Far-right extremist group threatens to take weather radars offline
'It started with the chemtrails, and then it moved into Hurricane Helene,' said Southern Poverty Law Center senior research analyst Rachel Goldwasser.
Goldwasser and her colleagues have been monitoring the far-right group known as 'Veterans on Patrol.' She said their threats to take weather radars offline are relatively new.
Oklahoma City Police could not confirm yet that the attack on the local news station's radar and the group's threat are connected.
However, the group made similar threats around the time Hurricane Helene went through South Carolina.
'We intend to take as many NexRads offline as possible once our attack simulations have prepared us,' posted the group's leader, Michael Lewis Arthur Meyer.
'He has now moved to Oklahoma,' said Goldwasser.
Meyer has been arrested several times and has been outspoken often in the past on issues that have turned out to be conspiracy theories.
'He's become very vehemently against the military and its members, and I do think that could pose a danger in the future as well,' said Goldwasser.
Sebastian Torres, who works with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and has worked with weather radars for decades, was asked if weather radars could be used as weather weapons.
'Yeah, that's impossible,' he said.
'Our goal is to provide the best information that we can to our forecasters so that they can make the best interpretation of that data. And issue timely warnings to save lives and property,' Torres said. 'You don't see it. There's nothing that can be done to change things (weather).'
'They shouldn't believe it,' Robert Palmer, dean of Oklahoma University's College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences, said of the conspiracy theories.
When asked what people should do when they hear about the existence of a conspiracy like 'weather weapons,' Palmer, who is also the director of the National Weather Center, said, 'Maybe they talk to their friends and tell them, you know, why it doesn't make any sense. I mean, a weather radar is a system just to protect lives and property. That's the only goal.'
This conspiracy follows the devastating and deadly flooding in Texas as well. Goldwasser said that combined with the ideas that Veterans on Patrol pushes out, it more than likely inspired others to either believe or act on them.
Law Enforcement said they are aware of the group and the threats made on social media. Oklahoma City Police, as of Wednesday afternoon, said they hadn't made an arrest directly connected to the radar attack in the metro.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
a day ago
- Newsweek
Warning Issued as Rising Water Levels Threaten To Sweep Children Away
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists at the Greenville-Spartanburg office in South Carolina urged parents to keep children away from storm drains, culverts, creeks and streams on Tuesday as flash floods swept through the region. Why It Matters The flash flood warning comes amid a period of repeated flash flooding events across the United States this summer, including recent catastrophic flooding in Texas that resulted in over 100 fatalities and highlighted the dangers posed by fast-rising waters. The significance of the warning for York County in South Carolina centers on timely public awareness and action, especially as water rises quickly with ongoing heavy rainfall. Immediate risks include swift inundation of streamside areas, placing children and other vulnerable community members in harm's way. What to Know The NWS strongly recommended that residents avoid all storm drains, culverts, creeks, and streams, warning that water could rise suddenly and sweep children and adults away. River banks and culverts may become unstable, and low water crossings pose extreme hazard. Drivers were warned never to attempt to cross a flooded roadway and to seek alternate routes immediately. A stock photo shows the waters of the flooded Catawba River encroach on the Rock Hill community in South Carolina after Hurricane Helene. A stock photo shows the waters of the flooded Catawba River encroach on the Rock Hill community in South Carolina after Hurricane Helene. Mark Castiglia/Getty According to the NWS bulletin released at 11:04 a.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, radar and automated gauges indicated that storm-total rainfall over the prior six to eight hours surpassed 3 to 5 inches in parts of western York County, particularly near Sharon, Hickory Grove, and Bullock Creek. As rain continued, streams began overtopping their banks and nuisance flooding escalated, with forecasts predicting significant worsening within the next one to three hours and additional rainfall anticipated throughout the day. The warning detailed a hazard of flash flooding caused by thunderstorms. The impacts expected included significant flooding of small creeks, streams, urban areas, highways, underpasses, parking lots, and low-lying roads. The NWS listed multiple locations of greatest concern, with possible several-feet-deep inundation in rural and urban areas: Bullock Creek and feeder drainages near Wilson Chapel Road, Hickory Grove Road (SC 211), Ramsey Road (Berry Branch), and Hopewell Road (SC 97) Turkey Creek and Little Turkey Creek near Shannon Street (SC 41), Hord Road, and Burris Road Fishing Creek near SC 5, Park Place Road, Gordon Road, Russell Road, and Holland Road Rock Hill metro area headwater streams, including Manchester Creek near John Ross Parkway and Big Dutchman Creek near India Hook Road Wildcat Creek from Olde Creek Road to SC 5 (Main Street) to Ogden Road Steele Creek near Carowinds and Pleasant Road (SC 22) Communities identified as at risk included Rock Hill, York, Southwest Charlotte, Fort Mill, Tega Cay, Clover, Newport, Lesslie, Sharon, Hickory Grove, McConnells, Smyrna, Lake Wylie, Carowinds, Catawba, and Bullock Creek. What People Are Saying NWS meteorologist in charge Steve Wilkinson told Newsweek: "Normal rainfall up to this point [in August] is .62 inches, so ... several inches of rain is well above what you would call an average or normal situation." Wilkinson added: "This is heavy rainfall well-above normal, but when you get into the July, August, September timeframe, it's not abnormal to get pockets of heavy rainfall." The NWS office in Greenville-Spartanburg posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday: "Most flood fatalities occur in vehicles, and it only takes 12 inches of water to sweep a car away. Sometimes, the difference between life and death is small decisions." What Happens Next The flash flood warning for York County was in effect until 4:45 p.m. Eastern time. The heaviest rain is easing up in western York County and should end this afternoon, Wilkinson said. Some lighter rain is expected into Tuesday night and Wednesday. Residents are urged to follow any evacuation orders or emergency notifications, remain vigilant for updated NWS alerts, and review family emergency plans, especially with children or vulnerable individuals present.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
August brings ominous hurricane season news. Is another Helene on the way?
The beginning of August brings skyrocketing hurricane risk, a new potential system off the East Coast and a reminder that devastating storms can quickly intensify into disaster. Historical trends show that August is often the pivot point for hurricane season, and forecasters say current conditions point toward an uptick in tropical activity. The beginning of the month also brought a new weather system that forecasters were watching off East Coast, but so far the danger appears low. It's too soon to know what will happen as the 2025 hurricane season progresses, but last year's season serves as a reminder of why it's important to be informed and prepare. 2024 saw brutal storm activity, including Hurricane Helene that devastated the Southeast in late September killing 248 people and causing $78.7 billion in damage. Throughout its path from northwest of Steinhatchee, Florida, on Sept. 26 and through Tennessee and North Carolina, the storm also injured 117 others and forced the high-water rescues of more than 2,700 people, a National Hurricane Center report published in March revealed. The 2024 hurricane season also included devastating storms Beryl, Milton and John, whose names along with Helene, have been retired out of the World Meteorological Organization's rotating alphabetical basis of hurricane names due to their severity. As forecasters and residents in hurricane-prone regions brace for more danger, here's a look back at the destructive power of Hurricane Helene. See photos of Hurricane Helene's aftermath Contributing: Doyle Rice, Dinah Voyles Pulver and Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: August hurricane forecast: Is another Helene on the way?
USA Today
2 days ago
- USA Today
Tropical Storm Dexter forms in the Atlantic. Is it expected to make landfall in US?
A low pressure system, dubbed as AL95, developed into Tropical Storm Dexter over the western Atlantic late on Aug. 3, forecasters said. Hurricane forecasters are monitoring multiple systems in the Atlantic Ocean on Aug. 4, including one which developed into a tropical storm overnight and is expected to move away from the United States. A low pressure system, dubbed as AL95, developed into Tropical Storm Dexter over the western Atlantic late on Aug. 3, the hurricane center said. Dexter is releasing maximum sustained winds near 45 mph and the tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 115 miles from its center. The storm is forecast to move away from the U.S. coast and stay north of Bermuda. There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect and no hazards to land are expected. The system formed along a frontal boundary about 150 miles off the coast of North Carolina on Aug. 2. As of 5 a.m. ET on Aug. 4, the storm was located a few hundred miles northwest of Bermuda and appeared to be moving away from the U.S., according to the hurricane center. The storm is moving about 12 mph and is expected to pick up speed before it starts slowing down on Aug. 5 and 6. "Some slight strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days," the hurricane center said. "Dexter is likely to become post-tropical by Wednesday." The Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, had a quiet start in 2025 with June and July showing minimal activity. But forecasters with the National Hurricane Center say the tropics are heating up this week with three disturbances, including Tropical Storm Dexter and two other systems that have "some development potential" later in the week. Forecasters were tracking two other storms on Aug. 3, including a tropical wave expected to move off the west coast of Africa on Aug. 4 and another disturbance off the coast of the southeastern United States. Both were moving west and did not pose a threat at the time. The uptick in activity comes after Tropical Storm Gil briefly became a hurricane in the Pacific Ocean on Aug. 1, before weakening again into a tropical storm, according to the hurricane center. More: August brings ominous hurricane season news. Is another Helene on the way? Forecasters previously predicted 'above-normal' hurricane activity for 2025 In May, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasters predicted "above-normal" hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin for the 2025 season. The agency forecasted between 13 and 19 named storms with winds 39 mph or higher. Of those storms, six to 10 are predicted to become hurricanes with winds 74 mph or higher, including the potential of three to five major hurricanes. 'As we witnessed last year with significant inland flooding from hurricanes Helene and Debby, the impacts of hurricanes can reach far beyond coastal communities," Laura Grimm, chief of staff for the NOAA, said in a statement. Atlantic storm map Contributing: Jennifer Sangalang, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
