. Even during severe thunderstorm watches, tornadoes may
develop. Spotters should always be on guard for tornado development.
Electrical
hazard is the most common danger facing the spotter. All thunderstorms produce
lightning. The mobile spotter can have a lightning strike exposure due to his
position in an area such as a hilltop clearing. Whenever possible, remain in
your vehicle to minimize the chance of being struck by lightning. If you must
leave your vehicle, maintain a low profile when lightning is nearby. Remember
lightning can strike some 10 miles from a thunderstorm cloud. It is recommended
to stay inside a vehicle or structure 30 minutes after the last flash of
lightning. Do not drive over downed electrical power lines.
If
a tornado approaches your location you might be able to drive away from the
tornado. But do so only if you are in open country, if the location and motion
of the tornado are known and if you are familiar with the local road network.
If you are in an urban area and escape is not possible for some reason, abandon
your vehicle and seek shelter in a reinforced building. If a reinforced
building is not available, get into a culvert, ditch or other depression in the
ground not prone to flooding. Protect your head with your arms.
Never
drive through water of unknown depth. Flowing water, exceeding a foot in depth,
is capable of moving a vehicle off the pavement with a force of 1500 pounds.
Remember
that you never need net controlÕs approval to take self-protective action.
Take care of your safety first. Inform net control of your situation when you
can do so safely.
SPOTTER
PROCEDURE
Mobile spotters should adjust your
position to have good lines of sight. Remember visibility to the northwest and west
is the most desirable.
When
you are ready to spot, notify net control of your location and the current
weather condition. Report whenever your weather condition changes. At some
point in a spotter operation, the net control may ask for reports of severe
weather only. Thereafter initiate only reports of severe weather as follows.
¤ Report hail
occurrences when the hailstones have a diameter of a ¾Ó or larger or if
the hail covers the ground regardless of size. Always report the largest size
hail observed.
¤ Report wind
gusts when their speed exceeds 50 miles per hour.
¤ Obviously, one
should report tornadoes and funnel clouds. If a funnel cloud reaches more than
half of the way to the ground, report it as a tornado.
¤ Pre-tornadic phenomena such as rotating wall clouds should be
reported.
¤ Report
rainfall exceeding an inch per hour or resulting flash flooding with standing
or flowing water depth of 6Ó or more .
¤ Report any
storm or water damage.
¤ Report
lightning resulting in damage.
When
reporting, cover the following points:
1) Time of
observation
2) Location of
the spotter including name of county
3) Location of
weather phenomenon (cross street or well-known landmark)
4) Type of
severe weather phenomenon
¤ In the case of
a tornado or funnel, cloud report speed and direction of travel
¤ In the case of
a wall cloud, report existence of rotation and speed and direction of travel
and the length of time you have observed
¤ In the case of
hail, report size using size descriptors in your spotter guide
¤ In the case of
wind, report speed and direction and if speed was measured or estimated
¤ Any physical
damage observed
¤ In the case of
heavy rain, the amount of rain over what period of time and if it was measured
or estimated
¤ In the case of
flooding, the current extent of the flooding.
This
information constitutes a complete report. Take time to formulate a complete severe
weather report. If necessary, take a few moments to outline your observations
on paper. From time to time, net control may request reports on current
conditions.
If
you are not certain of weather phenomenon you are seeing, observe it for a
little longer before making your report. If you do make a report and remain
uncertain of what you observe, always state this uncertainty in your report.
Perhaps another spotter can confirm your report.
If
you report something on the spotter net overheard on another radio frequency or
something you didnÕt see with your own eyes, report the source of the information.
We wish to avoid confusion over whether a report on the net is a live
observation from one of our spotters or a hearsay report.
Important Frequencies
Jackson County ARES¨
Primary 146.820 MHz-
(-) (151.4 Hz.)
Secondary 146.970
MHz. (-)
MERS 154.130 MHz
SKYWARN¨
Primary 146.700
MHz- (-) (107.2 Hz. CTCSS)
Alternate 145.190 MHz- (-) (107.2 Hz. CTCSS)
KID-77 162.550
MHz
HAIL
DIAMETER SIZE DESCRIPTION
1/4"
Pea
Size
1/2"
11/16"
Dime
Size
3/4Ó (Reportable size) Penny Size
7/8"
Nickel
Size
1"
(Severe Criteria) Quarter
Size
1
1/4" Half
Dollar Size
1
1/2" Walnut
or Ping Pong Ball Size
1
3/4" Golf
Ball Size (often accompanies tornadic conditions)
2"
Hen
Egg Size
2
1/2" Tennis
Ball Size
2
3/4" Baseball
Size
3"
Teacup
Size
4"
Grapefruit
Size
4
1/2" Softball
Size
WIND SPEED ESTIMATE |
DESCRIPTION |
25-31 mph |
Large branches in motion; whistling
heard in telephone wires |
32-38 mph |
Whole trees in motion; resistance
felt walking against the wind |
39-54 mph |
Twigs break off trees; wind generally
impedes progress |
55-72 mph |
Damage to chimneys and TV antennas;
pushes over shallow rooted trees |
73-112 mph |
Peels surfaces off roofs; windows
broken; light mobile homes pushed or overturned; moving cars pushed off road |
113-157 mph |
Roofs torn off houses; cars lifted
off ground |
ARES¨ and the Amateur Radio Emergency Service are registered
service marks of the American Radio Relay League, Inc. and used here with
permission.
Skywarn¨ and the Skywarn¨ logo
are registered trademarks of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, used with permission.
Updated
March 2018
Copyright
2018 Jackson County ARES