Some Thoughts to Start the Week

Here are some thoughts to start the week....

Netflix Joplin Documentary. We don't have NETFLIX and I have not had a chance to see the documentary on the Joplin Tornado. Based on descriptions provided by friends, there appears to be at least one major error of fact in the program, so don't believe everything you watch. If you want to read what really happened -- and what went so horribly wrong -- I wrote a book on that horrible storm. 

The paper copies of the book sold out very quickly. We decided to price the ebook very inexpensively so many could read it. You will find the When the Sirens Were Silent here and the Amazon Cloud Reader (free, top of page) so you can read it in the same page layout as if you were reading the paper book. The cost is just $2.99.

When/if I watch the documentary, I will write a review. 

National Disaster Review Board. Of the comments on the piece at Roger's blog, I was surprised by the number of people who didn't understand what the NTSB does or how it does its work. This is important because the format of reports by the proposed disaster review board will be very similar. Last week, the NTSB issued its preliminary report pertaining to the collapse of the Key Bridge in Baltimore. Please take a quick look at it and it will give you a rough idea of how the output of the DRB will appear. 

"Malicious Compliance." A number of people have taken issue with my characterization of the NWS's decision to stop or reduce the number of daily weather balloon launches at a number of its offices. One asked me to provide how I came to that conclusion. Here's my evidence:

• I have several sources all of whom indicate this is the case. 
• I have specifically asked the question, "Have all of these offices lost people (not "positions") in the last 45 days?" I have been told by one of my sources, "no, most of them have the same number of people they had in January." If so, why could they launch balloons then and not now? If labor capacity is indeed an issue, why aren't they asking for automated balloon launchers which they have successfully tested in Alaska, a tougher climate than most of the Lower 48?
• OAK (Oakland CA NWS) is still launching normally even though they have half of their normal staff for reasons other than DOGE.
• NWS offices are "right staffed" during adverse weather and overstaffed when the weather is fair. Every office has a meteorologist-in-charge, science operations officer, warning coordination meteorologist, and at least one hydrologist -- none of whom routinely work shifts. If there is a shortage of shift meteorologists, they can assist. There's no reason at all they cannot launch 2 balloons/day when the weather is fair (I'm told it takes 45 minutes per launch), if they are down a few positions.
• Finally, look how they are handling this. They are dribbling out the bad news announcements one at a time so as to keep the level of manufactured outrage high. 

AccuWeather and NWS Privatization. I retired from AccuWeather (AW) seven years ago this month, so I cannot speak for AW's recent thoughts might be on this topic, but -- while I was there -- they have never been in favor of privatization. Before anyone says, "but, but, the Santorum Bill!" 🙄 the bill in no way "privatized" the NWS. It simply made into law the then-existing policy, approved by the Department of Commerce, regarding the NWS's duties. It further focused the NWS on severe and extreme weather and got them out of the corporate welfare business of providing specialized services to individual businesses and industries.