The February presentation will be from the National Weather Service for Skywarn training. Radio amateurs and the public are welcome. The presentation begins at 7 p.m. at the Plymouth Congregational Church (map) in the recital hall (NOT the normal meeting location). A brief Mid-Iowa Skywarn Association meeting will be held at 6:30 before the DMRAA meeting.

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DES MOINES, Iowa – The Des Moines Radio Amateurs’ Association, in conjunction with the National Weather Service will be holding its annual Des Moines storm spotter training session this Tuesday, February 23, beginning at 7 p.m. at Plymouth Congregational Church (3rd floor recital hall), 4126 Ingersoll Avenue, in Des Moines. The program is free of charge, and no RSVP is necessary.

Any members of the public who wish to volunteer when severe weather threatens their community are welcome to attend. Attendees will learn how to identify and report imminent and occurring severe thunderstorms in their area, along with general guidelines for spotter safety. NWS Meteorologist Roger Vachalek will present the program.

“Either a first-timer or an experienced storm spotter will get something out of this class. All elements of spotting are covered including how to identify a severe thunderstorm, safety and how to report,” National Weather Service Warning Coordinator Jeff Johnson said. “For 2010, we have several new videos of severe thunderstorms.”

The DMRAA is honored to host the training session, as the amateur radio community makes up a large portion of the storm spotter population in central Iowa. Non-radio operators are also welcome. Storm spotters are a vital link to the National Weather Service, providing real-time “ground truth” reports of incidents meteorologists may not see on the radar screen, such as tornadoes, funnel clouds, frequent lightning, hail, or damaging winds. One of the first reports of damage and injuries from the historic 2008 Parkersburg EF-5 tornado came to the National Weather Service via amateur radio.

“The DMRAA is proud to host spotter training again this year. Amateur radio operators look forward to assisting during severe weather,” DMRAA President Tom Reis said. “This training helps us to provide competent reports to the National Weather Service.”

Additionally, a brief meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. prior to spotter training for the Mid-Iowa Skywarn Association, the organization that acts as a liaison between the amateur radio community and the Des Moines National Weather Service office. Anyone wishing to join the organization is encouraged to attend.

ABOUT THE DES MOINES RADIO AMATEURS’ ASSOCIATION
The Des Moines Radio Amateurs’ Association, a non-profit organization and one of the oldest amateur radio clubs in the midwest, was established to conduct its programs and activities to advance the general interest and welfare of amateur radio in the community. The club regularly hosts programs, activities and exercises and maintains radio communication systems to benefit the community. For more information on the DMRAA, visit the club website at https://dmraa.com/.