| Since 1950, Washington state has had more Presidentially
declared weather-related disasters than anywhere else in the United States.
Here are some examples:
....Oct 12 1962, the Columbus Day Storm occurred. This storm was considered "the mother of all wind storms" in the Northwest during the 20th century.
The storm claimed 46 lives and blew down 15 billion board feet of timber
($750 million worth in 1962 dollars) from northern California to British
Columbia. The total property damage was $235 million. Recorded winds prior
to power outages reached well over 100 MPH....
....Jan 20 1993, the Inauguration Day Storm claimed 5 lives and left
3/4 million homes and businesses without power. The total damage in western
Washington was $130 million. Reported peak wind gusts in western Washington
ranged from 60-90 MPH...
....Dec 27-30 1996, up to 2 feet of snow from 2 storms fell in parts
of the Puget Sound region, followed by heavy amounts of rain. Many roofs collapsed as a result of the snow loading, and urban flooding and numerous landslides occurred....
....Nov 1995, widespread major flooding occurred on western Washington
rivers, including the highest flood of record on the Skagit River, and
near-record flooding on the Snoqualmie, Skykomish, Snohomish, Stillaguamish,
and Nooksack Rivers....
.....July 1994, thunderstorms with frequent lightning start numerous wildfires in Chelan and Okanogan counties....
....Apr 5, 1972, an F3 tornado strikes Vancouver, Washington, killing
6 people and injuring 300. Washington lead the nation in tornado deaths
that year....
....1997 - a record 14 F0 and F1 tornados were reported in Washington,
crushing the previous record of 4 tornados set in 1989. No deaths or injuries
were reported....
How do I become a Skywarn TM) Weather Spotter?
The National Weather Service (NWS) welcomes any volunteers with an interest
in severe weather spotting. The Seattle forecast office serves 14 western
Washington counties, from Grays Harbor and Lewis counties northward to
the Canadian border and west of the Cascade crest. We currently have an
abundance of spotters in the urban areas, but we have a need for more spotters
in the rural areas, especially those with anemometers.
If you would like to become a Skywarn (TM) Weather Spotter,
please attend a training session, or if you desire more
information, please send a message to jay.neher@noaa.gov
Skywarn (TM) Training
Skywarn (TM) Weather Spotter training sessions are held periodically throughout western Washington. Training programs are usually established with the
NWS through local emergency managers or other volunteer organizations.
Training consists of ways to recognize and report hazardous event-driven
weather. We use a mix of video and static material to enhance the 2-hour
training session.
Amateur Radio Packet BBS
National Weather Service Seattle works with area Amateur Radio organizations
and individuals, who in turn support their local emergency management officials.
We transmit current flood and weather watches, warnings, and advisories,
as well as the latest public and marine forecasts and conditions to a West
Seattle Bulletin Board System (BBS) via packet radio. Amateurs can then
receive this information via packet at 145.010 MHz. Amateur radio is an
effective means to provide flood and weather information to local emergency
managers, especially when long-line communications fail during significant
weather, seismic, or other major hazardous events.
In the near future, amateur radio Skywarn (TM)Weather Spotters will be able
to forward their spotter reports to NWS Seattle via packet radio. Stay
tuned for more information on this feature as it develops.
|
www.weather.gov 
