Storm savvy: Class teaches 280 residents basics of storm spotting
You’re at home, and a storm is barreling in.
Chirping in the background, a meteorologist identifies the direction it’s moving and its speed as he points at the flashing colors on the TV screen. You decide how long you have to get ready. You know the safest place to be in your house, and that’s where you take your emergency kit and your family. You’ve thought about it so many times, it’s second nature. But, what if you aren’t at home?
Assume you’re in your vehicle on the roadway. You’re directly in the path of a tornado with no escape route. Where should you go?
April marks the third anniversary of the devastating tornadoes of April 2011, and in February, National Weather Service meteorologist Tara Goggins and Jim Stefkovich, meteorologist in charge of the Birmingham NWS, presented a Storm Spotter Basics training course at North Shelby Baptist.
“What we’re trying to do is pass along information to people about the best ways to protect themselves,” Stefkovich said.
More than 125 people turned out for the course, spurred by a desire to be prepared for this year’s storm season. Organizers said it was one of the best turnouts the NWS has had for the course.
“We live in tornado alley and the season starts Sunday,” Caroline Jones said. “That’s why we felt it was so important to encourage our members to come listen.”
Jones is part of North Shelby Baptist’s Disaster Relief Ministry, which responds to natural disasters by providing food, clothing and communication efforts to those in affected areas. The ministry has made more than a dozen trips to regions struck by hurricanes in the past decade.
Billy Graham, head of the Relief Ministry, said the organization coordinated the course as a proactive measure.
“We thought, why not get people ready before the storm?” Graham said.
Much of the two-hour course focused on knowing what to look for in the clouds. Goggins said it takes a trained eye to spot a developing tornado. But the NWS radar can’t confirm if a tornado forms, only where one is likely. The organization relies on spotters to relay concise, factual information from the field.
“To know if it’s a tornado, you need to see the whole picture,” Goggins told the audience. “If you’re going to report, report only what you know. What we don’t want is for people to tell us there is a tornado and be wrong.”
She also said that can be a tall order in Alabama, where the landscape isn’t conducive to successful storm spotting like it is in the plains of the Midwest.
“The reason we don’t suggest you go out storm chasing in this area is there are hills and trees in the way, and storms often happen at night,” she said. “Please do not chase storms at night.”
However, because the Birmingham weather service is responsible for monitoring and issuing watches and warnings for 39 of Alabama’s 67 counties, spotters are a vital part of protecting the public. And spotter classes not only train residents on what to watch for but also how to protect themselves and best help others in the area.
“Don’t put yourself in harm’s way just to make a report, but we would like any information you have,” Goggins said. “When you do contact us, we want just the facts, stay calm and don’t exaggerate.”
The event concluded with an expo for area organizations tied to disaster relief and weather safety, including the Red Cross and companies that make and install storm shelters.
Stefkovich said public classes like these are not common and are unlikely to occur again in the 280 area this spring or summer, as National Weather Service meteorologists will be hard at work watching radar from the NWS office at the Shelby County Airport.
For those interested in taking the Storm Spotter Basics course, the NWS is offering a Web-based version twice this month. The classes are scheduled for April 7 at 10 a.m. and April 14 at 6 p.m. To sign up, visit srh.noaa.gov/bmx.
And as for what to do if a tornado is headed for your vehicle?
“We stick with the idea that you should get out of your car, get into a ditch and cover your head,” Goggins said. “But if you know there’s going to be bad weather that day, just cancel your travel plans.”
Online
Birmingham National Weather Service
North Shelby Baptist Disaster Relief Ministry
northshelbybaptist.org/missions/disaster-relief/
Shelby County Emergency Management Agency
shelbycountyalabama.com and search “EMA”
Report weather incidents
Call 800-856-0758
Email weather photos
sr-bmx.pix@noaa.gov