Cell phone severe weather reporting

[Tyler_Costantini]

I call in all the time, I use IM to talk with the forecasters also. Heck I know most of the people at the SGF office and many at ICT. I have always use the 800 report lines, if you call the main number during any type of severe weather it will just go through to a voice mail system.

I would really like to see all of the offices get in AOL IM (Hint NWS ICT). So, yes I call in all of the time, Also with Spotter Network, I get calls from the NWS now and then, I would encourage everyone with mobile internet to use Spotter Network.

 

[Bill Tabor]

On 4/24/06 near Randlett, OK http://www.tornadoxtreme.com/Chases_By_Year/2006_Chases/April_24_06/april_24_06.html I tried to report the nearby tornado using my NWS phone overlay for Street Atlas. (BTW I need to update this for new numbers I suppose.) Anyway, at first I couldn't get my cell to complete a call. I was apparently in a bad area for cell coverage - at least for my Verizon service. I later borrowed a locals cell phone and got through to the NWS 'Hotline' but it was just a voice mail system with lots of long drawn out rhetoric and options. They had a number to speak to a person and make a report, but apparently it was only available from 8 to 5 M-F - and it was not during that timeframe. As I recall there was no option to make a report. I have no idea why. I suppose I need to locate the number I called and discuss this with the NWS office that supposedly provided the number to Chris Novy and myself for issuance to other chasers and see what the deal was. Checking Street Atlas now it appears the number I called for that county and for all those surrounding in OK and TX is: 405-3x0-5xx8. I know see that this is OUN, Oklahoma City, OK!! Now that is surprising. I would think they would be about the most available, most 'on top of it' type number. Apparently this is not the true contact number?

 

[scott r currens]

I used three different methods of reporting the Atkins, AR tornado. First I called 911, then I called the NWS after I found the number, and finally used the spotter network to report the damage when I had a chance to stop and type.

Being in a variety of areas I've always just called 911 and let them pass along the report to the NWS.

Normally, I avoid calling 911 because they are often too busy relay the message to the NWS. The other problem that happens a lot when you use a cellphone, you reach a dispatcher from another area. On the Mulvane day I kept getting a Wichita dispatcher. If you have the NWS number handy that seems to be the way to go.

 

[Dustin Wilcox]

Normally, I avoid calling 911 because they are often too busy relay the message to the NWS. The other problem that happens a lot when you use a cellphone, you reach a dispatcher from another area. On the Mulvane day I kept getting a Wichita dispatcher. If you have the NWS number handy that seems to be the way to go.

I would agree that in most instances it is probably best to contact the NWS as a first option; however I can see some benefits to contacting a 911 dispatcher as well, 1st of all hopefully they quickly relay the report to the NWS, but also the 911 dispatcher can immediately dispatch search and rescue crews to the area, something that doesn't necessarily immediately happen by reporting a tornado to the NWS. I have only used 911 once, on 3/28/07 as there was a very large wedge at Night tracking through very rural country and ultimately towards Bird City, and not once for about a 1/2 hour period did I see another car let alone spotter/chaser, so I did not know if the tornado had been reported or if emergency crews had been dispatched , not to mention at the time I did not have the number or means to find Goodlands office number.

 

[Bob Schafer]

If you call an office and get one of those recordings, press 0. That works about 90% of the time.

 

[Olivier Staiger]

under the moto : a picture tells a thousand words, I was looking for a long time to send images LIVE directly from the cellphone. Now it is possible. You can stream live photos at www.kyte.tv and stream live VIDEO at www.qik.com , directly from cellphone, provided you have a data connection right then and there. I will try to do this next spring, embeded the viewers at http://www.klipsi.ch/twistandshout.htm . so if I see a good storm AND have data I will try to send live photos or live videos.

the kyte system : you can stream a live photo stream, directly from cellphone, with a new photo every 10 seconds or so. at end of stream they are assembled as a fast slideshow. when streaming live there appears a red light in the upper right window next to the text lifestream.

the qik system : smaller window but indeed live video with sound directly from cellphone. if you are in GPRS or EDGE the quality will be so-so, and maybe it is better to kill the sound ( go mute) . if you have 3G then it is better quality.

unfortunately there are still lots of areas out there with no data connection. a cellphone may have a signal for GSM or SMS text message but not necessarily for data GPRS, EDGE or better 3G.

 

[Rick Smith]

Checking Street Atlas now it appears the number I called for that county and for all those surrounding in OK and TX is: 405-3x0-5xx8. I know see that this is OUN, Oklahoma City, OK!! Now that is surprising. I would think they would be about the most available, most 'on top of it' type number. Apparently this is not the true contact number?

The reporting number for NWS Norman is published and accessible to anyone who wants to call, 24 hours a day. The number is 405-325-3816. The phone number you referred to is an old number that went away when we moved to the National Weather Center.

We encourage chasers to call with reports.

Rick

 

[Andrew Kajfasz]

The Northern Indiana office has always been nothing but appreciative when I call them directly with reports. From the talks I've had with their staff, they encourage direct calls if people are unable to submit reports via their E-Spotter page or the Spotter Network.

As far as 911 for either report relays to the NWS or to inform them of the events as far as fire or EMS needs, if it's an emergency, I'll call 911 directly. If it's report relays to the NWS, I usually go through the non-emergency number for 911 since I'm sure they'll probably be flooded at the time with calls on the 911 line.

 

[Bryan Howell]

When I first started chasing, I didn't have any fancy gadgets. We would call back to base support and get our data that way. The only way I had to report was by cell phone. I made a report one time for a storm that had 3/4" hail. The NWS was waiting for a report to warn on it as it was very borderline. I then called my uncle to warn him and heard his Wx Radio go off in the background with the warning. Fast forward to now, I work the HAM radio desk at the local NWS office. They get cell phone calls and treat them like a report coming from my desk. Most reports can be helpful and ignoring a form of submission can be very counterintuitive.

 

[Bob Schafer]

This question is for those of you working in NWSFO's: How closely do you monitor data arriving via E-Spotter and Spotter network?

Reading this thread, I got to wondering about that. If something quite life-threatening occurs, should he/she have confidence that making a report over those channels will be received and processed with the urgency that a report made by phone call would?

 

[Alex Lamers]

This question is for those of you working in NWSFO's: How closely do you monitor data arriving via E-Spotter and Spotter network?

I know I monitor it closely, but I can't speak for anyone else. Some offices have scripts that will pop up an e-spotter report in AWIPS.

The best option though, if you're worried about a report being received, is still probably the old fashioned way - calling the individual office.

AJL

 

[Rick Smith]

This question is for those of you working in NWSFO's: How closely do you monitor data arriving via E-Spotter and Spotter network?

Reading this thread, I got to wondering about that. If something quite life-threatening occurs, should he/she have confidence that making a report over those channels will be received and processed with the urgency that a report made by phone call would?

We have a script set up that grabs any eSpotter or SpotterNetwork report for our area and sends it to our AWIPS workstations, where an alarm notifies forecasters of the report. Depending on the situation, we may also monitor SpotterNetwork live, and have made phone calls to chasers for reports on storm of interest.

RIck

 

[Lanny Dean]

I have personally never had a problem in reporting to local NWS offices nation wide. This would include various ways in doing so however...via ham radio, cell phone, e-spotter and the like. If I am not able to get the report out by one means, certainly I will try another and generally find that most of the NWSFO are more than willing to talk/speak with me regarding said report. A perfect example of this would be the Greensburg event. While there were quite a few chasers/spotters on hand giving reports, DDG did a wonderful job taking phone calls and the like which as we all know ultimatly helped to save lives.

 

[scott r currens]

We have a script set up that grabs any eSpotter or SpotterNetwork report for our area and sends it to our AWIPS workstations, where an alarm notifies forecasters of the report. Depending on the situation, we may also monitor SpotterNetwork live, and have made phone calls to chasers for reports on storm of interest.

RIck

Are most NWS offices using the SpotterNetwork? It seems like a great why to link the mobile spotter/chasers with the appropriate NWS office. I hope that the higher-ups at the NWS realize the importance of this link and direct all offices to utilize this service. IMHO it is the difference between blind nowcasting and nowcasting with eyes all over the place.

 

[Shane Adams]

What's the latest state of severe weather reporting by cell phone? Obviously not all chasers have mobile Internet to submit the WSFO web forms I've seen, so do various offices invite chasers at large to call in? Do some discourage this or ignore it?

Seems like a mixed bag in my very-recent experience. Last week I emailed several WCMs at various NWSFOs across the S Plains, asking for specific phone numbers for reporting severe weather. About half my emails were answered within 24 hours, and were very friendly and helpful. The other half have still not been replied to.