Storm spotters, hams, volunteer firemen....

[cw821]

I'm sure you all are ready for storm season. Be safe out there. Keep in mind 2013, even the best get caught and can lead to tragedy. Personally, I don't chase. With all the people trying to take pics, it's just too risky. Just spot locally and report over ham radio and then for my local VFD so they can sound the siren if needed.

Casey
K9CLW
& Rocky VFD

 

[Okie4570]

When spotting, I fear the "chasers" and nut jobs out there to see the twister more than the twister itself. Myself and another guy can set off sirens via our radios so we don't have to go to the station to set off the sirens. Hopefully it will be a slow year

 

[RidgeHunter]

I'm still on the SKYWARN list. I think I've reported once since 2011. Ha.

I used to be semi-mobile when I lived in a rural area I was familiar with. I did get tired of people rolling down there windows and saying "bad storms comin" or "you broke down?" when I was parked soemwhere. LOL.

I would have liked to have chased before the clusterfawks of the last decade became the norm. I am too young for the uncrowded days. Living in Tulsa proper now, I pretty much don't get to see anything anymore. I will hit the road to avoid riding a storm out at home, that's about it. Last year when that donut shop got smushed in Sand Springs we loaded up and drove east, south, and west, and then north again. Never even got rained on. (but please, everyone else, hunker down at home. traffic is bad enough).

 

[Poke78]

Just spot locally and report over ham radio and then for my local VFD so they can sound the siren if needed.

Casey
K9CLW
& Rocky VFD

You just described my basic tactics for community-level spotting and reporting. My only reason to "chase" is to re-position for a better vantage point based on storm movement. More often than not, I'm on the air as a Net Control Operator or assisting as a logger for the ham radio net so the reports can be messaged directly to the meteorologists at Tulsa National Weather Service office.

 

[Powerman620]

Got some good video over the years spotting storms in our run area. It has changed in last 10 years or so, lots of (wannabes) in field on wrong side of storms and getting in our way. Don't know how some survive.

 

[Dale00]

The real deal