NWS Kicking Off SKYWARN Storm Spotter Training In Rhode Island

The National Weather Service is kicking off its SKYWARN Storm Spotter Training in Rhode Island.

"SKYWARN storm spotters are part of the ranks of citizens who form the Nation's first line of defense against hazardous weather," the National Weather Service said of the program.

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"There can be no finer reward than to know that their efforts have given communities the precious gift of time — seconds and minutes that can help save lives," the National Weather Service said.

The training dates in Rhode Island are:

• April 21 in South Kingstown
• April 28 in Smithfield

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Register here.

The National Weather Service pointed out there are 10,000 severe thunderstorms, 5,000 floods and more than 1,000 tornadoes across the country in the average year.

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"Southern New England is no exception with major weather events such as Superstorm Sandy, the Revere Tornado of 2014, the floods of March 2010, and numerous blizzards including the latest of February 2013," the National Weather Service said. "These events threatened lives and property and because of this we rely heavily on our SKYWARN volunteers who call the NWS in Norton, MA to report certain weather conditions."

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There are nearly y 290,000 trained severe weather spotters in the volunteer program, according to the National Weather Service.

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