So much for going to sleep early....

I'm on an email list for weather alerts and we got this email today.

This is a heads up for tonight's weather. We don't want to alarm anyone but this
storm system has some real potential to do damage.
Spotters - you will be activated tonight.
For businesses/industries that run 2nd and 3rd shifts, pay
close attention to your weather alert radios/devices. Make certain your
employees know what to do in severe weather events.

Alrighty then! No sleep for us moms. Additional notices gave us some good news: Storms are fast moving (possible up to a mile per minute). Flash flooding is not likely to be a problem if the speed of the storm continues.
Well, that is a relief - at least they don't expect flash floods. Just possible tornadoes that might be long lived and possible 70-80 mph winds and storms that are moving up to 1 mile in a minute..

I want to know what a spotter is. Is that a paid job? Running around looking at the sky for tornadoes? Could that be safer than sitting at home unable to hear the tornado sirens or see the tornadoes through the trees? Might be a good job to be on-call for if it doesn't require any previous experience. :)