BREAKING: More [Unfortunate] News From the National Weather Service

National Weather Service office in Wichita

From a National Weather Service (NWS) source this morning:

"The offices in Wichita and Dodge City went down 'hard' since about 11:30pm last night. This is the third time in the past year. [Note: There were severe thunderstorms near Dodge City last night.] The NWS office in Goodland backed up Dodge City and Topeka backed up Wichita. 

I've told you that failed communications systems with no backup in each office has become an all-too-frequent problem. While each office has primary, secondary and tertiary backups, it has the potential to put a severe strain on the office providing backup, especially if they are short-staffed. 

This has become a more frequent occurrence since the NWS stopped supporting the VSat satellite system each office had until last year. FYI: that was before the Trump Administration came into office."

From a college meteorology professor yesterday evening who is upset with me because I believe major change is needed at NOAA/NWS:

"NOAA operates a $0.5B/year program [$500 million] that is literally called the Cooperative Institute Program (https://ci.noaa.gov/) with express connection between NOAA and nearly 100 Universities representing 33 states across the Nation."

The bottom line that, while I am opposed to the way the Trump Administration has proceeded (so far) with NOAA, major changes were desperately needed! It is appalling that NOAA always seems to have money for pork ($60 million example, here) while its field offices are -- literally -- falling apart. Keep in mind that it is the field offices that issue tornado warnings, blizzard warnings and the essential products that people associate with the NWS and NOAA. 

Late Breaking Story Since the Above Was Posted:  The NWS is making crucial upper air launches optional at many of its field offices! The memo is below.

There are good reasons to believe this is related to the original story (above) -- far too many communications issues forcing short-handed offices to go into backup mode for a second office that has lost communications. While NOAA needs reform, the Trump Administration's haphazard personnel movements have made it worse.

This blog, for years, has advocated more use of automated weather balloon launchers. See brief video below. 

We wouldn't be in this mess if we had a National Disaster Review Board or had the President or Commerce Secretary set up a small, trusted group of advisors to guide what should be cut and what should be kept. 

Bottom line, NOAA has always had money for pork but its field offices are literally falling apart. And, it is the field offices that issue the tornado warnings, blizzard warnings and other critical products upon which the public depends. NOAA desperately needs reform.