Welcome to all of the new spotters who joined the program since our last newsletter.  We appreciate your interest in the Wilmington NWS spotter program. Your participation is vital to both the Weather Service warning program and the safety of  your community.  This article will review the types of weather you should report as well as explain the Spotter ID=s and updates to our database.

This severe weather season has been generally calmer than usual.  When severe weather has occurred, spotters have proven essential to our operations.  Spotters in southeast Indiana and southwest Ohio gave us real-time reports which helped the staff alert people in Blue Ash and Montgomery to the violent tornado approaching them (see page 1).  Thus, spotters need to always be on the lookout for inclement weather.  How do you know when to expect severe weather?  On days that severe weather is more likely to occur, we alert our spotters by issuing a severe weather outlook hours before severe weather is expected.  This statement is broadcast on NOAA weather radio as well as posted on our webpage.  It tells when and where severe weather is most likely to occur and what types of severe weather to expect.    If conditions continue to look favorable for widespread severe weather across the area, the

Once you have witnessed some severe weather, how do you report it?  Call the spotter reporting line and give your spotter ID, location and the time and type of event.  Be as specific as possible so other reports can get through.  Remember, the toll-free number is only for severe weather reports.  If you have a question or need general weather information, call (937) 383-0031. 

There also will be times when we may need to call you.  Someone from the office might give you a call during the times you indicated that you were available.  If this happens, they will typically ask for specific information such as how much rain has fallen or if you are experiencing hail or strong winds.  In addition, we might call after a storm has moved through your area (even the next day) to inquire about possible damage.  These reports are still important as they will help us study the storms and improve for the next event. 

Some other questions you may have are: What is the spotter ID?  Why do we assign it?  The ID helps us to keep track of all the spotters in the 52 counties we service.  The first letter is for the state and the next two letters represent the county.  The numbers are your individual spotter number and give us a

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