TV station covers storm preparation

KLTV, Channel 7 did a nice little story on preparing for East Texas storms last week in advance of expected severe weather. The story included interviews with Office of Emergency Management Staff as well as a couple of Rusk County ARC club members. Michael and David spoke specifically about hams and GMRS users who serve a storm spotters. Not a storm spotter? Visit a club meeting to find out more!

Here's a link to the online version of the story: https://www.kltv.com/2023/03/02/rusk-county-emergency-managers-storm-spotters-prepare-severe-weather/

Get storm spotter training online!

Amateur radio operators play a critical role in providing emergency communications during severe weather events. We help keep communities safe by relaying important information about storm conditions and damage to the National Weather Service (NWS) and emergency management officials. One way operators can prepare for storm spotting is by participating in SKYWARN, a volunteer program that helps keep communities safe during severe weather.

SKYWARN was developed by the NWS to improve the accuracy and timeliness of severe weather warnings. SKYWARN spotters are volunteers who report severe weather to their local NWS office. Although not all spotters are ham radio operators, many of them are. They provide real-time, ground-level observations of severe weather conditions, such as hail, high winds, tornadoes, and flooding. This information is then used by the NWS to issue more accurate and timely warnings, ultimately saving lives and reducing property damage.

The Rusk County ARC often partners with the Rusk County Office of Emergency Management to host in-person SKYWARN training in Henderson. Another way to become a SKYWARN spotter is through online training which covers the basics of storm spotting, including identifying severe weather,

March meeting...Learn to WiSPeR!

Join us for our monthly meeting for March on Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 7 p.m. for a special presentation on WSPR. This digital mode has been around for a few years, is super easy to set up and can provide some amazing data with just a few milliwatts of power. 

Nathan (N5NDC) will lead the presentation with all the ins and outs of WSPR and how you can join in on the fun, probably with the equipment you already have. We will meet at our regular location at the South Main Church of Christ, 402 S. Main Street, Henderson, TX. See you there!