Residents interested in severe weather safety and community preparedness are invited to take part in an upcoming Storm Spotter Training hosted by Okmulgee County Emergency Management (OCEM) in partnership with the National Weather Service.

The free training will be held Saturday, Jan. 31, at 9 a.m. at Green Country Technology Center, located at 1100 OK-56 Loop in Okmulgee. The event is open to the public and designed for anyone who wants to better understand severe weather and play a role in keeping their community safe.

The class will provide handson instruction on how to identify key features of severe storms, including wall clouds, funnel clouds and hail cores. Participants will also learn how storm reports from trained spotters are used by meteorologists to improve warnings, enhance forecasting accuracy and ultimately help save lives during dangerous weather events.

In addition to learning how to recognize threatening storm conditions, attendees will gain insight into how and when to safely report what they observe, making their information useful to emergency managers and weather officials. Representatives from OCEM and the National Weather Service will be on hand to answer questions and share real-world examples of how storm spotter reports make a difference when storms move through the area.

Organizers say the training is ideal for storm enthusiasts, firsttime spotters, emergency responders, outdoor workers and anyone who wants to be more informed during Oklahoma’s severe weather season.

The Storm Spotter Training is completely free and requires no prior experience. Officials encourage community members to attend, noting that informed citizens are a vital part of local emergency preparedness.

For those who have ever looked at a storm and wondered what was happening – or wanted to know how to help when weather turns dangerous – this training offers a valuable opportunity to learn, engage, and serve the community.