A stellar review!

By -
I love working for the nation's leading expert on extreme weather and one exciting thing I got to do recently was to tag along with Mike while storm chasing last Friday the 13th. (Jealous?) Mike is one of the early storm chasers along with being one of the creators of the modern storm warning system. If you can't be there in person, you can read Mike's book WARNINGS The True Story of How Science Tamed the Weather (Greenleaf 2010)

 Mary A. Safer offered the following review.   Click here to read the entire review.One of the finest weather books I've read in quite a while!, April 16, 2012
By 
Mary A. Shafer "Author • Speaker • Educator" (Bucks County, Pennsylvania USA)


I got this book as an Easter gift and immediately began devouring it. I was instantly sorry I hadn't bought it sooner...

I'm a very busy person with little time to read, but I MADE time as I got into Warnings, and buzzed through it in four days of brief reading periods. Not only is this book about a really cool subject -- our modern-day severe storm warning system and how it almost didn't happen -- but it's written very engagingly with nary a slow spot in the entire book. As an author myself, I know how truly difficult it is to keep up such a pace without losing steam, but Mike Smith does a bang-up job all the way through...


Mary goes on to say that she would love to read an update of the record storms from last year and she is not alone.


I'd love to read an updated edition that includes reference to last spring's horrific tornado outbreak, and indeed to the one we just experienced last weekend. The science of severe weather forecasting and the related warning system continues to evolve, and I look forward to evolving coverage of it, especially if it's as engagingly presented as the material in Warnings!




The biggest news of 2011 wasn't the economy, health care, gas prices or politics. The biggest news was the weather.

  • Record tornadoes through out the United States.
  • Deadliest tornado season in over 50 years.
  • Record Floods in the Northeast.
  • Billions of dollars of lost revenue due to drought and wildfires in the Southwest.
  • Unprecedented flood levels in the Midwest along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers

For those of you like Mary who would like to read more, your wait is almost over. Mike's new book When the Sirens Were Silent (Mennonite Press 2012) is coming out May 1, 2012. Mike weaves his passion for weather along with his superb talent for storytelling into what really happened last year in the Joplin tornado that claimed 161 lives. Mike has included information to protect your home, school and workplace inside the book so that this tragic event never happens again.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The East Coast Severe Weather Threat is Over

By -
Image
Midnight: The East Coast Threat for Tornadoes and Severe  Thunderstorms Has Ended 3:50pm. Tornado watch for the Middle Atlantic Region. 2:30pm Tornadoes are also forecast in the South. 2:20pm. A couple of tornadoes, hail and wind gusts to 65 mph are possible with these storms. This includes NYC and Philadelphia.  1:05pm. The tornado risk has been extended northward into New York. The brown area has a significant risk of tornadoes. Remember: if a tornado warning is issued, go to your basement and get under heavy furniture like a pool table. Of, if your basement is finished, get into the bathroom. Go ahead an put a couple of water bottles and, if appropriate, diapers in your shelter area. Wear shoes.  If you don't have a basement or safe room, go to the lowest floor and get into a bath or closet in the middle of your home. Children should be put in the bathtub.  I'll update later today. 
Read more

Today's Tornado and Severe Thunderstorm Outlook - 9:30pm

By -
Image
After 65 mph winds went through Wichita, we have been without power for 35 minutes. So, I am going to have to end coverage for the night (using backup systems to write this). Scroll down for the forecast of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms for Sunday and Sunday night.  Please read down for the latest forecasts regarding this dangerous tornado and damaging wind situation! 5:40pm, a new "regular" tornado watch has been issued for north central Kansas.  Note that wind gusts to 80 mph are likely in this storm in addition to tornadoes and giant hail. Please make sure friends and relatives in the area are aware of the danger in the area outlined in red below plus the red area outlined at 2:50pm  In addition to "several strong tornadoes," hail to 4.8" in diameter is forecast along with wind gusts to 80 mph. Now is the time for persons living in mobile homes, manufactured homes and those with mobility issues should be making plans!!  Do not wait until a tornado warn
Read more

Updated Freezing Rain and Heavy Rain Forecast

By -
Image
Note: An Updated Forecast is Available HERE Freezing Rain The National Weather Service has now issued winter weather advisories, two warnings and a watch. It may be a bit too large but, when it comes to freezing rain and slick roads, caution is usually the better course of action.  Here's a color code: Deep purple is an ice storm warning; serious condition where power outages are possible. Pink is a winter storm warning for significant icing. Deep green is a winter storm watch. I don't know why this is still a watch. If I were on the forecast desk I would have a winter storm warning for icing.  Dark blue is a winter weather advisory, a lesser condition, for icing.  Here is a view of the entire watch/warning/advisory area. The small area of green in Illinois is for flooding and, in Nebraska, for snow.  Here is a forecast of freezing rain amounts; totals to 6am Tuesday.  Color codes: Yellow is 0.25 to 0.50 inches. Power outages may occur in this areas. Deep blue is 0.1 to .25 inc
Read more