Acceptable Storm Reporting Methods in the Digital Age

[Clarence Bennett]

rdale - You are correct about social media to some degree. If used properly, it has its purpose, but many times, twitter is a mess of tweets and pictures and limited information given. I will give you an example of how social media, specifically Twitter, is being used effectively in my CWA (OHX). We have a guy locally that runs a Twitter account (NashSevereWx) that many of you may or may not have heard about. He has partnered with OHX to collect storm reports via a program called #tspotter. It is very well managed and because of the partnership with our WFO, is very effective. I am also a big promoter of using Spotter Network because those reports are injected directly into NWS Chat which should be/is monitored heavily during high impact weather. Also, everyone has a phone...pick it up and use it...phone your reports in. Human contact is still an acceptable means of communication.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Stormtrack mobile app

 

[John Wetter]

I still don't understand the ignorance toward Social Media, but it's also obvious no one is going to have their minds changed on that one... Social Media, as all digital modes has a place but the weaknesses of it need to be known.

To follow up with @Ben Holcomb 's mention earlier that LOT doesn't have SN reports go into NWSChat... That is true, though they are re-evaluating that at this time. HOWEVER, they do something even more, SN reports are ingested directly into AWIPS II so the forecasters see the reports right on their radar screens during warning operations so they are even more available to forecasters than they are in NWSChat, much like we see in GR2Analyst. The new WCM is re-looking at that as he has appreciated the SN feed in the past.

 

[Andrew Pritchard]

I think I'm closest to Ben on this issue. I don't know if the NWS is still using the old adage "If it spins, call it in" - but I think this is still a best practice. Something with imminent life taking ability needs to be done in the quickest person to person relay possible, and right now that is still picking up the phone. For the most part we're all chasers here and know what's up - it can suck ruffling through your shit filled vehicle digging for your phone and frantically looking for that local NWS number - I've been there and I totally get it. But beyond that, a quality 60 second phone call with someone at the NWS office is going to more clearly relay crucial information than any slew of tweets that tag the office.

Now, for those reports that aren't regarding an imminent threat to life and property, that is where I think social media or some other platform can come in handy. Sending in photos of the storm itself, damage, hail, non-severe reports... these are all great twitter candidates and something I do plenty. I'd never tweet a photo of a tornado and let that alone convince me I have done my part to warn the lives in its path however.

But it just doesn't take any time at all to make sure you have the phone # for the NWS offices in the territory you'll be chasing, combined with another 60-90 seconds having an actual discussion with an NWS meteorologist about what you're seeing when it could potentially save someones life.

 

[Randy Jennings]

My experience is with the FWD office. They primarily rely on amateur radio for reports, and the volunteer hams sit across the table from the forecasters (pictures of setup at http://wx5fwd.org/). The spotter call in line is answered by machine, but the volume is turned up so they can hear reports. Spotter Network is tied directly into NWSChat for them. They will tell you social media is last resort, but they do try to monitor it if they have staffing, although it looks to be more focused on posting than on reading. Tagging tweets with #fwdspotter is more likely to get you noticed if you do tweet. In a huge metropolitan area, reading all the tweets sent your way during an event can be hard. One advantage to ham radio is each report has been thru 2 filters - first the net controller on a given county's net and second by the WX5FWD radio desk team. Not every report made via ham radio gets repeated out loud over the table to the forecasters. The forecasters also ask questions and relay info to the radio desk team, which they relay to the nets. They FWD WFO office has a great writeup about the 12/26/16 event at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/fwd/?n=dec26tor to include a log of NWSChat from that day.

 

[KatrinaP]

Social media, to me, is more accessible than calling simply because I'm hearing impaired. They need to place priority on monitoring SN too. Even a line to text (for spotters) would be easier.

 

[rdale]

SN would probably be better than both calling and social media for you Katrina.

 

[JohnHuntington]

I tested the SN web page report form on my Android phone's mobile Chrome browser and it does load in my lat/long (which seems critical) but I have to take off my glasses (or constantly zoom) to read the text, have to navigate to the page, type in my log in in tiny text on my phone (although Lastpass actually works for that), etc. I've got my hands full when in front of a storm so this all ends up being a bit of a barrier to submitting for me.

I would love to see a modern, very simple, spotter network app (something like MPing), and would happy to pay $5 or something similar for the app to support the development and maintenance of it if the money was being handled by a non profit (or a for-profit that's running it separately--maybe a side project by WDT or someone like that who already has a lot of mobile app experience?).

I would suggest a very simple, intentionally limited feature list like:
* Spotter Network reports using pull down menus, lat/long automatically filled in, etc.
* Display of call in number of local NWS office based on GPS location (maybe a button too that would trigger the phone dialer? I suck at remembering numbers)
* Spotter network location reporting (switchable on/off). I use Radar Scope mostly for this but a lot of times I turn RS off to save data if I'm also running GRLevel on the laptop or something.

Cool bonus feature:
* One button press to send the spotter network report (or a link) to the phone's twitter app for posting, and ability to add a photo there.
* Automatic tagging of nearest NWS twitter in the report message would be a bonus.

This combo for me would be great, since the weather service has some sort of validation of the reporter's background (the quiz that you have to take to get into SN) and then also the public and the NWS both could see a photo/video/periscope/etc linked to the SN report. With this way SN doesn't have to handle images, etc., which is always a moving target, and keep the SN app simple and up to date.

Thanks!

John

 

[ScottCurry]

I was at the Colorado Springs EOC last week and ran into someone from the PUB office. I remembered this thread and asked them what their preferred reporting criteria is. Not saying this will be true for every NWS office, but this was PUB's response. BTW, it's not what I expected.

(1) SpotterNetwork.org
(2) Ham Radio during an active weather net only
(3) Phone Call
(4) Twitter

SpotterNetwork being their number one choice surprised me. Their rationale is that because you have to take a test to report, they know that reports coming from SpotterNetwork are more reliable than reports coming from the general public. So in summary, their priority list is based upon assumptions about reliability of reports, putting SpotterNetwork reports at the top of the list, then Skywarn certified Hams, then Skywarn phone calls, and last the general public.

 

[John Moore]

I asked this question at our recent Skywarn training class in Phoenix. From the response, it's clear that it is up to the individual office.

Here are the Phoenix priorities:

1. Web Site - national noaa.gov with local tag on URL. I am not posting it here - if your office uses it, they should have given it to you.
   
2. Ham radio
3. Email
4. Telephone - often busy during event, so report may be delayed
   
5. Twitter (they would prefer not)

They no longer monitor Spotter Network for reports. I didn't have time to get into this - Spotter Network has the ability to produce quality geo-tagged reports (the Android app I wrote - Radar Alive - interfaces with SN so I know what they have).

Their concern is workload. The web site and email get to them in a way that is easy to process when they have a chance. Ham radio can presumably use the web site too - someone on the net can take the report and put it into the system.

Their telephone is often busy during an event, so a report may be delayed.

They don't like Twitter - I don't know the exact reasoning.

They also said that if you are out of area, say, chasing in the mid west, calling or reporting to PHX (if it's your home office) is still a good idea because they know their spotters, while other offices won't.

 

[John Farley]

I also went to spotter training the past week, from GJT (Grand Junction). Although I did not specifically ask, the preference they indicated in the presentation was, for serious weather such as tornadoes, high wind, large hail, very heavy rain etc., either phone, or via ham radio IF a Skywarn Net is up and operating in the area. For less urgent matters such as overnight rainfall or snowfall, or to send photos, email. No mention of SN or Twitter. I should have thought to ask (although I personally use neither of those), but did not.

 

[John Moore]

Now mention of the national web site? You can put your report in there and it goes right to the office.

I am unlikely to use the web site on the road - there's no time.

 

[Gregg Schulz]

Our local NWS offices ask for reports by social media, specifically Twitter. They are using a program that alerts them on their desktops anytime someone mentions their office twitter account. As others have said it is character limited but very fast and they do get them. Working with our Skywarn spotters, almost every report I relay to them via Twitter is routinely liked by the office I send the reports to so I know they have gotten them. Any high priority report, something that has immediate life or property danger, they all want called into them so they know they haven't missed a vital report. As for SN and NWS chat, I can't speak for other offices, but the 5-6 offices that I monitor here in the Great Lakes use NWS chat daily and are on it anytime severe weather is in the area. I have seen several reports from SN come through the chat rooms and just like those of local spotters, those reports may or may not make it into a storm report. Our local NWS office talks about SN as a reliable alternative to other reporting means.

For what it's worth, here is our list of our generally accepted reporting means in Wisconsin:
NWS 800
Ham Radio
NWS Online Reporting Form
Twitter
SN
Facebook
911