Published: February 15, 2009 11:01 am      

Learning the signs

Storm spotter’s efforts provide life-saving advanced warnings

DUNCAN — Just one day before multiple tornadoes terrorized parts of Oklahoma, with one devastating Lone Grove, Stephens County emergency first responders and ham-radio operators were trained Monday on spotting and determining the seriousness of the storms.

For Loco Volunteer Fire Chief Glen Knutson, the training was providential because he spent the bulk of the following two days in Lone Grove helping with the cleanup efforts.

Once a storm is spotted, storm spotters and law enforcement head out to check on the storm. They then relay any critical information to the local weather center. For Stephens County, the center is located in Norman.

Operators in Norman then relay any information they gain to all the local agencies, which helps in knowing whether anyone should be evacuated or not.

Once in a good location to keep an eye on a storm, those who have been trained will know fairly quick whether a tornado is likely to arise from that storm. Some of the danger signs are vertical rotation, persistence, rising motions and inflow of air.

These signs do not guarantee a tornado, but the likelihood is much greater.

Of course, at night, making any determination of the nature of a storm is a little more difficult.

Those who brave the elements at night to relay critical information back to the local weather center in Norman must rely on flashes of lightning to illuminate the parts of the storm that could house a tornado.

The weather center in Norman is the only place that can issue a weather warning for Stephens County, but as they only see radar, which can only tell so much about a storm, they need people on the ground to tell them what is actually happening below the cloud layers.

“The more help they can get, the better prepared they are to warn the public about a problem,” said Terry Mahorney, who helped build a system of repeaters throughout southwest Oklahoma over the course of the last 16 years.

Repeaters allow transmission of information from the weather center to ham radio operators.

“You can listen to Norman and hear all the information they are privy to,” Mahorney said.

Stephens County Emergency Management Director Gary Ball said that this training has happened every year since about 1992. Any who attend also receive Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training credit.

“I’ve heard some new stuff this year,” Ball said. “Every year is a little different.”

There were about 65 in attendance Monday, which was more than the attendance of last year, Ball said.

For more information, go to www.swiralink.com and www.weather.gov/norman.