Drought Index
Courtesy of the Florida Division of Forestry

Click graphic for more information

This is Severe Weather Season

For Information on Severe Storms, monitor

Storm Prediction Center

and the

NWS Jacksonville Severe Weather Page

and

NWS JAX Watches, Warnings and Advisories
for Flagler County

If severe weather is anticipated in our area,
a video briefing may be posted above the table on
the NWS JAX Severe Weather Page

The Skywarn Program

Skywarn is a program developed by the National Weather Service (NWS) to enable people to report severe weather conditions to the local Weather Service office. Meteorologists from the local NWS office teach both basic and advanced classes in various communities in their coverage area.

The Basic Skywarn class teaches fundamental elements of storm spotting. The Advanced class expands on this information, going into more detail.

The next Flagler County Skywarn courses, Basic and Advanced in one session, will be held at the Flagler County Emergency Operations Center in Bunnell, FL. They will be taught by a National Weather Service Jacksonville meteorologist. To sign up, call Bob Pickering, Emergency Management Technician, at (386) 313-4250 or e-mail BP@flagleremergency.com.

[IMPORTANT: Skywarn Classes may be canceled with short notice should severe weather or a tropical cyclone pose a threat to the forecast area. All potential class attendees should check on the day of the class to insure that the class has not been canceled.]

Who Can Be A Storm Spotter?

Flagler Skywarn storm spotters are trained by staff of the National Weather Service in Jacksonville, Fl. The classes are free and anyone can become a Skywarn storm spotter.

Classes in Flagler County are generally held at the Flagler County Emergency Operations Center. Pre-registration is required. During our tropical weather season, NWS meterologists are frequently required to be on duty at headquarters and there are usually no classes scheduled locally.

Skywarn Spotter classes are offered at other locations, as well. A list of upcoming courses is available on the NWS JAX Weather Skywarn page.

If you have taken the Skywarn Spotter classes, you can refresh your knowledge through this Skywarn Spotter online review developed by NWS JAX Meteorologist Angie Enyedi.

Flagler Skywarn Radio Operations

You do not have to be a radio operator to be a Skywarn Storm Spotter, but two groups of local radio communicators activate radio networks during severe weather events to collect reports and pass them on to the NWS JAX Weather Service. They are the Flagler County Assist REACT Team 4800 and Flagler Emergency Communications Association ham radio operators.

Most members of each of these organizations are trained Skywarn Spotters. Members report sightings and observations to the net control operator, who in turn passes information meeting severe criteria on to the forecasters at the NWS JAX headquarters. These observations are a significant help to forecasters since radar images cannot always record low level activity. Skywarn Net Control Operators receive further training to insure that radio nets are in compliance with Flagler Skywarn Net Policy jointly developed by the sponsoring radio communications organizations.

If you are a radio operator or would like to become one, click on the links to each of these organizations for further information.

Radio Frequencies

Flagler Skywarn uses two radio services for Skywarn Nets. They are the two meter or 70cm amateur radio (ham) bands and the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS). OPERATING ON ANY OF THESE FREQUENCY BANDS REQUIRES A SPECIFIC FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION LICENSE. Of course anyone who has a scanner can listen in. Frequencies used are:

Amateur Radio

145.470 PL 123.0 Designated Primary Skywarn repeater

or, if needed, either

145.410 PL 123.0 Designated Secondary Skywarn repeater or
146.745 PL 123.0 Designated Alternate Skywarn repeater

GMRS

462.675 PL 141.3 REACT Team 4800 Tac 8 repeater

or, if needed, either

462.600 PL 156.7 REACT Team 4800 Tac 10 repeater or
462.550 PL 141.3 REACT Team 4800 Tac 9 repeater

Most Skywarn Nets are "directed nets" and all radio traffic must go through the designated Net Control Station (NCS) for the duration of the net.

[NOTE: A "repeater" receives a signal on one frequency and simultaneously retransmits it on another, enabling radio operators to communicate over longer distances. Radios must be "repeater capable" to use this feature. In Flagler County, most amateur radio and GMRS repeaters are maintained by the Flagler Emergency Communications Association (FECA).]

Links to Other Sites

The following sites sites provide valuable information.

National Weather Service

National Weather Service Home Page
National Weather Service Jacksonville, FL Home Page
NWS JAX Emergency Management Page (LOTS of info)
NWS JAX Short Range Base Reflectivity Radar
NOAA Satellite Services Division
NOAA GOES Satellite Views (many options)
NOAA Realtime Tropical Storm Specific Satellite Views
NWS JAX Interactive Global Geostationary Weather Satellite Images Interface
NWS JAX Severe Weather Page
NWS Weather Information for all of United States
NWS Links to NOAA Satellite Images
NWS Weather Information for Florida
NWS Melborne, FL Short Range Base Reflectivity Radar
NWS Tampa, FL Short Range Base Reflectivity Radar
All NWS Radar Sites
National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center
National Weather Service National Hurricane Center
National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center
NWS JAX Tropical Weather Page
National Center for Environmental Prediction Model Analysis
Historical Hurricane Track Information
NOAA Tsunami Preparedness Page
E-mail Notification of Tsunami Bulletins Signup Page

Other Weather Links (Non-governmental)

Tropical Atlantic Spaghetti Models in Google Earth
[Click on Storm Name, Scroll down, select product]
CrownWeather.com Tropical
Google Crisis Map (many options during active crisis)
Anything Weather
Ohio State University Weather
Unisys Weather
Another Source for Environmental Prediction Models
Tropical Cyclone Model Guidance
Newsemergency.com
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Courses
Skywarn Forum
The Weather Channel
Weather Underground
WESH2 TV Doppler Radar
WFTV9 TV Doppler Radar

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