[ad_1]
Chances are you’ve never heard of Hector Guerrero, who is an alert coordinating meteorologist with the San Angelo National Weather Service. For 33 years, Guerrero honorably discharged his duty to help protect the people of Concho Valley from the elements. On July 31, he will bid farewell to a job that many will say he excels at. Guerrero is known for his enthusiasm and tireless work ethic.
In addition to his duties at the weather station, Guerrero has also conducted Skywarn courses. In an interview for a 2018 article in this journal, Guerrero spoke about the importance of Sky Warn weather observers, “Radar is a good tool to use, but nothing replaces the eyes of people in and around the weather event.You might not be in the part of a storm that generates a tornado, but you might be in the part that gets wind or hail and this can help us know which direction the weather is going. storm and what it will do in the immediate future. the eyes we have, the better off we are. You have to look in the right place in the storm at the right time to see severe weather.
Guerrero carried out his duties, traveling from county to county over the years teaching volunteer firefighters, as well as anyone else wishing to gain insight into weather events.
What the general public doesn’t see are the email updates Guerrero has sent over the years to the National Weather Service media partners. He updated this log, along with several others, on the possibility of severe weather well in advance. These notices are not always “warnings” or “watches”. On several occasions, his emails have raised the possibility of bad weather days ahead of the potential weather event. When extreme weather conditions hit, Guerrero has always been quick to send emails and messages to help spread the word and alert our respective communities.
After significant weather events, Guerrero sent out a summary of the event to inform local media and the public about what happened before, during and after the event. After the Ballinger tornado of May 18, 2019, Guerrero sent all the information regarding when / where / how the tornado formed, as well as the trajectory it took and other data collected by the NWS. It wasn’t just a simple assessment of the tornado, it was a full breakdown of the event to share with the public.
Between 2014 and 2018, Guerrero trained over 100 Sky Warn weather observers in Ballinger and Winters alone. In 2018 alone, Skywarn Observation classes were held at Winters, Eden, Eldorado, Abilene, Sterling City, Brady, Brownwood, Stamford, Coleman, Sweetwater, Menard, Ballinger, Sonora, Albany, San Angelo and Throckmorton .
Guerrero announced his retirement in an email to the media,
“Dear friends and media partners:
Hope you are doing well and enjoying our cooler and wetter summer.
I am writing to let you know that, God willing, I plan to retire on July 31, 2021, after a 33-year career in the National Weather Service. It has been a great pleasure and privilege to work with you in West Central Texas. On behalf of my colleagues in the NWS, whom I represent and are here for you, I appreciate your partnership and friendship over the years to educate and alert our friends in West Central Texas of dangerous weather conditions. You are all true ambassadors of the Weather Ready Nation.
All the best for you and yours, Hector. “
The Runnels County Registry would like to thank Mr. Guerrero for his 33 years of service. We appreciate everything he has done over the years. We wish him a long and happy retirement.
[ad_2]
