The StormTopper Network was recently featured on the WKU homepage and on a video segment on WBKO-TV in Bowling Green. The StormTopper Network is a group of WKU Meteorology majors who assist Warren County Emergency Management (WCEM) during severe weather outbreaks.
Students who participate with the StormTopper Network, all of whom have completed the Advanced Storm Spotter Training from the National Weather Service (NWS), can contribute either as a storm spotter in the field or as part of the Central Command, which is located in the Meteorology lab. Students in Central Command observe radar data, watches and warnings from the NWS, and relay information from the storm spotters in the field to Emergency Management workers. After a storm occurs, the students have also been trained to assess damage with WCEM.
The StormTopper Network maintains a website at http://www.wku.edu/~leeperd/ that contains severe weather outlooks written by StormTopper forecasters. The website also features a large selection of weather discussions from the NWS and weather model information.
The press release about the StormTopper Network can be found here and the video segment featured on WBKO-TV can be found here (video dated 3/26/09).