Street Atlas Counties Mapped to NWS Phone Numbers

Here is the file to download. You should be able to right click on the link and choose 'Save Target As':

http://www.tornadoxtreme.com/SANWSphoneOverlay.txt 

[Optional: Here is a new file modified by Steve Miller that will keep the phone numbers from overlaying directly over the county names:

http://www.tornadoxtreme.com/ConvertedNWSPhoneOverlay.txt  ]

For installation see header labeled 'INSTRUCTIONS' below.

I have created a draw layer file for use with various versions of Street Atlas and possibly some other GPS mapping programs which places the National Weather Service Phone Contact numbers for reporting severe weather within the counties so that you can visually see by looking at the county what the appropriate phone number is for calling in reports.

The phone numbers in this list were provided by Chris Novy and National Weather Service information was provided by NWS. Additionally some latitude, longitude, and county information were provided by Terry Drummler WQ7A.  See:  http://superhosts.net/~wq7a Terry has an overlay of his own at this address as well. It will overlay county names in Street Atlas - I recommend it as it works well.  You can toggle on and off NWS Phone Numbers, and County Names, or have no extra overlays displayed at all.

NOTE: Use this data at your own risk. I make no claims express or implied of it's usability or accuracy. While I have made an extensive effort to make sure the information and mapping of the locations of the numbers is accurate I cannot guarantee this. This list / utility is provided for your convenience. If you have an emergency please contact 911.

Comments from Chris Novy about the use of the NWS numbers:

***NOTE: These numbers are for reporting severe weather, not for getting forecast and chase information.  Please use them responsibly!


YOUR REALTIME REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER ARE VITAL TO THE WARNING PROCESS!!!

--MAKING A REPORT
Please report any immediately life-threatening emergencies (bad accidents, injuries, etc,) to 911 before calling NWS.  Render assistance if possible. When calling NWS, give your name and identify yourself as a storm chaser traveling in their County Warning Area (CWA).  If you have a ham radio call  sign you can provide that too.  Say "I have a severe weather report to give you...".   If you sound professional and credible NWS will treat you like a professional.  Remember, NWS gets reports from many different sources so keep your calls short and to the point.

--NWS REPORTING CRITERIA
--Tornadoes (or funnel clouds)
--Hail larger than 3/4" *  (or copious amounts of smaller hail) (* some offices using 1" criteria)
--Wind gusts 58 MPH or higher (or significant wind damage)
--Flash flooding or unusual flood-related damage
--Excessive rainfall (totaling more than 1 inch per hour accumulation)
Always specify whether the event is occurring now or if it's an old/delayed report.

Different NWS offices are interested in different things so use your best judgement when reporting.  Also, please remember the priorities.  If you know a tornado is occurring (there's a warning out) there is no need to immediately phone in your 59 MPH wind gust or 3/4 inch hail report.  Even though a tornado warning has been issued, you should still free to report your tornado.  This is especially true with radar-indicated warnings where the meteorologists will be seeking immediate confirmation.  Also, you are encouraged to report any lower priority severe weather events after the fact via phone, e-mail, or the e-spotter program (at participating NWS offices).

---ACCURATE REPORTS
Please make an effort to use measured observations whenever possible.  That is, use a ruler to measure the hail and anemometer to measure the winds.  If your report is an estimate make sure you specify it's an estimate.

When reporting tornadoes give your best estimate/guess of distance and direction from *your* location.  Make sure you know where you really are!  Do not say "the tornado is over ....." unless you are absolutely sure where the tornado is where you say it is.

I encourage all WX-CHASE people to attend at last one local SKYWARN class a year just so you can keep up on the latest training, communications
techniques, and to interface with our spotter counterparts.   I also encourage everyone to share footage with their local NWS office for training.  NWS people on this list are encouraged to request video from the WX-CHASE community for training purposes.  Finally, I encourage you to work toward getting a ham radio license (it's really easy) so you can participate in real-time spotter networks.

The NWS greatly appreciates the WX-CHASE community's involvement in the warning process and with improving spotter training.  On a personal note I
salute those of you willing to take 30 seconds out of your busy life to help save someone else's.

INSTRUCTIONS

To define each layer we must start with the "Basic, do not remove, always there no matter what layer".

This will be the bottom layer and will be the one shown after the two layers superimposed upon it are deleted.

Copy the file listed at the top of the page SANWSphoneOverlay.txt into the DeLorme Docs/Draw folder on your hard drive.

Then: Click on the DRAW tab, then choose the "T" symbol. (If you don't see the 'T', it is the second button down

on the right column under Tools on the left side of the Draw Tab. If there is a flag, click and hold the mouse button

on that flag and a "fly-out" menu will appear.)  Earlier versions just choose any symbol as it will not be shown later.

Then choose a font style. I would suggest ARIEL 16PT BOLD BLUE for a font, but any will work. Now decide whether or

not you would like this layer to be in all CAPS or Lower case. Either will be fine and it can be re-done later. 

Next: Click on DRAW, FILE...,Import, and choose SANWSphoneOverlay.txt. Now look at the screen and see if the

1)map display is OK for you and 2) are the phone numbers suitable font size? 

If not, delete that draw layer and change the screen size and font size, re-import and look again.  While still

in the File area of Draw tab checkmark the "Lock" square.  Now this layer will not accidentally get modified.

You can temporarily disable the displaying of the county names in the DRAW, Files... window by unchecking the boxes

at the left. This is advantageous when planning trips as the phone number overlays get in the way at zoom levels below

 7.0.

Importing draw layers does not in any way modify the SA program, but is an option available. In fact there are drawing

layers available that show all sorts of things like campgrounds, Elk clubs etc. Should you need to change font size,

color, etc, you must export that layer to its own .TXT name and overwrite the original that you created.  Then just

re-import it.

Be sure and choose SAVE when you exit SA as all changes are not automatic until you either exit the program or use

the Map Files, Save funtion.

NOTE: SA 2005 WAS SHIPPED WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO HAVE MULTIPLE LAYERS.	So you need to download the fix file (called Advanced File Management) from

Delome at: http://www.delorme.com/support/supporttemplate.aspx?id=151 

and follow their instructions to modify SA2005. After the fix is installed, choose ADVANCED FILE MANAGEMENT. Do this before installing

Phone numbers as described above.

Additionally, On December 16, 2004, NOAA released a new version of the file that will make the previous version (which was released

with most DeLorme mapping applications) obsolete. You must download and run the update found on Delorme Support site.

Go to:
http://update.delorme.com /
  
to find the update file.

Below is a link showing Street Atlas 2005 with NWS reporting phone numbers overlaid:

http://www.tornadoxtreme.com/mapimage.htm