Weather spotters help keep us safe

Most Cape Girardeau County residents watch the onset of severe weather from the comfort of their sofas, listening to the radio or watching television.

But 100 of our friends and neighbors deny themselves the luxury of staying indoors during bad weather so that the rest don't have to be outside to check on storm conditions.

They're the county's weather spotters.

These are amateur meteorologists trained by the National Weather Service to watch the skies and interpret what they see.

The system allows reports of approaching storms from spotters in the west to relay information to the next county east and so on, so that emergency agencies in each county know exactly what's coming.

Top administrators of those agencies say they can't even count how many times weather spotters have helped with preparation for severe weather.

Their information can make the difference in what sorts of watches and warnings the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., will issue.

Many spotters are volunteer firefighters, already trained to respond in emergency situations. They also already own the needed radios to relay reports.

In these times of tornadoes, thunderstorms and floods, it's appropriate to keep these dedicated individuals in mind and give them our thanks.