tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7965215084022057128.post4113436057004690746..comments2024-03-28T10:48:26.644-05:00Comments on MSE CREATIVE CONSULTING BLOG: The Headline We Should Have Seen -- But Didn'tMike Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17435605216805307424noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7965215084022057128.post-44490642233774478342012-04-05T21:25:22.272-05:002012-04-05T21:25:22.272-05:00I also greatly agree with the points Elaine made, ...I also greatly agree with the points Elaine made, growing up in Central Oklahoma and having KFOR, KOCO, and News9 i have become spoiled. Having media visually tracking a tornado block by block is invaluable in my opinion. Between their tracking ability and the way they "educate" their viewers on different types of radar signatures and velocities, you tend to really see a difference in the fatality rate.<br /><br />I was appalled earlier this year when i was watching the streaming live coverage of various media stations during the March 2nd outbreak. A particular media station either didn't have much of a clue what they were looking at or severely downplaying the dangerous situation. I think as most of us saw those storms had perfect radar signatures and even debris ball. However the media in some locations was treating it as just a thunderstorm that had a tornado warning on it. <br /><br />Anyway i'll stop my rant, but it just blows my mind sometimes how so many people can ignore severe warnings and end up getting killed because of it.Flysooner9https://www.blogger.com/profile/17004591844785328726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7965215084022057128.post-6785017026487921212012-04-04T21:11:38.371-05:002012-04-04T21:11:38.371-05:00Excellent analysis, Elaine.Excellent analysis, Elaine.Mike Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17435605216805307424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7965215084022057128.post-17662740388442797482012-04-04T21:04:51.127-05:002012-04-04T21:04:51.127-05:00I suspect that one of the most significant factors...I suspect that one of the most significant factors in keeping the death and injury toll down was the wall to wall live TV coverage of the approaching tornadoes with news choppers (I live in central Illinois but watched some of the live streaming from WFAA and KXAS yesterday). <br /><br />We know from last year's service assessments that people want confirmation -- preferably visual confirmation -- of a tornado threat beyond simply hearing a siren or a simple tornado warning announcement. Well, visual confirmation doesn't get much better than seeing semi trailers tossed into the air on live TV! <br /><br />It helps, of course, to be in a TV market with the resources to employ helicopters and trained pilots/photographers. Smaller stations often use tower cams and these too can provide dramatic images (as they did in Tuscaloosa and Joplin), but they can't see the tornado unless it happens to be in camera range, nor can they show the destruction on the ground as well as a chopper cam can. <br /><br />ElaineBookwormhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12891452878064992022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7965215084022057128.post-78042912194338221272012-04-04T15:44:31.402-05:002012-04-04T15:44:31.402-05:00The 1957 tornado occurred in daylight and destroye...The 1957 tornado occurred in daylight and destroyed 120-140 homes. I'm hearing estimates of 500+ homes destroyed yesterday which means far more were exposed, yet a much better outcome. Clearly, the warnings played a major role...and at least some victims are explicitly confirming. <br /><br />Of course, the middle of the night would likely have been much different. <br /><br />Thanks for letting me know DFW = #4.Mike Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17435605216805307424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7965215084022057128.post-3060250612298778532012-04-04T15:39:15.941-05:002012-04-04T15:39:15.941-05:00Having grown up in east-central KS, in the heart o...Having grown up in east-central KS, in the heart of Tornado Alley, I think the development and refinement of Doppler radar systems is nothing short of phenomenal. These can show meteorologists the rotation inside a wall cloud even when visual observation is impossible due to dark skies and pouring rain, and you're able to get warnings out, often a half hour before a tornado even forms, with the storm track cone laid out showing when each town in the projected path should expect it to hit them.<br /><br />When I was a kid, the forecasters could tell us a big storm was coming, but couldn't call a tornado warning until someone had visual confirmation. By then, it could already have killed people.The Monsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15291546809967159683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7965215084022057128.post-18896689841623976682012-04-04T15:15:37.305-05:002012-04-04T15:15:37.305-05:00DFW is 4th largest MSA according to 2010 Census. ...DFW is 4th largest MSA according to 2010 Census. That's nit-picking :)<br /><br />Obviously the advances in tornado monitoring, detection, and awareness heavily contributed to the amazing lack of fatalities yesterday. However, you are seriously discounting the fact that they got really lucky with the timing of those storms. Do you really think if that weather broke out at 4pm local time the fatality results would be the same? Or if the outbreak occurred overnight?Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08331066509646364037noreply@blogger.com