SWITZ CITY, Ind. (WTWO.WAWV)– Dozens of residents gathered at the Greene County Fairgrounds Tuesday to learn more about spotting severe weather.
Events like this are put on all around Indiana in the late winter and early spring by the National Weather Service. Warning coordination meterorologist Sam Lashley said these events are crucial to prepare residents for when big storms come through.
“We want residents to be prepared and to understand what to look for with severe weather, and then they can become our eyes and ears out in the field,” he said. “It maybe allows us to get a warning out an extra two, three, four or five minutes before we might’ve without a spotter report.”
In these situations, every second counts– and Roger Axe, the Greene County EMA Director, said he was happy to see those around the community take an interest in public safety.
“It’s extremely important that people take an interest and take responsibility for themselves,” he said. “People need to know what is and what isn’t a tornado so they can take action in a time of need.”
Lashley spent time going over what residents can look for– particularly with different clouds, and how that can signal what to expect.
“Mother nature gives us hints a lot of times, so well before the tornado forms,” he said. “We talk about funnel clouds, wall clouds and shelf clouds, what those mean and the type of weather that’s going to follow.”
Throughout the past few months, Lashley has seen increased interest from those around the Wabash Valley.
“We definitely here in south central and the southwest part of Indiana, we’ve seen an increase in our numbers,” he said. “We did a talk about a month ago over in Sullivan, we had a real good turnout there. It’s just a way for people to come and learn more about the weather.”
Axe believes that’s a positive sign to keep everyone safe in times of need.
“I’m extremely gratified,” he said. “The message is getting through.”
For details on more spotter trainings around the region, check out the National Weather Service’s website here.
