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KIRKSVILLE, MO -- Weather enthusiasts from around the area met Tuesday night in Kirksville for the annual storm spotter training class.

National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist Andy Bailey spoke to a packed house about what to identify in severe thunderstorms.

Spotters provide valuable first hand information to the National Weather Service that can not always be detected by radar.

“The radar has a lot of limitations and doesn’t allow us to see everything we need to see inside a storm and we have got to have eyes on those storms and reporting those conditions back to us to really have a good idea what’s going on,” says Bailey.

The class also talked about what to report as well as demonstrating the best practices to keep your family safe when severe weather hits.

At the end of the night, participants registered to become official spotters, asked questions and took a quiz to test their knowledge.