TAVARES – The Lake County Public Safety Department, Emergency Management Division, in cooperation with the National Weather Service in Melbourne, is inviting residents to take part in a Basic SKYWARN Spotter Training Class on Wednesday, Aug. 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. The class will be held in the Lake County Emergency Operations Center, located on the second floor of the Lake County Administration Building at 315 W. Main St. in Tavares. 

This course aims to familiarize residents with numerous public safety and communications practices that can be utilized during extreme weather events. Participants will also learn about the processes associated with providing real-time reports on tornadoes, hail, winds, flooding and hurricane damage.

The class is free and those interested in participating are required to pre-register, as space is limited.

SKYWARN is a program developed by meteorologists with the National Weather Service and consists of trained weather spotters who report severe or hazardous weather. It is widely regarded as one of the most critical assets to the National Weather Service’s warning, forecasting and verification process.

For more information about this course, or to register, call Scott Spratt at 321-255-0212, ext. 223, or email scott.spratt@noaa.gov.