Reliability of Severe Weather Reports

[Rob H]

You can call the NWS, call in a report on a radio net, use Spotter Network, sometimes even Facebook or TV station calls will produce LSRs. If you call in a wind or hail report - they pretty much accept reports no matter what, unless you're reporting 5" hail and everything else is 1". Ultimately, missing a few wind reports doesn't spell the end of the world. Tornado reports are a little different since everyone focuses on those numbers. I've seen bad tornado reports make it into Storm Data, but they're usually held to a higher standard.

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/130911_rpts.html

That's not really a "major event" if you start browsing other days. I think I see downed trees almost every time I chase. It's been a while since I've looked, but I think there are at least 150,000+ wind reports in the Storm Data since the 1950s. Like I said, missing a few here or there doesn't really affect anything, but if it bugs you - report it.

Check with your local NWS office, you can probably ask them on Facebook or send them an email from their web site, and ask how they want reports submitted. When you see damage, make sure you included all the relevant information and submit it. NWS offices only have a few people, and unless there were tornadoes, they usually don't go out of the office to survey damage. They rely on the public and law enforcement/fire/emergency to report things like wind damage because their area of responsibility is usually dozens of counties.

 

[Mike Johnston]

Yeah, unfortunately it looks like we are being trolled here. Don't see it very often on Stormtrack, but it happens on sites like sports message boards. Basically, it's feigning ignorance just to get a "rise" out of the crowd. The only solution is an outright ban or ignoring the guy.

 

[calvinkaskey]

Mike Johnston I found radar from the day and the northern ny/ new England nws office considered it a major event in that part of the country. Found radar from the day and the largest most intense thunderstorm in the entire southern tier of N.Y. was the one I was chasing with wind damage not only on the south but east side of the thunderstorm. Don't see one severe report from the storm very sparse reports in the southern tier which was under a severe thunderstorm watch with warnings probably for every county in the southern tier capes were as high as 3500.