Emergency personnel, local government officials and community volunteers gathered at the Edelman warehouse in Fairbury Monday night for a disaster meeting organized by city ESDA director Deb Moran.
Danny Neal of the Ford County Emergency Management Agency and owner of the Illinois Storm Chasers online site provided a severe weather spotter training course for those in attendance.
“I’m one of those who was terrified of weather but now I’m pretty obsessed with it,” admitted Neal.
He often gives presentations to kids encouraging them to get over their fear of storms since he used to be scared of them too.
Neal provided thunderstorm basics, spotter tools, tips on safe storm spotting and how to report severe weather incidents.
Fairbury is pretty much on the border of the Lincoln and Chicago National Weather Service offices.
“You pay for the National Weather Service through taxes,” Neal explained.
There are more uses for the weather service than just going to the website and looking at the latest forecast, according to Neal.
He explained a storm with plenty of thunder does not make it severe, although a tornado or large hail is considered to be severe weather.
While severe weather can occur in every month of the year, Neal said the last EF5 tornado was in Moore, Oklahoma back in 2013.
