Walker County wants to grow the number of storm spotters in north Georgia. The county's Emergency Management Agency will join forces with its counterpart in Dade County and the National Weather Service (NWS) to host a free SKYWARN Storm Spotter training class on May 1.
The class is open to anyone in the public with an interest in weather. Amateur radio operators, boaters, public utility workers and police, fire and EMS personnel are also encouraged to attend.
Training topics include basic radar interpretation, identifying storm features and how to report storm information. These and other skills help ensure the community receives timely and accurate severe weather announcements.
The NWS recently recognized Walker County as a StormReady County, acknowledging local efforts to reach a high level of severe weather preparedness. A strong base of volunteer storm spotters provides forecasters with an important tool used to fill in gaps undetected by technology.
SKYWARN training will take place at the Walker County Civic Center at 10052 Highway 27 in Rock Spring at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 1. Since this event is open to the public, registration is not necessary.