Scotty roadDELETED - Posted - 03/15/2025:  15:27:07

Just seen on the news over here that tornadoes are ripping across parts of the states, just hoping you fellows are keeping safe over there, looks pretty scary

Flat_the_3rd_n7th - Posted - 03/15/2025:  16:39:00

Thanks for the concern and check-in!



Can't speak for the whole region affected, but NW Arkansas and SW Missouri Ozarks got a lot of wind and blown-in dust from out west. News says east got several tornadoes. Perhaps Mountain View, Arkansas area where they are holding the folk festival.



In my opinion, nothing out of the standard March weather pattern:  very windy, then snows that blanket forlorn daffodils--a prelude to April and May severe storms--our spring is very violent. More so than Vivaldi composed in Four Seasons Concerto No. 1.



What is your March like?

Edited by - Flat_the_3rd_n7th on 03/15/2025 16:39:58

MikeVB - Posted - 03/15/2025:  16:44:32

quote:

---

Originally posted by Flat_the_3rd_n7th

Thanks for the concern and check-in!



Can't speak for the whole region affected, but NW Arkansas and SW Missouri Ozarks got a lot of wind and blown-in dust from out west. News says east got several tornadoes. Perhaps Mountain View, Arkansas area where they are holding the folk festival.



In my opinion, nothing out of the standard March weather pattern:  very windy, then snows that blanket forlorn daffodils--a prelude to April and May severe storms--our spring is very violent. More so than Vivaldi composed in Four Seasons Concerto No. 1.



What is your March like?

---

This is worse than our standard March weather.  This is a bad, bad, bad storm system that is having severe impacts on people across multiple southern states and will last until midday tomorrow (Sunday) at least.

Twenty-six people have died so far from this storm.  This is just horrible.  

theguardian.com/us-news/2025/m...742057594

Edited by - MikeVB on 03/15/2025 16:54:19

ChickenMan - Posted - 03/15/2025:  18:36:53

Yeah, you all in the South got it pretty bad, and don't usually get that sort of thing, right?



In Iowa, basically center of the country for those across the ocean, we get tornadoes often enough. This latest batch missed but we had high winds with thunderstorms and the winds have lingered.





I hope those affected recover quickly.

Edited by - ChickenMan on 03/15/2025 18:37:26

farmerjones - Posted - 03/15/2025:  19:00:05

I lost one greenhouse, and panels off of another. Steel barrels blown over.

Years passed we had a chicken coop blow over the top of a two story steel building. One either has to overbuild stuff, or build stuff that's easy to replace.

I suppose there's a reason why I'm surrounded by 300 wind turbines.

Edited by - farmerjones on 03/15/2025 19:01:42

MikeVB - Posted - 03/16/2025:  05:08:27

quote:

---

Originally posted by ChickenMan

Yeah, you all in the South got it pretty bad, and don't usually get that sort of thing, right?



In Iowa, basically center of the country for those across the ocean, we get tornadoes often enough. This latest batch missed but we had high winds with thunderstorms and the winds have lingered.





I hope those affected recover quickly.

---

We've been getting more outbreaks and more severe tornadoes the last 25 years or so.  I read an article recently that said the traditional tornado alley has migrated east and south over the last few decades.

Update:  At least 34 people dead from this storm system.  Over 40 tornadoes in 8 states.

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 03/16/2025:  05:27:59

I agree the tornado alley pathway has changed considerably. Kentucky never used to be a target of many tornadoes...in recent years there have been a ton of very violent tornadoes across this state. Same with violent flash flooding that destroys everything and kills. We've always been prone to flooding, but now it takes down hillsides and structures and really devastates communities. Weather patterns, jet streams and such are off course and all that drill baby drill stuff ain't gonna help. It's well beyond time to try to work with nature instead of against it.

Edited by - groundhogpeggy on 03/16/2025 05:29:05

bacfire - Posted - 03/16/2025:  19:34:11

There has definitely been a change over the last couple decades. Until 2012, the only tornado I'd actually seen was when I was in the army at Ft Sill, OK, in 1985. Then I had a near miss in south MS in 2012, a direct hit in 2017 (an EF-3 disassembled a firehouse from around me), another in 2021 (hid under an overpass as an EF-4 rocked my world), then yesterday watched two pass my house within 30 minutes, the first one killing a neighbor a couple miles away.

You midwestern folks can take these things back. We've already got our hurricanes to deal with!

Erockin - Posted - 03/17/2025:  04:01:43

We had a warning here in PA all day and night. Just a bad storm in the end but still...

Flat_the_3rd_n7th - Posted - 05/17/2025:  14:58:52

Boy, Missouri and Kentucky really gets walloped with violent weather. I suppose it's north and east enough to provide fuel to severe storms, but without an ocean close-by to moderate it.

Yesterday morn we experienced that system with just some inconvenient sprinkles that delayed fence repair.

Several KY places we've visited and treasured are destroyed. Hope everyone is OK.

TuneWeaver - Posted - 05/17/2025:  15:14:55

A tornado hit Bloomington last evening.. took out a post office and two Habitat for Humanity storage buildings. Nobody hurt.  It was two miles from my  home..It is just a little unnerving..!!

Edited by - TuneWeaver on 05/17/2025 15:16:54

Brendan Doyle - Posted - 05/18/2025:  01:52:14

quote:

---

Originally posted by TuneWeaver

A tornado hit Bloomington last evening.. took out a post office and two Habitat for Humanity storage buildings. Nobody hurt.  It was two miles from my  home..It is just a little unnerving..!!

---

Yikes, I have quite a few good friends around Bloomington, and I was wondering if they were in any danger from the forecast weather in that region! Glad you, and everybody else I know, is safe!

DougD - Posted - 05/18/2025:  05:22:53

Here are some photos from the Courier-Journal of some of the destruction: courier-journal.com/picture-ga...52861007/

And here's some drone footage from London early Saturday morning:
m.youtube.com/watch?v=UHUV3xDlnwo
The devastation is incredible - its amazing that anyone survived this.

BTW - This area is very close to the ancestral homeland of our member Groundhogpeggy. I hope her family and friends are safe.

farmerjones - Posted - 05/18/2025:  05:30:50

Stupid 'nados.
Glad you're OK Lee!

My local TV station has a doplar radar page online. I've always got that in my pocket. That, and a tuner app. I guess these dumb phones do have a use, but you didn't hear it from me.

ChickenMan - Posted - 05/18/2025:  18:23:02

quote:

---

Originally posted by TuneWeaver

A tornado hit Bloomington last evening.. took out a post office and two Habitat for Humanity storage buildings. Nobody hurt.  It was two miles from my  home..It is just a little unnerving..!!

---

Merle told me about the weather and said he checked in with you. Glad it missed you!

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 05/18/2025:  19:11:42

Way too close to our old stompin' ground for comfort. So far everybody we' ve heard from is not affected...just a few miles up the road is where this horrible damage is.



Hope all the FHO friends are ok. Wish all this violent and crazy spring weather would just stop!

Edited by - groundhogpeggy on 05/18/2025 19:12:03

DougD - Posted - 05/19/2025:  06:34:01

It would be nice, but I don't think this spring weather is about to stop. Strong storms are forecast for this area again tomorrow night. Glad to hear those you know in the area are safe. Tornadoes are strange - so destructive, but so localized.

tonyelder - Posted - 05/19/2025:  07:06:20

We had about 20 minutes of sirens last night and emergency alerts on the phone. We got a ton of water lots of wind, but it doesn't look like we got any damage. No tornados confirmed, but lots of trees, power lines down, and roof damage in other places a few miles south of us. 70 MPH winds reported, and a reported tornado near Hernando - not confirmed.

wrench13 - Posted - 05/19/2025:  11:17:46

Too bad about administration's budget proposal includes a 27% cut to NOAA.

Flat_the_3rd_n7th - Posted - 05/19/2025:  12:44:11

quote:

---

Originally posted by wrench13

Too bad about administration's budget proposal includes a 27% cut to NOAA.

---

Well, not getting political, but NOAA can't change adverse weather, and I think most people know these days when bad conditions are coming, NOAA, or not.

I'm not degreed in meteorology, but as a retired .mil pilot, I've been trained to predict it's behavior, flown in it, been amazed by it, and terrified by it--over most of the populated world.

I can say that my 3-day NWS forecast for decades has been around 30% correct for precip, 50% for temps.  Actually, they tend to change their forecast as things happen, making it merely an observation.  Heck, my dogs can do that.  Since I've lived here awhile, and depend on weather to make a little money, and thanks to internet radar returns/upper air balloon readings, I--as a bumpkin, can predict what's going to happen before someone hunkered in Norman, OK can.  You know:  it's May.  Sky gets dark--get in the tub with a mattress.  And a martini, if able.

Edited by - Flat_the_3rd_n7th on 05/19/2025 12:45:50

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 05/19/2025:  18:07:56

...FEMA seems to be on the chopping block too... not good, considering the climate has changed and regularly causes widespread destruction, damage, and danger to life.

Flat_the_3rd_n7th - Posted - 05/19/2025:  18:17:17

quote:

---

Originally posted by groundhogpeggy

...FEMA seems to be on the chopping block too... not good, considering the climate has changed and regularly causes widespread destruction, damage, and danger to life.

---

Peggy,

The push is to send FEMA aid down to the state level where it will get there faster and more efficiently.  NC is still waiting for $$ to filter through the federal red tape.

Wouldn't you rather deal with the state of KY for aid rather than some bots in DC that don't even know where KY is?

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 05/20/2025:  04:25:38

Well, there's this to consider... councilonstrategicrisks.org/20...security/

tonyelder - Posted - 05/20/2025:  07:44:34

We are certainly getting close, if we haven't already crossed boundaries here. But as long as we are here...



There is no department of government that is indispensable if it doesn't serve a purpose. If it was created to fix a problem and can't / won't fix the problem then there is no reason to continue funding it. If something else can do the job better, then the funding should go there.



Why does an agency fail in its mission? I can only think of 2 reasons - (1) unskilled, unqualified, or corrupt management, (2) or an unreasonable goal / expectations were too high. Either of which means money is being thrown away that could be used somewhere else.



Florida has proven to me that state level emergency responses are much more effective that federal assistance (for most emergencies). The federal response to floods in the Carolinas, the train wreck in Ohio, the wild fires in California is evidence to me that the federal government has not provided the kind of support that is need when it is needed. That federal money would be better spent on things that do work - for the benefit of those in need.



Federal agencies should only be involved with issues that affect the nation as a whole - across multiple states. The things that one state can't provide to another.



And the same, just because a bureaucracy loses some of its funding doesn't mean it can't complete its mission. If it does mean that, then perhaps its not needed at all. Sometimes it only means cutting waste on programs that aren't needed or necessary to the mission. The savings means there might be more money available to fund other programs that are struggling.



Goodness... how much more debt can be handle folks? 37 trillion dollars. Think about that - seriously. 37 trillion is 37,000 billion; or 370 million million. We are at the point where our largest payment in our federal budget will be going to pay just the interest on the debt we owe. Right now - it is larger han the defense budget. Everyone hollers and SCREAMS about cuts to that - but interest payments do not give us any benefits - at all. THAT IS CRAZY. What happens next? You think losing FEMA and NOAA is bad? Shall we wait until the interest DEMANDS that we close them down - along with everything else. The house of cards is going to come crashing down - for real. What are we doing ...to our kids, kids, kids, kids. We are that generation - we did it - and we are continuing to make it worse - 20 million new folks getting federal benefits (housing, welfare, health care, and in some cases cell phones). Those are coming out of tax revenues that are only making that problem worse. I sometimes think there are folks who are saying "let's see what happens." When all that happens, global warming won't be an issue any more. Pollution won't be a problem any more. Illegal immigration won't be a problem any more. DEI, transgender, the orange man won't be a problem anymore.



Can you grow a garden? Build a wall?  

Edited by - tonyelder on 05/20/2025 08:04:44

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 05/20/2025:  09:19:34

Well, though, there's this to consider: newsweek.com/kentucky-nws-staf...s-2073733 and... kentucky.com/news/politics-gov...5301.html

Then, of course, stuff like this to consider: kypolicy.org/kentucky-medicaid...st-shift/

I'd say most Kentuckians do grow gardens...building a wall????

tonyelder - Posted - 05/20/2025:  14:48:03

quote:

---

Originally posted by groundhogpeggy

Well, though, there's this to consider: newsweek.com/kentucky-nws-staf...s-2073733 and... kentucky.com/news/politics-gov...5301.html



Then, of course, stuff like this to consider: kypolicy.org/kentucky-medicaid...st-shift/



I'd say most Kentuckians do grow gardens...building a wall????

---

...when you are the only one growing food....     

...and perspective balance to one sided reporting: 

• 
  
  
  
  • Local vs. National Meteorologists: While the National Weather Service (NWS) and NOAA provide nationwide weather data, forecasts, and severe weather alerts, local meteorologists use the same computer-generated models to analyze and interpret weather for their specific areas.
  
  
  • Impact of Budget Cuts: Staffing reductions at NWS and NOAA have led to concerns about forecasting efficiency and emergency preparedness. However, the core weather data remains widely accessible, meaning local meteorologists can still provide forecasts without direct dependence on national analysts.
  
  
  • Role of Human Experts: Fewer staff at NWS and NOAA doesn’t compromise the accuracy of automated forecasts. Instead, it affects collaboration, validation, and confidence in decision-making. Local meteorologists still provide needed services using available data.
  
  
  • Public Misconceptions: The discussion around these budget cuts sometimes misinterprets their impact. The weather forecasting system still functions, but with fewer voices contributing to validation and communication—not a total loss of forecasting ability.
  
  
  • Accountability for Weather Alerts: Some have claimed that staff cuts at NOAA and NWS contributed to recent fatalities in Kentucky. However, warnings were issued, and the reduction in analysts didn’t prevent local meteorologists from informing the public.
  
  
  
  
  

  In short, while national agencies provide foundational data, local meteorologists have the same access and can still serve their communities effectively. What’s lost with staffing cuts is not forecasting ability but rather additional expert voices that  add to the level of confidence in severe weather predictions.
  
   

  
  

Edited by - tonyelder on 05/20/2025 15:38:59

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 05/20/2025:  14:57:49

I don't understand...who is the only one growing food???? What do you mean, Tony?

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 05/20/2025:  15:01:38

Do you mean build a wall because hungry people will come to steal your food??? Lol...maybe not...maybe I don't understand what you're saying. Actually, if you were the absolute ONLY one with food and everybody else left hungry, the National Guard would probably confiscate it to distribute it to everybody else in your area...most likely. But I'm not sure what you're saying, so i'm probably way off base with my understanding of where the conversation is going. Do we want to live in a country where people are hiding food and others are grappling about to try to get their hands on food?

tonyelder - Posted - 05/20/2025:  15:47:04

quote:

---

Originally posted by groundhogpeggy

Do you mean build a wall because hungry people will come to steal your food??? Lol...maybe not...maybe I don't understand what you're saying. Actually, if you were the absolute ONLY one with food and everybody else left hungry, the National Guard would probably confiscate it to distribute it to everybody else in your area...most likely. But I'm not sure what you're saying, so i'm probably way off base with my understanding of where the conversation is going. Do we want to live in a country where people are hiding food and others are grappling about to try to get their hands on food?

---

...are you suggesting that we are "advanced enough" as a society. that we would never have to face a situation like that?  In that situation -  there wouldn't be a National Guard if the Federal Government is unable to pay its bills. Whose National Guard are you talking about?

I'm through with this conversation Peggy. I think too much of you to continue.

tonyelder - Posted - 05/20/2025:  15:48:52

mistake - duplicate / couldn't delete

Edited by - tonyelder on 05/20/2025 15:50:32

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 05/20/2025:  15:55:11

I'm sorry...I don't understand what you mean, Tony. I don't know if you are suggesting we could all be subsistence farmers and build walls to protect ourselves, thus no need for all of our tax dollars to be used to help our countrymen and assist our efforts to live in a mutually benefited society...sort of a stateless anarchy...every man for himself...like that would be preferable than a society where we work together to share in our country's resources, talents, skills and wealth, as imperfect as it might be. Sorry if I'm misunderstanding...no FEMA because we can just build our wall and grow all of our own food and live in a cave if it all gets blown to smithereens from violent weather that we get no warning from? I don't get your meaning.

gapbob - Posted - 05/20/2025:  20:48:48

I have not looked at it closely, but seem to recall that the methods of gathering data for forecasting (weather ballons, etc.) have been reduced by budget cuts, which would reduce the overall technical data provided to the interpreters of the weather forecasting, there aren't "automated" systems that run without human participation somewhere.

Edited by - gapbob on 05/20/2025 20:49:12

tonyelder - Posted - 05/20/2025:  21:06:15

quote:

---

Originally posted by groundhogpeggy

I'm sorry...I don't understand what you mean, Tony. I don't know if you are suggesting we could all be subsistence farmers and build walls to protect ourselves, thus no need for all of our tax dollars to be used to help our countrymen and assist our efforts to live in a mutually benefited society...sort of a stateless anarchy...every man for himself...like that would be preferable than a society where we work together to share in our country's resources, talents, skills and wealth, as imperfect as it might be. Sorry if I'm misunderstanding...no FEMA because we can just build our wall and grow all of our own food and live in a cave if it all gets blown to smithereens from violent weather that we get no warning from? I don't get your meaning.

---

OK. Your question deserves a response. I appreciate the moderators patience and hope I'm not pushing too far. BUT... before I respond - understand PLEASE - I'm not attacking you or anyone. I'm trying to add perspective that I think we need to have - instead of looking for any reason to blame our sworn enemies for everything that happens in life. 

I was offering a hyperbole to illustrate that if we allow our national debt to continue to increase unchecked (as we seem to be doing) we will gradually end up in a situation where more and more of our federal budget will be required to pay the interest on our debt - and in doing so - there will be less and less funds available to pay for ANY government services - "and then there was none". If that were to happen anarchy will have taken the place of our "civil society". Our money would not be worth any thing and anything it was worth would then belong to the "lender". No money - not employers or employees. What we "own" or what we cn do would be the only thing of value to barter with in exchange for what we need. The strong (not the rich) would take what they want form the weak. Food and fresh water would become the most valuable commodity. And if you have either - you will be the target for those that want it. What will you do to protect yourself and keep what you need for your family and friends?  Gardening and walls were the imagery I used to make the point. 

tonyelder - Posted - 05/20/2025:  21:44:48

quote:

---

Originally posted by gapbob

I have not looked at it closely, but seem to recall that the methods of gathering data for forecasting (weather ballons, etc.) have been reduced by budget cuts, which would reduce the overall technical data provided to the interpreters of the weather forecasting, there aren't "automated" systems that run without human participation somewhere.

---

not true. There are no plans (reported) for retiring or decommissioning any existing operational satellites or ground equipment or instruments used to provide data to computers that are designed to compile and analyze data for predicting weather patterns based on historical data. AI is being incorporated to enhance the predictive accuracy.  The data is available to all federal, state, and local agencies to act on. 



The budget cuts (from all that I have read) has more to do with staff personnel at the federal level (NOAA & NWS). If those staff members are analyst, there is no real compromise in the ability to predict or report sever weather events. The computer model and all of the data is available to all federal, state, and local agencies over the same network to analyze and act on. Weather reports, tracking, alerts, and responses within local areas are conducted locally - not nationally. 



IMO - the only compromise is that the staff cut will reduce collaboration and the added level of confidence gained as a result of that collaboration when state, local, and federal meteorologist are watching the models and analyzing the predictions. Can they do their job without the federal analyst? 

I should stop now.

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 05/21/2025:  04:51:35

As to weather...the link I provided somewhere above explains that NOAA firings resulted in Kentucky residents not being alerted to the tornado in Laurel Co. Not that prediction helps decrease the damage, but it could save lives if people had advance notice. That plus climate change (yes, my area gets very weird weather now and nothing follows the typical seasonal patterns anymore, so just my edible lawn type gardening, which is all I can do where we live, has struggles that weren't there just a few years back), and doing away with FEMA all at the same time, could result in further severe weather events that destroy communities entirely and forever. Of course FEMA isn't perfect, but it's helpful and busting it apart might create a lot more expensive and unresolvable issues than just trying to isolate the processes that interfere with its efficiency. Something is better than nothing. Something can be improved upon...nothing can't improve.

As to the cataclysmic fall of society...well hopefully our government can stand and not allow us to divide into squabbling tribes attempting to just survive one day after the other. Have a look at the bills going through Congress and think about stuff like that before we vote...that's the best we can do at this point. Read the Congressional Record and read what's in the bills for yourself and don't go by what somebody famous says about it on tv. It's all online. They even show videos of Congress on their site these days.

Personally, if society fell and we were left tribal with our weapons, always on guard and killing and struggling to try to come up with enough food...I would be the first person that I'd shoot with my weapon...lol. Seriously...I do not want to live in that world and engrossment on that scenario instead of attempting to understand what is going on in our self-governing democracy causes more harm than good, in my view.

tonyelder - Posted - 05/21/2025:  07:10:49

quote:

---

Originally posted by groundhogpeggy

As to weather...the link I provided somewhere above explains that NOAA firings resulted in Kentucky residents not being alerted to the tornado in Laurel Co. Not that prediction helps decrease the damage, but it could save lives if people had advance notice. That plus climate change (yes, my area gets very weird weather now and nothing follows the typical seasonal patterns anymore, so just my edible lawn type gardening, which is all I can do where we live, has struggles that weren't there just a few years back), and doing away with FEMA all at the same time, could result in further severe weather events that destroy communities entirely and forever. Of course FEMA isn't perfect, but it's helpful and busting it apart might create a lot more expensive and unresolvable issues than just trying to isolate the processes that interfere with its efficiency. Something is better than nothing. Something can be improved upon...nothing can't improve.



As to the cataclysmic fall of society...well hopefully our government can stand and not allow us to divide into squabbling tribes attempting to just survive one day after the other. Have a look at the bills going through Congress and think about stuff like that before we vote...that's the best we can do at this point. Read the Congressional Record and read what's in the bills for yourself and don't go by what somebody famous says about it on tv. It's all online. They even show videos of Congress on their site these days.



Personally, if society fell and we were left tribal with our weapons, always on guard and killing and struggling to try to come up with enough food...I would be the first person that I'd shoot with my weapon...lol. Seriously...I do not want to live in that world and engrossment on that scenario instead of attempting to understand what is going on in our self-governing democracy causes more harm than good, in my view.

---

I have already responded to every point you have raised. So, I'm going to turn my focus now to something we share in common: I love to play my fiddle.

I worked on "Jenny Ran Away Iin the Mud in the Night" - yesterday. Great tune. I'm playing the version that Eyrnn Marshall recorded. Do you play that?



 

Edited by - tonyelder on 05/21/2025 07:16:38

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 05/21/2025:  07:43:52

I don't think I've played that one. Too many tunes...too little time, of course. Enjoy the fiddling, Tony...and have a happy day!

gapbob - Posted - 05/21/2025:  08:55:26

wcnc.com/article/news/connect-...360b0e60c

tonyelder - Posted - 05/21/2025:  09:23:15

quote:

---

Originally posted by gapbob

wcnc.com/article/news/connect-...360b0e60c

---

I stand corrected. Thank you Bob. Good information.  

ChickenMan - Posted - 05/21/2025:  11:41:37

Tony, I don't think there are moderators here anymore. If there were, the conversation would have been steered back to fiddling sooner 

"Anarchy would be a death sentence for most. And water will likely be the new money soon."

 - Helen A. Handbasket

Mobob - Posted - 05/21/2025:  12:25:05

Oh that Helen, she plays a mean fiddle!

tonyelder - Posted - 05/21/2025:  12:57:09

quote:

---

Originally posted by ChickenMan

Tony, I don't think there are moderators here anymore. If there were, the conversation would have been steered back to fiddling sooner 

 

 

"Anarchy would be a death sentence for most. And water will likely be the new money soon."

 - Helen A. Handbasket

---

I'm "trying" to self moderate.  ...instead of "trying" everyone's patience here. 

Edited by - tonyelder on 05/21/2025 12:59:01

ChickenMan - Posted - 05/21/2025:  13:56:59

quote:

---

Originally posted by tonyelder

quote:

---

I'm "trying" to self moderate.  ...instead of "trying" everyone's patience here. 

---

You're doing a fine and dandy job! 

DougD - Posted - 05/21/2025:  14:22:19

Billy -There still must be moderators of some sort, because when i report obvious spam, it gets removed. I considered reporting a few of the early rule breaking posts earlier in this thread, but decided it just wasn't worth the trouble.

gapbob - Posted - 05/22/2025:  04:24:22

A friend posted this on facebook:

Watching KSDK last night and following the storms. Meteorologist Scott Connell apologetically said “we’re just not getting enough information from the National Weather Service because they’re understaffed.”

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 05/22/2025:  06:04:44

Exactly...that's what I've linked to about Kentucky deaths...might have been avoided if there was enough staffing in nearby Jackson Ky to warn of the severity of weather heading toward them. It gets frustrating when you supply links from credible sources and people dismiss and "fake."

ChickenMan - Posted - 05/22/2025:  07:48:48

quote:

---

Originally posted by DougD

Billy -There still must be moderators of some sort, because when i report obvious spam, it gets removed. I considered reporting a few of the early rule breaking posts earlier in this thread, but decided it just wasn't worth the trouble.

---

I suspect that spam process is automated to a degree, but I could be wrong. If there is a moderator who isn't Eric, I'd love to see them post something just to show they exist, but I'm not holding my breath.

tonyelder - Posted - 05/22/2025:  07:58:28

quote:

---

Originally posted by groundhogpeggy

Exactly...that's what I've linked to about Kentucky deaths...might have been avoided if there was enough staffing in nearby Jackson Ky to warn of the severity of weather heading toward them. It gets frustrating when you supply links from credible sources and people dismiss and "fake."

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hint...  nothing I said suggested the articles you offered were fake. What I did suggest is that the reporting is one sided and that some were using them to prove that the "current" administration actions were thoughtless, cruel, and responsible for deaths. There wasn't any perspective being offered on how and why those decisions were made, and the true impact they had. There is another side  - and yes, I could have offer a rebuttal to what Bob said as well. I didn't because nothing I say here is going to change minds that are entrenched in an anti-Trump world. AND this isn't an appropriate place for this discussion.



I do have criticisms of how the RIF was conducted and how management at NOAA may be failing to adapt.  

The current administration set the overall number of staff reductions under the RIF, but NOAA had the discretion to decide which personnel were impacted. As a result, the agency made internal decisions on staffing priorities, and that is what ultimately led to the reduction in balloon launches.  Note: the administration did not require the NOAA to reduce the number of balloon launches or where they would be reduced / eliminated. That was a NOAA decision.

This highlights an important nuance—while federal directives influenced the scale of the cuts, NOAA’s operational choices determined how the reductions affected specific forecasting capabilities. Balloon flights were one of the areas impacted, but NOAA likely weighed different factors, such as maintaining radar operations, satellite data analysis, and other forecasting methods.

So, NOAA had the flexibility to allocate resources differently, which means alternative staffing decisions could have led to different impacts.

For example, instead of cutting weather balloon launches, they could have reduced personnel in another division or adjusted workflows to maintain balloon operations. However, they likely prioritized other forecasting tools—like radar and satellite monitoring—over balloon data, believing those systems had a broader impact.

Ultimately, while the overall RIF numbers were dictated at the federal level, NOAA had some discretion in how it adapted.

Edited by - tonyelder on 05/22/2025 08:02:11

DougD - Posted - 05/22/2025:  07:58:30

Billy, if you're really curious, under "Forums" the four Moderators are listed. You can easily go to their pages and quickly see when they last visited the forum. One was earlier this month, one a year ago, and the other two many years ago.