The National Weather Service ended its area storm spotter training sessions with a stop in Emporia on Wednesday night.
Meteorologist Sarah Teefey’s presentation at Emporia State University involved different kinds of storms, cloud features that indicate a storm’s severity, severe weather safety and hazardous weather reporting procedures. She tells KVOE News the Weather Service prefers spotters stay at their home or business, instead of chase storms, when they relay information.
Teefey also says the Weather Service doesn’t condone chasing and it does not hire its own chasers in severe weather situations. Having said that, Teefey noted the general northeasterly direction of most severe storms and said chasers need to position themselves southeast — again, of most storms — and be in a position to see a storm without being impacted by it.
Teefey also encouraged residents, whether spotting, chasing or not, to have a severe weather plan whether for their home or business and to practice that plan. She also reminded the roughly 40 people in attendance to have several ways of receiving weather alerts, including a severe weather radio, mobile apps, radio and TV.
To report rain totals or severe weather directly to the Weather Service, call 800-432-3929 or message NWS Topeka on Facebook or Twitter. To report to KVOE, call 620-342-1400, email kvoe@kvoe.com or message the Bluestem Farm and Ranch text line at 620-342-5863. KVOE sends local and area reports to the National Weather Service.
Whenever severe weather is part of the weather picture or threatening the KVOE listening area, we will provide you information from the National Weather Service, KVOE staff and our network of KVOE Storm Team volunteer spotters.
