Beware of Politicians That Forecast Hurricanes

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I walked through our bedroom a couple of times in the last thirty minutes doing Sunday chores while Kathleen had the news on. In that short time interval, I heard two politicians make two erroneous statements regarding Isaac.

  1. The governor of Florida predicted landfall would occur in the Florida Panhandle. He presented that as fact. While landfall in the Panhandle is possible, it looks less likely (see my postings below). 
  2. Worse, former Mississippi governor Haley Barbour was attempting to reassure his audience that Issac "isn't Katrina." Well, when Katrina was nearest the location of Isaac Katrina was only a tropical storm! The proof is below:
I'm not saying that Isaac will be "another Katrina." That remains to be seen.

Politicians can play a useful role in marshaling governmental resources and ordering evacuations. But, that is not weather forecasting. 

I propose a deal to Mr. Barbour: You run campaigns. Let meteorologists forecast the weather. 

Comments

  1. UnknownAugust 26, 2012 at 11:58 AM

    For what you said on #1 up there, i saw that. I just find it funny that they were about to start talkin' with a weather guy on that update by the NOAA and they cut him off, and went to that press conference. Baffled the heck outta me and i'm over here in Texas. What he said was abit of a contradiction of what I had just heard on the Weather Channel. I do hope that sorta thing doesn't keep happenin' :/

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