RICH COUNTy, Utah — As severe storms moved through northern Utah last weekend, a brief EF-1 tornado touched down near the Rich-Cache County line, snapping trees and packing winds near 86-110 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
For 17-year-old Michael Hansen, it wasn’t just another storm — it was his first day reporting as a trained spotter for the NWS.
Hansen, who is legally blind and has cerebral palsy, says he had been tracking the system as it developed and recognized early that it had the potential to turn dangerous.
He’s been studying weather since 2020 and has been working as a volunteer spotter since last year. Now, he’s trying to build a team.
In a recent Facebook post, Hansen said he’s forming a six-person group called Northern Utah Storm Spotters, focused on providing real-time observations in Cache, Rich, Box Elder and Weber counties.
He said the goal is to cover what he calls “radar blind spots,” particularly in rural communities and northern canyons where terrain can limit radar coverage. The team would use a digital radio app to coordinate during storms, with Hansen serving as a mobile dispatcher.
Storm spotters are part of the SKYWARN network, a volunteer program that helps forecasters confirm conditions and issue more accurate warnings.
“I have the experience, I know what to report,” Hansen said, “And I need people to understand that everything depends on us. People’s livelihoods depend on us.”
Hansen says he knows some may question his age or abilities, but he believes his training and focus give him an edge.
For Hansen, the goal is simple: make sure communities — especially those in harder-to-reach areas — have the information they need when severe weather hits.
