With the severe weather Greene County has experienced over the past year — including damaging storms and tornado activity — local officials are encouraging residents to become better prepared by attending an upcoming Skywarn weather spotter class.

The training, offered through the National Weather Service Skywarn program, is scheduled for 7 p.m. on March 23, at the Greene County Event Center, Fairgrounds, 4513 West State Road 54, Bloomfield. The class is sponsored by the Greene County Emergency Management Agency.

In a year marked by destructive weather events, trained spotters can play a critical role in public safety. The Skywarn class teaches participants:

How thunderstorms form
What criteria make a storm “severe”
How to identify wall clouds, funnel clouds, large hail, and straight-line wind damage
The difference between watches and warnings
What conditions should be reported
How to safely and accurately relay information to forecasters

Trained spotters provide real-time, ground-level reports that help meteorologists confirm radar-indicated rotation or storm intensity. Those reports allow forecasters to issue faster and more precise warnings — information that can ultimately protect lives and property.

The class is open to anyone interested in weather safety, including first responders, emergency management personnel, public officials and residents who simply want to better understand severe weather.

In a community like Greene County, where storms can develop quickly and impact rural areas with little notice, having informed citizens on the ground can make a measurable difference.

For residents who have watched storms roll across local fields and neighborhoods in recent months, this class offers an opportunity to turn concern into preparedness — and preparedness into protection.