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FAIRMONT -- After an eventful 2018 and early 2019 in terms of weather, people across Martin County are hoping for a calm and mild summer.
While we can only take the weather as it comes, it does help to be prepared.
In just two weeks, Martin County will host a Skywarn training class for the public, educating people about what is involved with being a weather spotter. The classes are hosted on a yearly rotating basis between Martin and Watonwan counties, according to Martin County Emergency Management director Abigail Nesbit. She explained what the classes entail.
"Skywarn teaches the public on how to identify dangerous clouds and tornadoes and call them in to report to the National Weather Service," she said. "Trained and certified Skywarn students can call in tornado spottings to dispatch and NWS, and may have sway in when outdoor warning sirens are set off. The class is going to be taught by Todd Krause, who is the warning coordination meteorologist for the Twin Cities area."
According to information provided by the National Weather Service, Skywarn was established in the 1970s with a goal of obtaining critical weather information during times of severe weather. The program works with local organizations and private citizens who have a desire to serve their communities. Skywarn volunteers receive training in severe storm identification and evolution. When severe weather threatens, they become storm spotters, reporting information in real-time to the local Weather Service office.
The National Weather Service says the United States is the most severe weather-prone country in the world. Each year, people across country cope with an average of 10,000 thunderstorms, 5,000 floods, 1,200 tornadoes and two landfalling hurricanes. About 90 percent of all presidentially declared disasters are weather-related, with weather causing 500 deaths each year and nearly $14 billion in damage.
Although the Weather Service has access to data from Doppler radar, satellite and surface weather stations, it says technology cannot detect every instance of hazardous weather. Spotters help fill in the gaps by reporting hail, wind damage, flooding, heavy snow, tornadoes and waterspouts.
The Weather Service says spotters act as eyes and ears out in the field, providing reports that help meteorologists issue timely, accurate and detailed warnings by confirming hazardous weather detected by NWS radar.
Those interested in finding out more about the program can check out the national Skywarn website at www.skywarn.org. Nesbit said the upcoming class is available to anyone interested.
"It isn't necessary or required to RSVP," she said. "Since the class is open to the public, people may just show up."
Nevertheless, those wishing to RSVP may call Nesbit at (507) 238-3193.