The United States is the most severe weatherprone country in the
world. Each year, people in this country cope with an average of
10,000 thunderstorms, 5,000 floods, 1,200 tornadoes, and two
landfalling hurricanes. Approximately 90% of all presidentially
declared disasters are weather-related, causing around 500 deaths
each year and nearly $14 billion in damage. SKYWARN(r) is a
National Weather Service (NWS) program developed in the 1960s that
consists of trained weather spotters who provide reports of severe
and hazardous weather to help meteorologists make life-saving
warning decisions. Spotters are concerned citizens, amateur radio
operators, truck drivers, mariners, airplane pilots, emergency
management personnel, and public safety officials who volunteer
their time and energy to report on hazardous weather impacting
their community. Although, NWS has access to data from Doppler
radar, satellite, and surface weather stations, technology cannot
detect every instance of hazardous weather. Spotters help fill in
the gaps by reporting hail, wind damage, flooding, heavy snow,
tornadoes and waterspouts. Radar is an excellent tool, but it is
just that: one tool among many that NWS uses. We need spotters to
report how storms and other hydrometeorological phenomena are
impacting their area. SKYWARN(r) spotter reports provide vital
"ground truth" to the NWS. They act as our eyes and ears in the
field. Spotter reports help our meteorologists issue timely,
accurate, and detailed warnings by confirming hazardous weather
detected by NWS radar. Spotters also provide critical verification
information that helps improve future warning services. SKYWARN(r)
Spotters serve their local communities by acting as a vital source
of information when dangerous storms approach. Without spotters,
NWS would be less able to fulfill its mission of protecting life
and pro
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