Now, How About Some Extremely Good News?

I admit, this blog has been pretty downbeat since the morning of July 4 and the horrific Texas Hill Country Flood. It has been necessary to, in our small way, to figure out when wrong and help prevent it from recurring. 

Now: how about some absolutely wonderful news?

Dr. Roger Pielke, Jr. has published a remarkable study demonstrating the first six months of 2024 had the lowest number of weather-related deaths due to extreme conditions than any other first six months in recorded human history. 

Before anyone jumps to conclusions about "climate denial" or related thoughts: Roger is a Democrat who has said he voted for Harris in November and also said, when President Biden dropped out, he supported Gretchen Whitmer to be the D nominee for President of the United States. 

He wrote Sunday on his Substack, The Honest Broker:

His study is here. 

While we have had the Texas and other floods that have produced deaths and other weather-caused fatalities since July 1 -- and that the disaster forecasting, response and recovery in the USA needs fixing -- this is still a markable accomplishment. The story of how the U.S. storm warning system was developed is here. 

Special congratulations and appreciation is due to weather science in general -- and the National Weather Service in particular -- as well as to emergency managers of all types, hydrologists and the support people that make our profession run. 

Wichita's Lisa Teachman during a recent flash flood situation in 
Wichita and south central Kansas

Meteorologists, especially those in television, at private sector weather companies, and in the NWS work long, stressful hours in extreme weather situations. The "80-hour week" is a reality during storm season in the central U.S. or when a hurricane is approaching our coast. 

So if the weather is clear at your location, put your feet up for five minutes and have a donut or a slice of pizza and relax. You have more than earned it!

While we certainly have not conquered it, science has "tamed" the weather. When working as it should, our tornado warning system, by itself, is worthy of a Nobel Prize. 

I wish to conclude with a toast to weather science now and in the future!