Data Acquisition
and
Hydrometeorological Technicians Section

Miami Weather Forecast Office, FL

Index

º INTERNET

º Severe
Weather
Identification
Guidelines

º Severe
Weather
Reporting
Procedures

º NOAA
Weather Radio

º Severe
Weather Safety
Rules

º Tornado/
Severe
Thunderstom
Safety Rules

IMPORTANT NAMES, ADDRESSES AND
PHONE NUMBERS

National Weather Service Forecast Office
11691 SW 17th Street
Miami,  FL  33165-2149

Meteorologist-in-Charge:                            Rusty Pfost

Warning Coordination Meteorologist:          Jim Lushine   (Jim.Lushine@noaa.gov)

SKYWARN Program Leader                    Tom Warner  (Thomas.Warner@noaa.gov)

PHONE NUMBERS:
Administrative (information requests, forecasts, etc)                   (305) 229-4528
(8 am - 4 pm Monday through Friday)

To Schedule Spotter or Safety Training, or to discuss                 (305) 229-4520
SKYWARN matters

To Report Severe Weather 24 hours a day, 365 days a year:    (800) 850-4553
THIS NUMBER IS UNLISTED AND RESTRICTED TO EMERGENCY USE ONLY!!!

Spotters may also call collect with important weather information or reports.

INTERNET
World Wide Web Page:      www.miamiweather.info
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SEVERE WEATHER IDENTIFICATION GUIDELINES

    The National Weather Service defines a severe thunderstorm as one that produces ...

              1) hail 3/4 of an inch in diameter or larger
              2) winds at or above 58 MPH (50 knots)
              3) and/or a tornado

    When attempting to verify warnings the National Weather Service looks for these occurrences, in addition to other events that imply a severe thunderstorm, such as damage.

    Use the following criteria when determining whether you are dealing with an actual severe weather event. REMEMBER, your severe weather reports are vital to the NWS, even hours or days after an event has occurred. Include the time and the exact location of the event when reporting.

THE FOLLOWING ARE CONSIDERED TO BE SEVERE EVENTS AND SHOULD BE REPORTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE:

TORNADO
1.    A credible report of a tornado on the ground. If the funnel extends more than halfway
       from cloud base to the ground, or if dirt/debris are seen on the ground underneath the
       funnel, it should be reported as a tornado.

DAMAGING WINDS
  1.    Measured thunderstorm wind gusts of 58 MPH (50 knots) or more
  2.    Estimated thunderstorm wind gusts of 58 MPH (50 knots) or more from trained spotter
  3.    Trees blown down or uprooted (more than 1)
  4.    Large limbs or branches blown down (more than 1)
  5.    Power lines blown down
  6.    Permanent signs blown down
  7.    Roof damage from the wind (large area of roofing material removed)
  8.    Windows broken by the wind
  9.    Structural damage to business, house, barn, shed, circus tent, etc
10.    Radio tower or large antenna blown down
11.    Home TV antennas blown down (more than 1)
12.    Campers heavily damaged or destroyed
13.    Mobile home damaged by wind

LARGE HAIL
  1.    Hail 3/4 of an inch in diameter or larger (approximately dime size)
  2.    Windows or windshields broken by hail
  3.    Roofs or house siding damaged by hail

If you are in doubt as to whether an event/damage is severe or not, make the report anyway!
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SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING PROCEDURES

●    WHAT TO REPORT

    The National Weather Service relies heavily on YOUR reports of severe or hazardous weather. The following occurrences should be reported IMMEDIATELY...

    1.    TORNADOES
        - you may not see the funnel itself on the ground
        - look for dust or debris on the ground underneath a funnel or wall cloud
        - power flashes at night may indicate a tornado

    2.    FUNNEL CLOUDS
        - look for organized, sustained rotation

    3.    HAIL
        - report hail size and intensity
        - report hail size in terms of well-known objects (coins, fruit) or in inches
        - avoid using the term "MARBLE SIZE"

    4.    DAMAGING WINDS
        - give best estimate of wind speed
        - report winds of 58 mph or higher

    5.    STORM DAMAGE
        - damage reports are extremely important!
        - report any damage caused by hail, wind or flooding

    6.    FLOODING
        - report flooding that blocks streets, roads or highways
        - report flooding that is a threat to life or property
        - report excessive rainfall (more than one inch per hour)

●    HOW TO REPORT

    1.    When possible, all reports should be passed to a central point for
           relay to the NWS. This may be the Sheriff's office, police department,
           emergency management office, etc. Ask them to relay your report to the NWS in
           Miami, FL.

    2.    Amateur radio reports should be relayed through the appropriate net to the NWS
           station.

    3.    Individual spotters, and those who have no other options should call the NWS
           direct using the numbers on page 1 of this guide.

    4.    If you have Internet access, you can send us your severe weather or damage report
           via e-mail, or by using the reporting form on our home page. The address can be
           found on page 1 of this guide.

    5.    However you make your report, remember the following...

SAFETY FIRST - your safety is more important than your report!

KEEP YOUR REPORT VERY BRIEF - others may be trying to report

IDENTIFY YOURSELF AS A TRAINED STORM SPOTTER

GIVE YOUR EXACT LOCATION
           (county and nearest town, major intersection, etc)

TELL WHAT YOU SAW (tornado, hail, wind, etc)

GIVE THE TIME THE EVENT OCCURRED

GIVE ANY OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION

           Here's an example:

 "My name is Jane Doe and I'm a trained spotter calling from Pembroke Pines,  in           Broward County. I am receiving dime-size hail at this time. The hail is covering the ground and has been falling for about five minutes."
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NOAA WEATHER RADIO

    NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) broadcasts National Weather Service forecasts, warnings and more, 24 hours a day. For around $40, you can own a special weather radio that gives you instant access to valuable weather information - information that might save your life.

    NOAA Weather Radio is not just for emergencies. It's a round-the-clock source of weather reports and information that helps you prepare for the day ahead. Routine programming includes the current local weather conditions, 7 day forecast and short term forecast. Other more specialized information, including climatological summaries public information statements (when necessary), are broadcast at specific times during the day.

    During hazardous weather conditions, NWR is a lifeline for critical weather information. Routine programming is interrupted when severe weather threatens so that the latest watches, warnings and statements may be broadcast immediately. When a watch or warning is issued, it is preceded by a tone which activates specially designed receivers. The Specific Area Message Encoder (SAME) is a feature that allows the user to program his receiver to only alarm for watches and warnings affecting certain counties. The National Weather Service will use SAME technology to activate the Emergency Alert System (EAS) to warn of impending dangerous weather conditions. For more information about SAME, contact the NWS in Memphis.

    The Miami NWS office is responsible for the operation of four NWR transmitters in south Florida:

  STATION                  FREQUENCY        ID                 POWER

Belle Glade

162.400    MHz

WXM-58

300 Watts

Princeton (Homestead)	162.425    MHz	WNG-663	300 Watts
Miami	162.550    MHz	KHB-34	1000 Watts

Naples

162.525    MHz

WWG-92

1000 Watts

West Palm Beach

162.475    MHz

KEC-50

500 Watts

Storm spotters can play an important role in the NWR program by informing the NWS about problems with any of the weather radio broadcasts mentioned above. If the station is off the air, on low power or out of service for any reason, please call the NWS in Miami and let us know about the problem.  If the transmitter is on low power you will hear either one or two periodic beeps, depending on what transmitter the station is broadcasting at the time - transmitter one or two.
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SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY RULES

Knowing how to protect yourself and your family during severe weather is extremely important. As a spotter, you may be away from home when severe weather strikes, so having a pre-arranged plan of action is vital to the safety of your family. Mobile spotters are at increased risk and should also be keenly aware of the dangers of severe weather and of ways to protect themselves.

The National Weather Service values your safety much more than we do your observations. Your safety depends on you being knowledgable about severe thunderstorms and the hazards they present.

Advance planning is the key to survival. Conduct periodic drills to be sure you can get to your shelter quickly. You may not have much time when a tornado is approaching. 
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TORNADO/SEVERE THUNDERSTORM SAFETY RULES

Severe thunderstorms can cause as much damage as a tornado, and should be treated seriously. When a severe thunderstorm approaches, you should take the same actions as you would if it were a tornado.

AT HOME or WORK:          Try to get underground if possible (in a basement or storm cellar).
                                             If that's not possible, take cover in the center part of the building,
                                             on the lowest floor. Put as many walls between you and the tornado
                                             as possible. A small room, such a closet or bathroom is usually a
                                             good shelter. STAY AWAY from windows and doors! Use pillows
                                             and blankets to shield your head and body from flying debris.

IN OFFICE BUILDINGS    Go to the lowest floor and move to an interior room or hallway   
or                                          away from doors and windows. If the building has a designated
SHOPPING CENTERS        shelter area, go there. Avoid wide, free-span roofs!

IN SCHOOLS OR                 Follow advance plans and move to the designated shelter area,
CHURCHES                        usually an interior hallway on the lowest floor. Evacuate portable
classrooms and go to a more sturdy structure. Stay out of
                                             auditoriums, gymnasiums and other structures with wide, free-span
                                             roofs. MAKE SURE YOUR SCHOOL HAS A TORNADO
                                             SAFETY PLAN that includes school buses.

IN MOBILE HOMES            Mobile homes are especially vulnerable to high winds associated
                                             with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes and should be evacuated
                                             during any period of severe weather. Move to a sturdy building if
                                             possible. Do not use your car to try to outrun a tornado. If no other
                                             shelter is available, seek shelter in a ditch or culvert.                      

IN AUTOMOBILES             In open country, you may be able to drive away from the tornado
IF you are certain about the location and motion of the tornado, and
IF the local road network allows.

                                             In urban areas or when escape is not possible, leave your vehicle
                                             and get into a reinforced building. If no buildings are available and
                                             AS A LAST RESORT, leave your vehicle, get away from it
                                             and other vehicles, and seek shelter in culvert, ditch or other low spot
                                             (that is not flooded!).

Wherever you seek shelter, try to make as small a target as possible and shield your head and upper body from flying debris.
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