Although portions of SE NC and NE SC have seen a lot of rainfall this year the number of severe weather events have lagged behind what we issued in previous years. For instance, so far in 2013 we have only issued 55 Severe Thunderstorm Warnings while in 2012 there were a total of 162 warnings issued. In 2013 we have issued 6 Tornado Warnings, while in 2012 we issued 11. I know that the year is not over, but we are coming off of our severe weather peak.

The amount of rainfall we've received over the past couple months is concerning considering the fact we are headed into the peak of hurricane season. The last thing we need are saturated grounds and elevated river levels (pre-conditions) in place before a tropical cyclone!

-Steve

Hello!

The NWS and American Red Cross are sponsoring Basic SKYWARN training at the Southeastern Community College in Whiteville, NC on Tuesday July 30, 2013 from 10 AM until Noon. Please share this information to those folks you think would be interested in attending the training.

Thanks,

-Steve

Good afternoon,

Looks like there will be a very good chance that a squall line with damaging winds will push across the area. There is also an isolated risk for tornadoes as well as a chance for large hail. Please coordinate with the ECs/AECs if you observe or hear of severe weather.

Thanks,

-Steve

Here's an interesting link to an article about tornado myths.

http://weather.yahoo.com/5-tornado-safety-myths-debunked-180740991.html

Also, we plan on holding an Advanced Skywarn Class sometime in May or early June. We are still in the planning stages, but it will be held as a GoTo Webinar. More info to come soon.

-Steve

A new Basic Skywarn Class is being offered on Saturday April 6, 2013 at the NWS Office in Wilmington. The training will run from Noon until 2 PM in the office's conference room.

There are 15 seats available. Please email steven.pfaff@noaa.gov to reserve your spot.

The address for the NWS Office is: 2015 Gardner Dr. Wilmington NC 28405

Thanks,

-Steve

Good afternoon!

The Skywarn class scheduled for Saturday March 9th has been cancelled due to a lack of registration per New Hanover County info. Please help spread the word to anyone you knew was going to attend this event.

I will try and schedule a class at the NWS Office in the next few weeks in case you know someone interested.

Thanks,

-Steve

Good morning!

Severe Weather Awareness Week (SWAW) runs from March 3-9th. Our local SWAW webpage is:  http://www.weather.gov/ilm/swaw

Also, the statewide SC tornado drill will be at 0900 on Tuesday March 5th. The message we send will be a test tornado message.

The NC statewide tornado drill be at 0930 on Wednesday March 6th. The message we send for this drill will be a Routine Monthly Test (RMT).

In addition to these drills serving as a reminder that severe weather season is nearing, they also serve to remind us that it is time to replace the batteries in our NOAA Weather Radios and to review your family plan in case severe weather threatens.

Thanks,

-Steve

Good morning!

There will be a Basic Skywarn Class held at the New Hanover County Government Complex on Saturday March 9th at 1 PM EST. The location will either be at the EOC or the Human Resource Training Center at the Complex. Please feel free to spread the word about the training.

Thanks!

-Steve

 Spring storm season is upon us . How would you communicate if a strong storm takes out your antenneas or power ? I practiced that Monday due to a power company outage. And when it gets dark it makes it harder. Have a up-to-date check list. Know where it is. Run your generator once a month with a load on it. Use a gas additive to keep it fresh . Extra gas, oil, spark plugs and tools. When the last time you checked the battery or fuse in your volt meter? What are some of your things on your check list?