CLEVELAND, Miss. — Delta State University, in collaboration with the National Weather Service and Bolivar County Emergency Operations, invites all community members to participate in one or both of the informative and interactive events aimed at enhancing preparedness for severe weather events.
Scheduled for Tuesday, April 23, the first event is Storm Spotter Training from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. The second event is a Severe Weather Town Hall Meeting from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Both sessions will be held in the Young-Mauldin Cafeteria Multipurpose Room on campus.
The storm spotter training will offer in-depth preparation for identifying severe weather patterns and reporting them to the National Weather Service promptly.
The Severe Weather Town Hall is designed to address community questions and concerns regarding severe weather occurrences while providing valuable insights on how to protect families and loved ones. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage directly with forecasters in a teaching environment. Michael Hill, Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jackson said, “Being prepared and knowing how to react when severe weather threatens is very important across the state of Mississippi. We will continue to engage the community to not only make sure you are prepared, but also know what we can do better to make sure our messages and warnings are timely and effective for all citizens of Mississippi.”
Delta State Police Chief Jeffery Johns added, “Severe weather is a top hazard impacting our campus community; knowing when to shelter and where is imperative to everyone’s safety. Partnerships with the National Weather Service are both necessary and practical in achieving the greater good in our community.”
Michael Lamb, Director of Bolivar County Emergency Management Agency, encourages community members to attend these events, emphasizing, “The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.”
Storm spotter training offers in-depth preparation for identifying severe weather patterns and reporting them to the National Weather Service promptly. The town hall meeting provides an opportunity for the community to share preparedness information and offer feedback on improving services.
For further information, please contact Chief Johns at 662-846-4154.
Severe weather poses significant risks to communities, leading to injuries, fatalities, and extensive property damage. Through initiatives like SKYWARN®, which engages volunteer spotters to report severe weather, the National Weather Service strives to mitigate these risks and keep communities safe. For more information about the NWS spotter program, visit https://www.weather.gov/SKYWARN.
Delta State University encourages all community members to participate in these sessions to enhance their understanding of severe weather preparedness and contribute to the safety and well-being of our community. For more information about campus safety procedures, visit https://www.deltastate.edu/students/police/.
