[Skywarn] (no subject)

[N4AOF]

-----Original Message----- 
From: Kevin Heyboer

> Hi Skip, according to Ask and Mapquest, you live in Harris County, TX,
> and I find it very hard to believe the Greater Metro Houston area
> would not have an existing SKYWARN program.

I can't speak for Houston, but I will tell you not to be shocked at finding 
a major metropolitan area without a formal Skywarn program.

In many communities, the closest thing to a formal Skywarn program is 
whichever ham radio club happens to consider Skywarn to be one of the things 
they do.  And often the involvement with local emergency management or a 
local NWS office is very informal (at best).

I live in a moderately large metro area (750K population, not counting the 
outlying suburbs; total metro area roughly twice that), with a local NWS 
office -- in fact, our NWS office held its first tornado spotter classes in 
1974, just before the term Skywarn had even been invented.

BUT the Skywarn program here has always been very informal and for at least 
the last decade has been primarily based on one ham radio club in one of the 
outlying counties, plus RACES and REACT in the main metro county.  RACES and 
REACT are connected with the city EMA, while the outlying club maintains a 
station at the NWS office which is usually manned during severe weather.  It 
has been at least a couple of years since the last advertised basic or 
advanced spotter class held in or near the metro area.