Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Meteorologists are predicting a high probability for tornadoes this spring.
A group of 2,000 volunteers in 37 counties of Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, including Kosciusko County, will help the National Weather Service spot and track tornadoes as well as large storms.
The group, known as Indiana Michigan Ohio Skywarn, is part of Skywarn, a federal program for amateur ham radio operators. They work hand-in-hand with NWS in tracking large storms. The volunteers are federally trained.
"We actually receive more training sometimes than your local law enforcement agency," said IOM director and tri-state leader Paul Van Dyke.
When a storm front is detected in an area on the NWS radar, the NWS staff calls in two amateur radio operators to the office in North Webster. The two operators communicate from the NWS office with amateur radio operators in the storm area. They sit 8 to 10 feet from the local viewing screen at NWS.
"At that point, we'll call up those areas that are going to be affected by the storm," Van Dyke said.
Those out in the field report what they see via ham radio.
"Between the visual spotting and the radar, it gives (the NWS) an idea of what is happening out there."
Amateur radio operators are men and women, farmers and accountants, average people and celebrities, Van Dyke said.
"If you have the training, it doesn't matter (who you are)," he said. "We usually have adults. We do take young adults' reports.
"Most of them are people you knew and would never know are doing this."
Tom Buchan, appointed emergency coordinator by the Amateur Radio Relay League for Kosciusko County, said, "All the amateur radio operators in Kosciusko County pretty much participate in Skywarn."
Some famous amateur radio operators around the world include country musician Patty Loveless, actors Marlon Brando and Robin Williams and the late King Hussein of Jordan.
"There's a lot of famous people and celebrities who love to 'chew the rag,' as we say," Van Dyke said.
Amateur radio operators are recognized worldwide as being the best in emergency situations, he said. Ham operators with Skywarn make themselves available at a moment's notice, 24 hours a day.
"This program isn't anything new. It's in place in Chicago. It's in place in Indianapolis," Van Dyke said.
Locally, he said, Skywarn has been around since about the 1960s.
"Every time there is a major storm that comes in the area, there are amateur radio operators working," he said.
Besides the radio, operators only need a 12-volt battery to power their radio. The cost of the radio averages about $300.
"There are 24 or 25 satellites in orbit we use for communication," Van Dyke said.
The Kosciusko County branch of Skywarn is lead by Buchan. He reports not only to NWS but also to the local law enforcement in the county. The importance of the amateur radio operators is not lost on Buchan.
"The importance is that the weather service relies on us to give an update on (the weather)," he said.
Kosciusko County amateur radio operators try to have at least two or three meetings a year, Buchan said. One of the local clubs, Hoosier Lakes Radio Club, meets the first Thursday of every month at 7:30 p.m. in the Warsaw city council chambers. They have already started discussion on preparing for the upcoming season, he said.
Anyone interested in becoming a part of Skywarn or becoming a ham radio operator is encouraged to attend a meeting or contact Buchan.
The frequency for Kosciusko County amateur radio operators is 146.520.
