The program was called Skywarn, and the spotters were local sheriffs deputies, state troopers, firefighters, ambulance drivers, amateur radio operators, civil defense (now emergency management) spotters, storm chasers, and ordinary citizens. When severe weather is anticipated, local weather service offices request these spotters to look out for severe weather and report any tornadoes immediately, so that the office can warn of the hazard.Spotters usually are trained by the NWS on behalf of their respective organizations, and report to them. The organizations activate public warning systems such as sirens and the Emergency Alert System (EAS), and they forward the report to the NWS. There are more than 230,000 trained Skywarn weather spotters across the United States.In Canada, a similar network of volunteer weather watchers, called Canwarn, helps spot severe weather, with more than 1,000 volunteers. In Europe, several nations are organizing spotter networks under the auspices of Skywarn Europe and the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO) has maintained a network of spotters in the United Kingdom since 1974.Storm spotters are required because radar systems such as NEXRAD  detect signatures that suggest the presence of tornadoes, rather than tornadoes as such. Radar may give a warning before there is any visual evidence of a tornado or an imminent one, but ground truth from an observer can give definitive information.
Retropharyngeal abscess (RPA) is an abscess located in the tissues in the back of the throat behind the posterior pharyngeal wall (the retropharyngeal space). Because RPAs typically occur in deep tissue, they are difficult to diagnose by physical examination alone. RPA is a relatively uncommon illness, and therefore may not receive early diagnosis in children presenting with stiff neck, malaise, difficulty swallowing, or other symptoms listed below. Early diagnosis is key, while a delay in diagnosis and treatment may lead to death. Parapharyngeal space communicates with retropharyngeal space and an infection of retropharyngeal space can pass down behind the esophagus into the mediastinum. RPAs can also occur in adults of any age. RPA can lead to airway obstruction or sepsis – both life-threatening emergencies. Fatalities normally occur from patients not receiving treatment immediately and suffocating prior to knowing that anything serious was wrong. Signs and symptoms
Signs and symptoms may include the following stiff neck (limited neck mobility or torticollis), some form of palpable neck pain (may be in "front of the neck" or around the Adams Apple), malaise, difficulty swallowing, fever, stridor, drooling, croup-like cough or enlarged cervical lymph nodes. Any combination of these symptoms should arouse suspicion of RPA. Causes
RPA is usually caused by a bacterial infection originating from the nasopharynx, tonsils, sinuses, adenoids, molar teeth or middle ear. Any upper respiratory infection (URI) can be a cause. RPA can also result from a direct infection due to penetrating injury or a foreign body.