Storm spotter class is Feb. 19 in Sallisaw

Sequoyah Emergency Management will be hosting a SKYWARN storm spotter training class in conjunction with the National Weather Center in Tulsa on Monday, Feb. 19, at the People Inc. Conference Center.

Sequoyah County Emergency Management Director Jonathan Teague said the class will start at 6:30 p.m. and the instructor will be Warning Coordination Meteorologist Ed Calianese from the National Weather Service in Tulsa.

“The class is open to all who are interested in becoming a certified storm spotter. There is no fee, no pre-registration, nor any age limit. We just ask that the age of the child is one in which disruptions are kept to minimum,” Teague said.

The training will last approximately two and one-half hours with a 15-minute break.

“The National Weather Service encourages anyone with an interest in public service to join the SKYWARN program. Volunteers include police and fire personnel, dispatchers, EMS workers, public utility workers and other concerned private citizens,” he said.

Individuals affiliated with hospitals, schools, churches and nursing homes, or who have a responsibility for protecting others are encouraged to become a spotter.

You will learn:

• Basics of thunderstorm development

• Fundamentals of storm structure

• Identifying potential severe weather features

• Information to report

• How to report information

• Basic severe weather safety

The People Inc. Conference Center is located at 205 S. J.T. Stites Blvd. in Sallisaw,