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More on the Compounding Issues Facing the NWS and NOAA

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You have often heard about the issues facing the NWS and NOAA from this blog. As frequent readers know, I am a political conservative.  So, I wanted to bring you the perspective of a former NWS and NOAA employee who is a political liberal. You can read his entire piece here . For a period a few hours after Alan posted his piece, a number of NOAA web sites were down.  Further, Alan Gerard writes about an NWS office with no way to communicate with the outside world during a severe thunderstorm event earlier this spring: There are definitely increasing concerns about the reliability of the aging NEXRAD fleet, in this case the issues were not with the radar themselves, but apparently with communications lines. The office at Wilmington was without communication for several hours, forcing the NWS office in Cleveland to provide backup services for the incommunicado Wilmington. Cleveland issued several severe thunderstorm warnings for Wilmington like the one above and a number of foll...
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Heavy Rain to Dent Drought in Places

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Here is the forecast rainfall for the next seven days.  8-14 Day Rainfall Outlook Note: these two week precipitation forecasts do not have a great deal of skill.  Below is the most recent drought map. Seven day forecast: The rains will be substantial enough to dent the drought in the Mid South from eastern Oklahoma to northern Alabama. There will also be some relief, generally minor, in the Intermountain region.  8-14 day forecast: If  the longer range forecast is correct, the above average rainfall area corresponds well to the worst of the drought from Florida through the Intermountain region. Cross your fingers. 
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"World to End Tomorrow; Women and Minorities Most Affected"

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The title of this piece is a satirical headline for The New York Times  if a giant asteroid was going to strike earth the next day.*  It always comes to mind when I see a headline like the one below. Unsurprisingly, the author is affiliated with the far-left Rockefeller Foundation.  *Of course, with the mainstream media in the 2020's, it isn't satire any longer (below). 
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May Connie Palacioz, "Rosie the Riveter," Rest in Peace

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We lost a living legend over the weekend. Wichita's Connie Palacios, who worked on the B-29 assembly line at Boeing's Wichita Plant (below) during World War II, passed away. over the weekend.  While I only got to shake her hand once, she was quite a lady -- who was never reticent to state an opinion or tell us about her experiences.   Wichita, America, and the U.S. Army Air Force were lucky to have her. May she rest in peace. 
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Tri-State: The Worst Tornado in the History of the United States

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We commemorated 100 years since this awful event eleven months ago.  It is known as the great Tri-State Tornado of March 18, 1925. Until last week, I -- like most meteorologists -- quoted a horrible death toll of 689. Now we learn that an exhaustive study has concluded as many as 801 died from this single storm that moved from southeast Missouri, across the width of southern Illinois, and into southwest Indiana.  Above is an older map, easier to understand, with the correct path, but also with some inaccuracies regarding the specific damage and deaths in some locations.  The Tri-State Tornado had the longest path, the longest violent path, the worst death toll and set other records. The article at the red link (above) will tell you a great deal about this event that we pray is never exceeded. 
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Bad Tornado Watch Due to Trump? Answer: NO!

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The answer is NO! The story is a bit of a mess and won't try to explain all of it. Here are the bottom lines: Yes, the tornado forecasts,  including the watch, on the 13th (Monday's tornadoes in Ottawa and in Miami County) were objectively poor. But few meteorologists who are familiar with tornado forecasting believe the weather balloon issue was the determining factor .  As to people, the 5-person team that issues tornado watches has been staffed with five well-qualified meteorologists the entire time. No cuts.  With regard to the tornado warning for Belton on the 17th, it was out six minutes before the tornado even formed. While a little more lead-time would have been nice, 6 minutes is adequate to dash to the basement.  The above said, the senior leadership of the NWS and NOAA need to resolve the weather balloon issue as soon as possible and the resolution should be based on meteorological science rather than convenience. 
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I Wish This Were True

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I wish that were true.  East Wichita suffered a tornado* in September 1992 that was accompanied by a tremendous hailstorm to the north of its path. Our home had 3" hail and needed a new roof. Hail often accompanies the stronger tornadoes.  *The tornado struck a particularly junky area and there was a joke this tornado had "the potential to cause millions of dollars of improvements." As it turned out, it didn't. They rebuilt it as junky as it was before. Sigh. 
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