St. Johns County to host storm spotter training Nov. 17

The National Weather Service Jacksonville will hold a SKYWARN Storm Spotter Training class in St. Augustine on Nov. 17, giving residents an opportunity to learn how to safely identify and report dangerous weather.

The in-person session runs from 10 a.m. to noon at the St. Johns County Emergency Operations Center, 100 EOC Drive, according to the National Weather Service Jacksonville class schedule. The class is open to anyone interested in participating.

SKYWARN is a nationwide network of volunteers trained by the National Weather Service to recognize and report significant weather. Spotters provide ground-level observations that help meteorologists improve weather watches and warnings.

Participants can report conditions from home, work or the road. The NWS emphasizes that spotters should never put themselves in danger to make a report.

The St. Johns County session is one of two upcoming in-person classes in the region. A second class is scheduled for Nov. 16 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Flagler County Emergency Operations Center, 1769 E. Moody Blvd., Building 3, in Bunnell.

A virtual SKYWARN class covering basic and advanced material is also scheduled for Dec. 7 from 2 to 4 p.m. Regi