FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — Missouri now has 31 new, National Weather Service-trained storm spotters, following a Skywarn class, held March 13 at the Pulaski County Courthouse in Waynesville.
The class was taught by Steve Runnels, a warning coordination meteorologist from the NWS office in Springfield, Missouri.
“Radar is a wonderful tool, but if you confirm the threat, people are going to take warning,” Runnels said as he welcomed the class. “In reality, you are the last thing the public is waiting for before they take cover.”
Hector Silva, Pulaski County Office of Emergency Management director, said he invites the NWS to teach the class every year.
“It is critical to be knowledgeable and involved in the community you are living in. This area, because of the post, is a melting pot. We have lots of people that are living here but are not from here — they come from all over the world. For instance, myself, I am from Puerto Rico, where we are used to weather. But this is not another day on the island. We are not used to storm cells with tornadoes and hail, which is a reality here,” Silva said. “Classes like this give our community the opportunity to be more aware and more involved in emergency management. The more trained eyes we have on the sky, the better the outcome can be for the entire community.”
One community member attending the class, Sgt. Steven Brooks — a combat medic with the 2nd Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment — agreed. He said the weather is different here than what he grew up with in South Dakota.
“It is hilly and roads are curvy here. In some areas you can’t see very far. It is important to be aware and know what you are seeing, so you can communicate that and be prepared,” Brooks said.
While preparing to transition out of the Army, Brooks is taking part in the Army Career Skills Program and is currently serving as Silva’s intern.
“After this class, I feel confident that I can identify and describe squall line shelf clouds, wall clouds, a supercell’s up and downdraft and rotation,” Brooks said.
Some of the other topics covered in the class were tactical command and control, spotter positioning, understanding radar, how to communicate different types of weather and the difference between funnel clouds and tornadoes.
“Storms and flooding can turn deadly in an instant here. It is important to stay connected and pay attention to watches and warnings. It might be as simple as finding a new way home to avoid flooding — because what you don’t know can kill you,” Brooks said. “If you have the time, I would attend one of these classes. The information is lifesaving.”
The NWS has two virtual storm-spotting webinars scheduled, March 18 and April 11. Topics discussed in these classes will be severe weather forecasting, sending reports and how to prepare for weather emergencies.
For more information on these webinars and to register, visit the 2024 Storm Spotter Promotion website.
More information about the Skywarn spotter program can be found here.
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