Oakland County residents will be able to register for free Skywarn severe weather spotter training. Registration is now being accepted, County Executive L. Brooks Patterson announced Wednesday. Classes will be held throughout March and April at various locations in Oakland County. To register, go to OakGov.com/HomelandSecurity and click on the Skywarn logo or call 248-858-5300.
"Only one instrument can detect a tornado or funnel cloud with complete certainty-the human eye," Patterson said. "Weather spotters enable us to identify severe weather and warn those in its path, saving lives. I encourage residents to take advantage of this free training."
Skywarn classes train individuals on how to accurately observe weather phenomena such as floods, hail, wind and its associated damage, cloud features that lead to tornadoes, and cloud features that do not lead to tornadoes. The class covers what information to report and how to report it. Basic severe weather safety is also a topic.
The following is the schedule and location of classes:
- Wednesday, March 2, from 7-8:30 p.m.; Oakland County Executive Office Building, 41W, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford.
- Saturday, March 12, from 10-11:30 a.m.; Oakland County Executive Office Building, 41W, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford.
- Saturday, March 12, from 1-2:30 p.m.; Oakland County Executive Office Building, 41W, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford.
- Wednesday March 16 from 7-8:30 p.m.; Rochester Hills City Hall, 1000 Rochester Hills Dr. in Rochester Hills.
- Monday, March 21, from 7-8:30 p.m.; Groveland Township Fire Department Station No. 1, 14645 Dixie Highway, Holly.
- Wednesday, March 30, from 7-8:30 p.m.; Southfield Civic Center Library, 26300 Evergreen Road, Southfield.
- Tuesday, April 7 from 7-8:30 p.m.; Farmington Hills Costick Activity Center, 28600 Eleven Mile Road in Farmington Hills.
"While new technological and scientific tools have advanced meteorologists' capability to predict severe weather, the trained spotter remains essential to the National Weather Service warning process," said Homeland Security Division Manager Theodore Quisenberry. "The more trained eyes we have in the field during severe weather, the better our service to the public will be."
Published: Thu, Feb 18, 2016
