Right now, the NWS and America's private-sector meteorologists are dealing with a major storm. Please scroll down for more info. But, I'm taking time out of my storm coverage because of this vital issue. Bill Nye (who else, 🙄) has come up with a theory that the cuts at NWS/NOAA are because Elon Musk is going to buy the National Weather Service.  Wish I was in Vegas so I could make a bet: it won't happen -- just like 500 "forecasters" were not laid off Friday in spite of what many news organizations would have you believe . Nevertheless, the layoffs were unfortunate and not well planned. Other cuts, discussed here , should not happen.  Let's get serious: The NWS is an essential federal service. Not to mention the thousands of lives it saves, scientific studies have shown that it returns $10 to the economy for every dollar of its budget (the American Meteorological Society explains, here ). It has virtually zero fat. NOAA, on the other hand, has quite a bi...

The long-suffering people of North Carolina are finally getting the help they need after (literally) living in tents for as long as four months. What the Biden Administration's FEMA did to these people was cruel and criminal. For example, FEMA moved 80 mobile homes into the area and then put them behind a fence (with a 24-hr guard) and only deployed two. Really. President Trump visited the area Friday in his first official trip in office. The National Guard has been deployed, cleanup specialists have arrived and things are underway.  Thank you, President Trump!!

I am getting many inquiries about weather modification -- from email to Twitter  (as with the item below)  and I'd like to clear the air a bit. Please read my qualifications at the bottom.  Snow Increases There is one area in which weather modification in which mild success is documented.  In mountainous areas during winter, silver iodide generators can put that (not harmful) chemical into low-lying clouds and increase the amount of snow 5 to 15% over what would have fallen anyway. The qualification is because if nothing would have fallen anyway, weather modification cannot do any good. The illustration above is incorrect in that the mountains need to be in the clouds or almost in them.  Hail Suppression In the summer, especially in the High Plains of the U.S., and in other parts of the world, there have been efforts to suppress hail to limit crop damage with the added benefit of limiting damage to buildings, et cetera.  For hail suppression, aircraft ...

Comrade Kamala and this generation of Democrats are the most dangerous to our freedoms -- ever! The "addition" item below this is why they think 30  Starlinks is news. It should 300! Addition: This is the Biden-Harris Administration's #1 goal at FEMA. It certainly isn't disaster recovery. 

There will be catastrophic flooding from this system, according the the National Weather Service, in the area outlined in red, below. Please follow local warnings, including evacuation orders.  As of 1pm Eastern, Helene finally has a well-defined eye which means that strengthening continues to occur. The large size of the hurricane = heavier than usual rainfall for a storm of this nature.  As of noon Eastern time, heavy rains have already fallen during the previous 24 hours.  Let's zoom in a bit to the area with the greatest threat.  In Atlanta, 2-3 inches have already fallen. In the highlands to the northeast, as much as eight inches  have fallen already.  Here is a forecast of additional  rainfall from now until noon tomorrow (Friday).  As much as 14.4 inches of rain during this 24 hour period in the mountains. That would bring the total for the 48 hour period to 22 inches but even more will fall. Already one South Carolina lake is overflowing a...

Just a reminder: Some years, we have a "second [tornado] season" in the autumn either via hurricanes or with strong weather systems crossing the nation. Reminder for tornado safety.

NHC is now forecasting sustained winds of 120 mph at landfall which would be a strong Cat 3 hurricane. People in Tallahassee should prepare for hurricane force winds.  Next update will be tomorrow morning.  ---- The newest satellite image (6:54pm) shows Helene developing rapidly. This lends credibility to the forecasts and I urge you to follow the safety recommendations.  ----- 5:15pm update below ---- Hurricane Helene is forecast to come into the Florida Panhandle late Thursday with high winds and a major storm surge ahead of the center. Here is a complete update on the storm. Please forward this information to your friends and relatives.  Hurricane Warnings  have been issued for parts of the Gulf Coast of Florida. The central pressure has dropped to 995 millibars (as of 6pm) 992 990 millibars at 8pm and the maximum sustained winds are 50 60 mph. There are also hurricane warnings for Cancun and the northeast Yucatan. The Forecast Path of the Eye of Helene Her...

This forecast has been updated. Please go here for a later forecast.  Information for meteorologists is at the bottom of this post.  This map is critical.  It shows the life-threatening storm surge expected with Helene.  Five to eight feet of surge expected in Tampa Bay and highly dangerous surges to the north.  Helene is officially a tropical storm. The central pressure is 1000mb and the maximum sustained winds are 45 mph.  Pink is a hurricane watch. Helene is a very large storm which means two things: there will be strong wind gusts to the east of the center and inland (the hurricane watch extends to the Georgia coast) and that there will be flooding well inland, especially near and east of the mountains in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Wind gusts of 50 mph or stronger could reach as far inland as Atlanta.  Yellow is a tropical storm watch which means there is the potential for wind gusts above 50 mph. Here is an explanation of the ma...

Above is the latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center, but I have added all of the Tampa Metro area and coastal areas south to Sarasota to the forecast of possible paths of the storm's center.  It is important to consider that, if this is a perfect forecast or the storm moves a little to the east of the current path, there will be a significant storm surge in the Tampa Bay region.  Here is an explanation of the map.  M = major hurricane with winds to 115 mph.  H = hurricane. S = tropical storm.  Blue = tropical storm warnings Pink = hurricane watch Yellow = tropical storm watch  Assuming the forecast works out, the hurricane will be named Helene.  What would I do  now  if I lived in a coastal area with this storm potential?  Make sure infirm relatives and friends will be cared for.  Refill prescriptions.  Purchase any essentials. Fully fuel your auto and/or chain saw.  Make sure your "go kit" is up-to-date and re...