Top five dangers of spotting

[Gene Moore]

All add just one....

Thinking what you're doing is more important than your own life. In the end that spotter may be the only one killed waiting through the rain for the hook.....to verify something that's likely assumed to be there by TV, radio and the NWS.

 

[Shane Adams]

All add just one....

Thinking what you're doing is more important than your own life. In the end that spotter may be the only one killed waiting through the rain for the hook.....to verify something that's likely assumed to be there by TV, radio and the NWS.

EXCELLENT point...which leads to my own point (that is going to be wildy-unpopular)...spotters who get killed while spotting are not heroes, they're victims. I was thinking the other night, if you took any group of local spotters, put them in a room, and asked for a show of hands as to how many of them would willingly, knowingly give their life while spotting, I'd wager you'd get exactly ZERO hands raised.

It's natural human behavior to want to paint someone who dies in the line of duty a hero, but, without trying to trivialize or take away from the nobility of a spotter's duty, the fact remains they were simply caught up in a situation they didn't recognize or understand until it was too late. When the only person who dies is the spotter, it's a meaningless death - I don't care who wants to argue this. I refuse to believe any spotter has ever entered into a storm situation - KNOWING they were going to die BEFORE getting into the no-turning-back situation - to try and save lives.

I refer to my previous post listing my top-five most dangerous aspects of spotting.

 

[Rob Wadsworth]

I don't want to be a dead victim/hero(ha!) if I can help it. I would rather learn enough from all of you so that I can survive the situation to do it all over again for another day/storm. Getting someone who is a risk-taker that knows their way around a storm is why they asked me to do it for the county - in my case with the eSpotter program by way of recommendation of the County Emergency Manager. I just said - "sure - why not'. I don't take any more risks than any of you would do. I'm nobody's fool - regardless of what somebody else may think. I ask questions to get answers; isn't that one of the real/true purposes of STORMTRACK? Pardon me if I do ask dumb questions at some time - I would rather appear to be dumb rather than to let pride make me a statistic.

BTW - eSpotters in particular aren't stationary per se. I work with the Emergency Manager for the entire county - so I am supposed to chase within the whole county. But if nothing is happening -or is going to happen here - then I am free to chase to Kansas, Nebraska, or wherever within a reasonable distance that any of you would. But that is my take on it - others may vary within the same job.

There is another thought that I saw written here by a few of you that I would also echo - if the list were six choices rather than five. The debris element is definitely a major consideration too - IMHO. For whatever the reason, be it from a tornado or high winds - having power wires on the roadway, or glass, of overturned semis, or (you fill in the blank). Remeber those five semis that were overturned on I-70 between WaKeeney and Hays KS on the night of May 23 this year?

PS - my avatar is from Quinter KS 1 1/2 mi E on I-70 on the 23rd of May...

 

[Danny Neal]

I just want to echo the importance of knowing your surroundings. Whether chasing/spotting/everyday life. Everyday traffic is more of a danger than chasing/spotting ever should be. When you encounter rain slicked highways, YOU may know what to do; will the guy going 70 on your bumper though? Other than traffic, if you are smart, the rest of the dangers are minimal. That goes without saying that strange unexpected things can and will happen, but in my opinion if you keep calm and think logically and assess the risks beforehand, you should be okay.

#1 - traffic (80%)
#2 - lightning (15%)
#3 - large destructive hail (2%)
#4 - damaging winds (more so the stuff blowing in them) (2%)
#5 - Tornado (under 1%)

These are just my opinion on the level of danger I experience while chasing, so they may not apply to you or the next person. I am more likely to be killed by lightning more than I will be anything else, and I am very cautious around lightning!!! As long as you know your limits you should be okay. Of course alot of those risks go up A LOT (double or even triple) once that big ball of gas in the sky sets.

Final thought is if you just use your eyes and head then you will have a fun successful career/hobby for as many years as you choose.

 

[Jay Cazel]

All very good points....One thing I would add is to make sure your car/truck is ready to spot and or chase. Make sure you have enough gas, spare tire is good, things like that so you are not stuck in the path of a storm or stuck out in the middle of nowhere.

 

[Rob Wadsworth]

"...Of course all of those risks go up A LOT (double or even triple) once that big ball of gas in the sky sets..." -Danny Neal

Good point.
Since lightning gets more vicious as the sun sets, so does the whole risk-factor process of storm spotting for all of the other elements - as well.

I've often wondered that if I were to buy/try a set of night vision glasses to my tool array - would it substantially improve watching severe thunderstorms at night? I cannot imagine anything worse in weather - next to CAT 5 hurricane in the gulf - than an EF5 tornado on the plains when it is stone dark outside. That is - dark by means of being midnight - not storm-induced darkness.

How well does/doesn't night vision equipment work on storms at night?
Anyone know?
Comment?

 

[Gerrit Gulden]

EXCELLENT point...which leads to my own point (that is going to be wildy-unpopular)...spotters who get killed while spotting are not heroes, they're victims. I was thinking the other night, if you took any group of local spotters, put them in a room, and asked for a show of hands as to how many of them would willingly, knowingly give their life while spotting, I'd wager you'd get exactly ZERO hands raised.

They may not be seen as heroes for some, but if you consider the fact that the spotter him/herself and the personal love of weather and dedication to save lives with Reporting severe weather I would not have a problem with calling them a hero. Being a spotter is a choice rather then a Job. There are some that Report more than others and there are also spotters that just report the severe stuff and also the spotter that doesnt report when he/she should.

So would you say the same for people that volunteer for the army and during active duty they died? Yes there are differences that you could argue but in the end these people volunteered and lost there life. All for one purpose which is for our Country and safety of all. Correct?

Being a spotter is a choice one makes and each report could save a life or even thousands of lives. Its the reports that you wont always see that got the NWS to order that one important warning which prevented injury or death and prevented a tragic situation.

I know there will be debate, But I insist that you know I mention all this with the best intent and hopes for people to acknowledge that yes what we do is dangerous but in the end we are doing it because of our love for weather and to save lives.

-gerrit

 

[Shane Adams]

Volunteering has nothing to do with the fact that spotters get into situations that they do not recognize as likely-fatal until it's too late.

Men and women who sign up for armed forces know exactly what can happen if they're called up.

I never questioned the dedication or nobility of spotting, just saying that heroism is like courage: knowing you could be killed but going in anyway. I still say no spotter would willingly put themselves in a situation where they knew beforehand they would likely die. And why should they?

 

[Rob Wadsworth]

Volunteering has nothing to do with the fact that spotters get into situations that they do not recognize as likely-fatal until it's too late.

Men and women who sign up for armed forces know exactly what can happen if they're called up.

I never questioned the dedication or nobility of spotting, just saying that heroism is like courage: knowing you could be killed but going in anyway. I still say no spotter would willingly put themselves in a situation where they knew beforehand they would likely die. And why should they?

Published statistics of dead spotters?
Where?
I'll take my chances with what I know about storms than to be hangin' with neighborhood gang-bangers anytime - any day. One can die at any time for any reason. I'm not sure what brings this concept out in the open, but the way people have been speaking of this subject - it sounds like dead spotters should recieve a posthumous Purple Cloud'- or a Congressional Medal of Thunder!

 

[Gerrit Gulden]

Volunteering has nothing to do with the fact that spotters get into situations that they do not recognize as likely-fatal until it's too late.

Men and women who sign up for armed forces know exactly what can happen if they're called up.

I never questioned the dedication or nobility of spotting, just saying that heroism is like courage: knowing you could be killed but going in anyway. I still say no spotter would willingly put themselves in a situation where they knew beforehand they would likely die. And why should they?

Well they shouldnt and I agree with that. But for msyelf any Spotter or stormchaser should no doubt know that when its time to watch severe weather, you know and I hope all do, that once you step outside your already risking your life. Driving towards the storm would be even more so. This is the risk or thrill we take for our passion of weather. On the other hand I agree in the simplets of terms that any person would not take the risk if there life indeed was threatened. But I only see this chance if a tornado is very near the spotter/chaser and also if lightning was observed only feet to hundreds of yards away. For myself, if you do the training every year or as many times as you can during every year and you have enough knowledge under your belt about weather and severe weather structure and development you should immediately know whether or not you should step outside, get into the car and intercept or take cover in your basement or bathtub.

If a spotter or chaser dies while actively reporting every aspect of the "reporting criteria" to either NWS or 911 I would gladly honor them as a hero. I would hope that others or all would agree.

-gerrit

 

[Brian Stertz]

I agree with Shane's #1 problem for spotters is a lack of storm knowledge and what will come next. The dangers of rain-wrapped tornadoes, lightning, over reliance on radar (often times that is several mins. old), and other distracted drivers falls on my list too. As the chaser population expands and spotters become more numerous...more eyes are on a given supercell and with that many conflicting reports. The media's overdoing the annual tornado count irks me to no end. They must counter this lip service with the fact that there are also probably 3-4 times the number of eyes on any given supercell updraft these days as compared to 10 yrs. ago. Stepping off my soapbox now....come on second season - get here already !!

 

[J West]

It's a matter of location as well. Those who spot in the county have different problems that those who spot in a urban environment. City dwellers don't have cows in the road, where county spotters don't have urban sprawl to worry about.

Top of my list is traffic and crashes, second is storm structure identification (Too many people go to an hour-long spotter class and deem themselves experts), third is having the ability to correctly report what you see to the NWS, fourth is the overall environment in which you are chasing and fifth is "act of God" risks like lightning.

 

[Todd Krause]

I would have to say real-time storm behavior/structure, as Shane said long ago. I've heard from too many people who say they attended a class 3-4 or more years ago. Many spotter groups from towns in rural areas adopt fixed locations from which to spot, typically spots with good visibility. That's fine as long as they know when to move to safety, but unfortunately too many people do not recognize when they are in a bad spot.

 

[John Diel]

This might generate a little debate.....

I won't give any order here, but for Storm Spotters (defined as persons with NOAA and other training affiliated with Local Goverment sponsered programs, i.e. Skywarn, HAM Clubs, City/County EM)

1. Traffic - In this area people go nuts at the mere mention of Severe Weather

2. Storm Chasers - This is the one that will generate something. But there's been plenty of debate about the Chaser vs Spotter.

3. Local Yahoos and Wannabes - This could go into the Traffic section

4. Lightning - Unpredictible

5. Inexperience/lack of training - Should be self evident

6. Shane Adams - Spotters should avoid this man like the plague. If you happen across him and don't recognize the threat, you may likely end up a statistic (Sorry Shane, I had to throw that in there. Alsups Burrito's having been covered)

I am both a Chaser and Spotter. Sometimes I have to walk a thin line and occasionally give up a good storm for less severe weather within my area of responsiblity.

 

[Danny Neal]

2. Storm Chasers - This is the one that will generate something. But there's been plenty of debate about the Chaser vs Spotter.

Explain please. How is this a danger?

You didn't really give us a reason why you thought so, so just wanted to know your thoughts on why chasers would qualify. (Keeping in mind whats already been said about this age-old battle)