Oakland County is offering free Skywarn weather spotter training in March and April. Go to OakGov.com/HomelandSecurity and click on the Skywarn logo to register. In addition, Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson has declared the week of March 24-30, as Severe Weather Awareness Week, during which the county will conduct a special test of its outdoor warning system at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 27.
"Emergency preparedness saves lives," Patterson said. "Whether its learning to spot tornadoes or having an emergency plan, we encourage residents, businesses and organizations to heighten their awareness of severe weather."
Individuals who attend Skywarn training sessions will learn how to accurately observe weather 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 free 90-minute class covers what information to report, how to report it, and basic severe weather safety.
"Trained spotters are essential to the National Weather Service warning process," Oakland County Homeland Security Division Manager Thomas Hardesty. "The more trained eyes we have in the field during severe weather, the better our service to the public will be."
The spotter training classes will take place on the following dates at these locations:
• Tuesday, March 5, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Novi City Hall, 45175 10 Mile Rd., Novi
• Wednesday, March 6, 7 to 8:30 p.m., L. Brooks Patterson Building, 2100 Pontiac Lake Rd., Waterford
• Saturday, March 23, 10 to 11:30 a.m., L. Brooks Patterson Building, 2100 Pontiac Lake Rd., Waterford
• Saturday, March 23, 1 to 2:30 p.m., L. Brooks Patterson Building, 2100 Pontiac Lake Rd., Waterford
• Monday, March 25, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Southfield Public Library, 26300 Evergreen Rd., Southfield
• Thursday, April 4, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Rochester Fire Department, 277 E. Second St., Rochester
• Monday, April 8, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Groveland Fire Department, 14645 Dixie Hwy., Holly
For additional information on Skywarn weather spotter training or developing an emergency preparedness plan, go to OakGov.com/HomelandSecurity or call 248-858-5300.
Published: Thu, Feb 28, 2019
