Anti-Government Militia Targets Weather Radars: What To Know
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
An "anti-government militia" called Veterans on Patrol has declared that it is targeting weather radar installations in Oklahoma.
In an interview with News 9 on Tuesday, Michael Lewis Arthur Meyer, the founder of VOP, which the Southern Poverty Law Center describes as an anti-government militia, confirmed the group's intentions. When asked whether they were targeting the radars, Meyer replied, "Absolutely."
Newsweek contacted the SPLC and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for comment on Friday via an online form and email, respectively, outside usual working hours.
Why It Matters
Following widespread floods that have devastated Texas in the past week, a number of conspiracy theories have swirled online around cloud seeding and weather manipulation.
Founded in 2015, Veterans on Patrol initially focused on vigilante activities along the U.S.-Mexico border but has since shifted toward conspiracy-driven campaigns, including those involving weather manipulation. The group's rhetoric has grown more extreme in recent months, raising concerns among public safety officials.
A radar during the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's media day about a field campaign to study southeast U.S. tornadoes in Memphis, Tennessee, on February 8, 2023.
A radar during the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's media day about a field campaign to study southeast U.S. tornadoes in Memphis, Tennessee, on February 8, 2023.
Seth Herald/ AFP/ Getty/Getty Images
What To Know
Meyer's recent admission follows the vandalism of News 9's radar system in northeast Oklahoma City. Surveillance footage captured an individual tampering with electrical components, disabling power to the radar, damaging the generator and control panels, and knocking the system offline for several hours on Sunday.
CBS affiliate KWTV reported having footage of a man disabling the power supply to its NextGen Live radar. The station suggested the incident may be connected to rhetoric from VOP.
Police arrested Anthony Tyler Mitchell, 39, in connection with the incident on suspicion of felony malicious injury to property, burglary and damaging critical infrastructure, NBC News reported, citing Oklahoma City Police. Investigators have not confirmed whether he is affiliated with VOP.
NOAA previously warned of escalating threats to the Next Generation Weather Radar network, a nationwide system of more than 160 radars used to monitor severe weather. In Oklahoma, where tornadoes and extreme storms are frequent, damage to these systems could have deadly consequences.
VOP has said weather radars are being used for sinister purposes. Meyer alleged that the radars, along with other technologies embedded in homes, were part of a larger weather control and individual targeting program. The group said it had placed warning signs near radar sites in protest.
Though NOAA has debunked various weather modification claims, lawmakers in several states have moved to ban weather modification.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, announced on July 5 that she was introducing a bill to tackle the "dangerous and deadly practice of weather modification."
She wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that she was creating legislation to make "the injection, release, or dispersion of chemicals or substances into the atmosphere for the express purpose of altering weather, temperature, climate, or sunlight intensity" a felony.
Newsweek contacted Greene for comment via email on Friday.
What People Are Saying
News 9's Chief Meteorologist David Payne refuted Meyer's claims, saying: "We have one of the most powerful live radars in Oklahoma, and one of the most powerful live radars in the country, but we cannot do any weather modification at all."
He added that if the equipment is sabotaged, "we cannot track severe weather. We cannot track tornadoes, and it basically becomes instantly obsolete."
The Oklahoma Department of Public Services told News 9: "Fusion centers play a crucial role in monitoring and mitigating threats to critical infrastructure by serving as focal points for information sharing and analysis. OCTIC (Oklahoma Counter Terrorism Intelligence Center) actively monitors all threats to critical infrastructure in Oklahoma. If you see suspicious activity near critical infrastructures, it's important to report it via the free ProtectOk app. If you witness vandalism taking place, call 911 immediately."
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration told NBC News: "NOAA is aware of recent threats against weather radar sites and is working with local and other authorities in monitoring the situation closely."
What Happens Next
In an interview with NBC News on Thursday, Meyer denied giving any directions to attack weather equipment. However, he suggested that VOP was planning further action and said they were capable of targeting up to 15 radar sites simultaneously across Oklahoma.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
9 hours ago
Steve Miller Band cancels tour, saying extreme weather is a safety concern
Classic rocker Steve Miller has canceled his U.S. tour because he said severe weather including extreme heat and unpredictable flooding poses a danger to his band, its fans and crew. The tour was set to kick off in August and run through early November, with nearly three dozen stops across the U.S. including cities in New York, Tennessee, Florida and California. 'The combination of extreme heat, unpredictable flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes and massive forest fires make these risks for you our audience, the band and the crew unacceptable,' Miller, 81, said in a statement posted on the band's social media accounts Wednesday. 'You can blame it on the weather. ... The tour is cancelled.' The Steve Miller Band, formed in California in the 1960s, has hits including 'The Joker' (1973) and 'Abracadabra' (1982). A band spokesperson declined to provide additional details about the cancellation. Miller's decision comes as a stretch of extreme weather in the U.S. has made headlines. A sweltering heat dome that baked much of the eastern half of the nation in June and deadly flash flooding in Texas are some of the recent rounds of extreme weather. Scientists say climate change is fueling extreme weather, causing storms to unleash more rain and sending temperatures soaring to dangerous heights, making it harder to plan outdoor summer events. The atmosphere can hold higher amounts of moisture as it warms, resulting in storms dumping heavier amounts of rain compared to storms of the past. Music festivals have recently encountered extreme weather, resulting in cancellations or causing concertgoers to become ill. In June, the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee was canceled partway through due to heavy rainfall. Last week, hundreds of people were treated for heat-related illnesses at the Rock the Country music festival in Kentucky, according to local officials. A study published in 2020 reported climate change will increase the likelihood of extreme heat stress during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California. Tropical storms and hurricanes will soon contribute to the turbulent weather as activity peaks between August and October, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Forbes
12 hours ago
- Forbes
Northern Lights Update: These States May See Aurora Borealis Thursday
The northern lights could appear in several states in the northern U.S. on Thursday night, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as the Perseids meteor shower may also appear in the night sky. The possible aurora borealis coincides with the Perseids meteor shower, with hundreds of meteors ... More likely visible in the night sky during its peak. Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images NOAA forecast a Kp index of three on a scale of nine for Thursday night, as the aurora could become 'brighter' and be seen farther from the poles. The agency said the Kp index could reach nearly four early Friday morning, potentially pulling the northern lights farther south, though NOAA expects no geomagnetic storms or significant transient or recurrent solar winds to disrupt the Earth's geomagnetic field. Quieter auroral activity is forecast through the early weekend, with a maximum Kp index of just over two forecast for Friday and Saturday nights, according to NOAA. A higher chance of seeing the northern lights is forecast across northern Canada and Alaska, once the sun sets in the state. A lesser chance is forecast in parts of northern Montana, North Dakota, northern Minnesota, northeastern Washington, northern Idaho, northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. (See map below.) Thursday night's view line. NOAA NOAA recommends traveling to a high, north-facing vantage point away from light pollution sometime between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time. What's The Best Way To Photograph The Northern Lights? Photography experts told National Geographic it's best to use a wide-angle lens, an aperture or F-stop of four or less and a focus set to the furthest possible setting. With a smartphone, NOAA recommends enabling night mode, disabling flash and relying on a tripod to stabilize the image. Key Background Stronger auroral displays are expected through early 2026 after activity on the sun's surface reached a 'solar maximum' late last year, NOAA and NASA said. This peak marks an increase in solar events like solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which are responsible for disrupting Earth's geomagnetic field and creating the northern lights. A 'solar maximum' occurs throughout the sun's 11-year cycle, and the latest peak surpassed projections by NOAA and NASA, which said auroral displays hit a 500-year peak in 2024. What To Watch For Northern lights displays this week coincide with the Perseids meteor shower, which is expected to begin Thursday night. The meteor shower's peak night is forecast between Aug. 12-13, when hundreds of meteors may be visible across the night sky. Further Reading Forbes Two Meteor Showers Begin This Week — How To See Summer's 'Shooting Stars' By Jamie Carter Forbes Northern Lights Displays Hit A 500-Year Peak In 2024—Here's Where You Could Catch Aurora Borealis In 2025 By Ty Roush
CBS News
13 hours ago
- CBS News
Tsunami advisory canceled after 7.3 magnitude earthquake off Alaska
A tsunami advisory for Alaska's southern peninsula has been canceled, after a major earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.3 initially prompted a tsunami warning earlier Wednesday. Videos posted to social media showed people in the town of Seward evacuating to higher ground after receiving a tsunami warning in the afternoon. The alert followed the earthquake that struck about 50 miles south of Sand Point, Alaska, at around 12:38 p.m. local time, according to the National Weather Service. Multiple aftershocks were reported near Sand Point, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The U.S. Coast Guard in Alaska said it was evacuating personnel at its base in Kodiak to higher ground, but later stood down the response after the threat passed. Authorities initially issued a tsunami warning and later downgraded it to an advisory, which warns people to stay out of the water and away from beaches and waterways. Dave Snider, a tsunami warning coordinator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told CBS affiliate KTUU-TV that large, widespread waves weren't expected. "The good news is this event happened in shallow water," Snider told KTUU. "We're not expecting to see a large inundation of water coming up on shore." The depth of the earthquake was approximately 12 miles, according to NOAA. The impacted areas spanned the Kennedy Entrance, a channel that connects the Gulf of Alaska to Cook Inlet, to Unimak Pass, which is just to the west of Unimak Island at the end of the peninsula. They may see small sea level changes, NWS Anchorage said. There was no danger to Anchorage, the state's most populous city. The quake was felt throughout the Alaska Peninsula and southern Alaska, the Alaska Earthquake Center said. Earlier in the day, a magnitude 5.2 earthquake also struck the region. It was located approximately 40 miles southeast of Atka Island, the earthquake center said. Alaska's southern coast is situated along the seismically active Pacific "Ring of Fire." The strongest earthquake ever recorded in North America occurred there in March 1964, when a 9.2-magnitude earthquake devastated Anchorage and unleashed a tsunami that killed more than 250 people.
