OKC Spotter Number Doesn't Work!!!

[Bill Tabor]

Ok, what's the deal? A big tornado on the ground and I'm interrupting my photo time to try and save lives - only to get OKC's regular voicemail saying something like "For current conditions and forecast - press 4. To speak to someone during regular business hours M-F 8 to 5 press 5, etc, etc. I tried and tried and no can report a tornado tearing up the ground with unknowing residents about to get run over - dead. Man I'm irritated!!

The number given me is: 405-360-5928. Try it yourself and you will see.

Something needs to be straightened up here.

 

[Kevin Scharfenberg]

WHERE and WHEN is this tornado???

 

[Aaron Kennedy]

Get a ham? OK/NW TX's repeater network is the way to go for relaying reports to OUN... probably one of the best networks in the country IMHO.

Aaron

 

[rdale]

Sounds like that's not the spotter number but the regular office line... I'm surprised Norman missed a major tornado - what all damage did it do? Any idea when (or if) they issued a TOR?

 

[Kevin Scharfenberg]

I haven't heard anything about any significant tornadoes, any major damage, or any injuries. It's news to me. Where and when was it?

 

[Jay McCoy]

I believe Bill is talking about the Burkburnett, Tx tornado last night. it was reported to be 200yrds wide at 1 point. Only a few people were on this storm as I understand it but some of them were Skywarn spotters who were in contact with OUN through the net that Aaron spoke about which I agree is probably the best in the country.

 

[Bill Tabor]

I believe Bill is talking about the Burkburnett, Tx tornado last night. it was reported to be 200yrds wide at 1 point. Only a few people were on this storm as I understand it but some of them were Skywarn spotters who were in contact with OUN through the net that Aaron spoke about which I agree is probably the best in the country.
[/b]

Yes, it was Burkburnett - actually it was across the Red from there on the OK side. I thought it was probably bigger than 200 yards wide but I was excited :lol: . I watched it form from the wall cloud as I approached. I was approaching it from the east as it was headed toward me, so very exciting especially since for a few of those miles there were large trees and some dips in the road blocking my view while it was on the ground. I didn't have any idea if there were spotters out there. I saw no one as I approached. I figured all the chasers were up north to Tulsa by then. There was a lot of people driving blindly toward it later, and even families out on the road. For awhile I blocked off the road. Later as I drove away I honked a lot flashed my lights and told a few people what they were driving toward. One family was out on the road looking at it only a couple of miles away then and didn't know what it was. It was rain wrapped then. I think it may have lasted longer than the SPC report shows (if that is the correct report I see). It started somewhere around 8:30 to 8:45 as I recall and later when I backtracked to a better position it looked like it was still on the ground in a larger / wider configuration. It was dark then but I had my Vx2000 on it. I'll have to review - may have been a wedge for awhile. Seems it was visible up to 9:30 in the dark.

I don't know what all it hit if anything. It began over mostly rural countryside. Hopefully no one was injured. I was trying to do my part. This was the number provided by Chris Novy for OUN as the spotter reporting number. I verified this is still his current number on the latest list. This list was incorporated into my Streetatlas phone overlay for reporting numbers. Not cool in my opinion. I don't have ham, and probably never will. That is the purpose of the cell phone contact list.

Chase account and pictures in a bit.

PS: Yes Rob they later did have a tornado warning I believe for the county north and south of the Red. I also later called 911 and got through.

 

[John Diel]

Bill, This is NOT a flame to you (or anyone else for that metter. It's more an observation and food for thought.

My first thought after reading this thread for a while, was basically, agreement with Bill. Then I got a little more into this and went on.

If there was truly no one else on the storm and people were "blindly" driving into it, why wasn't the first call to 911? After all, the Dispatch Center generally has a more direct route to getting the EOC to sound the sirens and place a local warning than the Local Forecast Office does.

It's always been my policy to contact Emergency Services first if I believe there has been no previous contact, or within the first few minutes of an event. The 911 Operator will generally tell you if they've heard it or not. THEN contact the Local Forecast Office.

These are just my thoughts on the matter. I also understand that in the "heat of the moment" we can all get a bad case of tunnel vision leaving us to focus in the wrong direction. It's happened to me before as well.

Anyway... Just my thoughts on the events as described here. No digs at anyone, just a heads up and get someone thinking about a plan of action.

This would be an excellent "What would you do if?" selection.

John

 

[Bill Tabor]

My first thought after reading this thread for a while, was basically, agreement with Bill. Then I got a little more into this and went on.

If there was truly no one else on the storm and people were "blindly" driving into it, why wasn't the first call to 911? After all, the Dispatch Center generally has a more direct route to getting the EOC to sound the sirens and place a local warning than the Local Forecast Office does.

It's always been my policy to contact Emergency Services first if I believe there has been no previous contact, or within the first few minutes of an event. The 911 Operator will generally tell you if they've heard it or not. THEN contact the Local Forecast Office.

These are just my thoughts on the matter. I also understand that in the "heat of the moment" we can all get a bad case of tunnel vision leaving us to focus in the wrong direction. It's happened to me before as well.

Anyway... Just my thoughts on the events as described here. No digs at anyone, just a heads up and get someone thinking about a plan of action.

This would be an excellent "What would you do if?" selection.

John
[/b]

It's always been my impression that 911 may help sound the local sirens of nearby towns but may not relate the report to the NWS. This is what I have heard. That's why I was thinking this direct line to the NWS would be great - plus the tornado would be logged. I've used 911 on the past and thought it has it's limitations. Others with differing thoughts?

 

[Jay McCoy]

I can say that calling 911 isnt the best way to relay severe wx. If you have a NWS number call it first. That way they can issue a tornado warning and get the message to the mass media, DEM, and NOAA radio.

In many cases calling 911 wont do alot except to alert them about maybe needing to respond once damage has occured. Thats when you call 911. In most cases it takes many minutes for 911 to convey any kind of wx call to the local EOC if they even believe you. I know this first hand because I work with our local DEM. We have our own spotters in the field that report directly to the EOC. If we get citizens calls into 911 about things they see or think they see we will investigate and ask for confirmation from our spotters but that takes time. Never do we activate the EBS or sirens on a citizens report alone. We must have spotter confirmation or a warning from the NWS. I think Bill had the right idea. Would have been nice if the number was correct.

 

[Amos Magliocco]

This list was incorporated into my Streetatlas phone overlay for reporting numbers. Not cool in my opinion. I don't have ham, and probably never will. That is the purpose of the cell phone contact list.
[/b]

It's your choice whether or not to use amateur radio, and there's no requirement for it in chasing. Many successful chasers don't. However, without a radio or scanner to monitor 2 meter frequencies, you may not be aware of the integrated spotter network all around you, as was the case yesterday on the storm near Randlett.

There were a half dozen spotters on that storm in constant communication with the NWS and it was all live on the radio. Central Oklahoma has a linked repeater system where you can listen (or make reports) as Net Controllers for various counties report to the NWS in Norman the information relayed from their individual operators. Yesterday was a perfect example of why OUN's spotter net is second to none. Within ninety seconds of the tornado, four reports came in confirming the tornado, debris cloud, and precise location. One spotter (who I was very jealous of) was within 1/4 mile of the tornado for much of its lifespan and remained even after it was rainwrapped.

Chasers monitoring the Skywarn net would know (1) where the tornado was exactly; (2) that the NWS knew about it [Norman's net controller is on the air, too, relaying live radar updates to the spotters] and (3) what's going on in the rest of the OUN CWA, including the status of the El Reno tornado and the storm near Lawton. All of this in a very smooth easy-to-follow format that plays like a rehearsed production. These guys are very good.

If you don't want to spend the cash on a ham radio, most scanners will pick up the 2 meter frequencies. In Oklahoma, it's worth the investment to have this information available.

This is why I also think it's important for chasers to make themselves familiar with the integrated warning system by attending Skywarn sessions or listening to the nets to see how they work. We may not always participate, but if you'd have heard the linked repeaters yesterday, it might have been more understandable why OUN wasn't answering the phone.

 

[Jason A.C. Brock]

It's your choice whether or not to use amateur radio, and there's no requirement for it in chasing. Many successful chasers don't. However, without a radio or scanner to monitor 2 meter frequencies, you may not be aware of the integrated spotter network all around you, as was the case yesterday on the storm near Randlett.

There were a half dozen spotters on that storm in constant communication with the NWS and it was all live on the radio. Central Oklahoma has a linked repeater system where you can listen (or make reports) as Net Controllers for various counties report to the NWS in Norman the information relayed from their individual operators. Yesterday was a perfect example of why OUN's spotter net is second to none. Within ninety seconds of the tornado, four reports came in confirming the tornado, debris cloud, and precise location. One spotter (who I was very jealous of) was within 1/4 mile of the tornado for much of its lifespan and remained even after it was rainwrapped.

Chasers monitoring the Skywarn net would know (1) where the tornado was exactly; (2) that the NWS knew about it [Norman's net controller is on the air, too, relaying live radar updates to the spotters] and (3) what's going on in the rest of the OUN CWA, including the status of the El Reno tornado and the storm near Lawton. All of this in a very smooth easy-to-follow format that plays like a rehearsed production. These guys are very good.

I chased for 13 years without a HAM but i always had a scanner. Its a good idea to go to the net and get all of the areas spotter frequency and program them into your scanner. At least then you know or have a better idea of whats going on in the airways. Even with my ham I still use the scanner to scan frequencies while I monitor on HAM.
I saw some video of the Rndlett Oklahoma tornado earlier. It wasnt massive but it wasnt small either. About the same size as the first El Reno tornado. It did not do any major damage and only left a damage path through some trees near the Randlett cemetery.

If you don't want to spend the cash on a ham radio, most scanners will pick up the 2 meter frequencies. In Oklahoma, it's worth the investment to have this information available.

This is why I also think it's important for chasers to make themselves familiar with the integrated warning system by attending Skywarn sessions or listening to the nets to see how they work. We may not always participate, but if you'd have heard the linked repeaters yesterday, it might have been more understandable why OUN wasn't answering the phone.
[/b]

 

[J West]

I can say that calling 911 isnt the best way to relay severe wx. If you have a NWS number call it first. That way they can issue a tornado warning and get the message to the mass media, DEM, and NOAA radio.

In many cases calling 911 wont do alot except to alert them about maybe needing to respond once damage has occured. Thats when you call 911. In most cases it takes many minutes for 911 to convey any kind of wx call to the local EOC if they even believe you. I know this first hand because I work with our local DEM. We have our own spotters in the field that report directly to the EOC. If we get citizens calls into 911 about things they see or think they see we will investigate and ask for confirmation from our spotters but that takes time. Never do we activate the EBS or sirens on a citizens report alone. We must have spotter confirmation or a warning from the NWS. I think Bill had the right idea. Would have been nice if the number was correct.
[/b]

It's your choice whether or not to use amateur radio, and there's no requirement for it in chasing. Many successful chasers don't. However, without a radio or scanner to monitor 2 meter frequencies, you may not be aware of the integrated spotter network all around you, as was the case yesterday on the storm near Randlett.

There were a half dozen spotters on that storm in constant communication with the NWS and it was all live on the radio. Central Oklahoma has a linked repeater system where you can listen (or make reports) as Net Controllers for various counties report to the NWS in Norman the information relayed from their individual operators. Yesterday was a perfect example of why OUN's spotter net is second to none. Within ninety seconds of the tornado, four reports came in confirming the tornado, debris cloud, and precise location. One spotter (who I was very jealous of) was within 1/4 mile of the tornado for much of its lifespan and remained even after it was rainwrapped.

Chasers monitoring the Skywarn net would know (1) where the tornado was exactly; (2) that the NWS knew about it [Norman's net controller is on the air, too, relaying live radar updates to the spotters] and (3) what's going on in the rest of the OUN CWA, including the status of the El Reno tornado and the storm near Lawton. All of this in a very smooth easy-to-follow format that plays like a rehearsed production. These guys are very good.

If you don't want to spend the cash on a ham radio, most scanners will pick up the 2 meter frequencies. In Oklahoma, it's worth the investment to have this information available.

This is why I also think it's important for chasers to make themselves familiar with the integrated warning system by attending Skywarn sessions or listening to the nets to see how they work. We may not always participate, but if you'd have heard the linked repeaters yesterday, it might have been more understandable why OUN wasn't answering the phone.
[/b]

As a ham, chaser, public safety dispatcher and NWS ham net operator (whew! Deep breath...) I wholeheartedly agree with both of these posts.

Calling 911 in most places will get you an overstressed dispatcher that is 1.) fielding many other 911 calls about the storm 2.) probably doen't know much about severe weather and/or doesn't care and 3.) will get around to relaying your report to the NWS after the phone stops ringing (never). Here in WI, the primary means of L.E. contacting the NWS is the cold war-era NAWAS party line system. It's a good tool, but it's on the bottom of the priority list when other things are happening. If I'm working, I'm on top of the weather and will be proactive in getting information to/from the field, plus relaying items to the NWS. I am in the vast minority of dispatchers that will be this proactive, as I would suspect occurs elsewhere in the county. I have no doubt that severe weather awareness is much greater in the plains, but it doesn't mean that dispatch centers are able to devote more time to the process.

If you chose to not become a licensed amateur radio operator, then the least you should do is get a scanner that can monitor 144-174 MHz and 430-470 MHz at a minimum, and the 800 MHz trunked radio segment if you really want as much info as you can. Keeping in mind that some states have scanner prohibitions, they are a great tool that would allow chasers to monitor the spotter networks. If Bill had heard that spotters were on the storm and NWS was aware of it, he could have sat back and worried about being a chaser. On the flip side of that, if Bill had heard there weren't spotters on the storm he could have pressed the issue with a 911 center to pass the information on sooner rather than later.

Besides the communications benefit that a ham license provides, there is the add-on of being exempt from scanner laws because most late model ham gear covers public safety receive and then some.

 

[Bill Tabor]

Good comments from all. Amos you bring up some good points. I should mention that I have considered getting the Ham and listening in on nets, but other much more experienced chasers that used to be plugged into the nets have told me that it is a great source of misleading information, that many spotter reports are bad, and you can make bad storm decisions based on them. Sorry spotters, this is just what I was told. I do have a scanner - I don't really know what frequencies to monitor. My scanner usually has static anyway. With the above said, IMO it seems that in retrospect there have been times such as Monday where monitoring those frequencies could be useful. Also, the OUN spotter network sounds impressive.

Also, these were some good points, but there is still the issue of OUN not having a valid spotter report number and no option for chasers not part of the net to call in reports. If this is their decision and opinion on the subject then I guess we just live with it. Perhaps the idea of chasers being able to help out with reports just isn't realistic. Perhaps I should worry more about taking pictures from now on. You should see my damn blurry pictures!!! Arghhhh!!! At least I can grab from video that looks marginal. My bad photos are primarily due to my concern for public safety and interest in making a call to NWS. The multitasking right in the heat of battle had me mega anxious as the tornado was headed my way and it was starting to get dark, When combined with my asthma it wasn't good - seems I could hardly breathe for a bit.

 

[Rick Smith]

First of all, thanks for the comments on the amateur radio operations at OUN. A lot of people work very hard to make it as informative and helpful as possible. It is a great way to send information to and receive updates from NWS Norman. For more information on our amateur radio network, visit our website at weather.gov/norman/skywarn. You can also get more information about the Southwest Independent Repeater Association, the group who maintains the linked repeater system covering SW OK and N TX at their website - www.swiralink.com

Bill, I'm not sure why the number did not work for you on Monday - sorry you had problems! We answer that phone every day from 7AM until 8PM, and it is left on longer during significant weather. We do not publish our toll free number since it is used by emergency managers and public safety officials across our 56 county area of responsibility, and it gets quite a workout during active weather.

Thanks!

Rick