SPARCS Ham Radio Emergency Communication

NWS Storm-Based Warnings Start On Oct 1, 2007

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL BEGIN ISSUING STORM-BASED WEATHER ALERT, MEDIA AND PUBLIC WARNINGS BEGINNING ON OCTOBER 1, 2007.  THIS IS EXPECTED TO BE A GREAT IMPROVEMENT OVER THE OLD “COUNTY BASED” WARNING METHODS WE WERE USED TO BEFORE NOW. 

Rio Grande Valley Texas, September 27, 2007. - The National Weather Service warning points will now begin issuing “Storm Based” warnings on October 1, 2007 for all weather warnings especially those featuring Tornado-based situations and severe thunder storms. The old method was to warn a specfic county or counties, even though certain portions of the county, including major populations were not in danger and were not likely to be affected. In many cases it was the old “CYA” rule and meant many wasted efforts for public officials, schools, hospitals and other mass care facilities and places such as factories and shopping malls where large numbers of people are found both night and day.  This of course included numerous neighborhoods and police departments, fire departments and emergency responder responses.  Now the expectation is that the new “storm based” warning system will continue to report dangerous situations but be able to do so more accurately and effectively without tying-up the entire county population. Only the areas that need to be warned will be affected.  It should save a lot of time and money, and to learn more about it you can visit the National Weather Service “Storm Based” Warning announcement and coverage HERE AT THEIR WEB SITE!