SCANNING: Weather — or not!

NatCom Rewind: Are you prepared for upcoming spring and summer storms?

NatCom Rewind is a feature showcasing articles from past issues of the magazine that still have relevance today. This NatCom Rewind feature is updated from the SPRING March | April 2016 issue of National Communications Magazine. It was written by Chuck Gysi | N2DUP | editor and publisher.

It’s that time of year. Spring and summer storms are on their way and if you are prepared, you’ll be in the know and will be able to keep yourself and loved ones safe.

This shows an F5 tornado near Elie, Manitoba, in Canada on June 22, 2007. Keeping an ear on your scanner during severe weather might help you stay safe. | Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

I learned how important it is to monitor my radios during storms one summer when tornadoes came down near where we were living at the time. After heading off to the basement, we turned on the local ham club’s repeater on one scanner and the county fire department channel on another scanner to hear weather spotters. In addition, we watched TV with its special effects graphics and live shots from a news helicopter to see the storm bearing down on us. Needless to say, we were scared. Let’s talk about how you can be prepared for bad weather with your scanners.