Latest news with #Goodland
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
No 24-hour National Weather Service in Goodland, Kansas? We'll all pay, one way or another.
At 9:45 p.m. May 4, 2007, an EF5 tornado hit Greensburg , Kansas, destroying the town and killing 12 people.. This photo, taken three days later, shows typical damage. (Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector) Bad weather doesn't keep business hours. Of the top 10 tornadoes that have wreaked death and destruction in Kansas, most came near or after dark, according to the National Weather Service. The Udall tornado of 1955 struck at 10:15 pm and killed 80, making it the deadliest twister in state history. That's why the National Weather Service's closing of the Goodland forecast office overnight is so alarming. Goodland is among eight locations that had reduced their hours, or were planning to, because of the Trump administration's cuts to the federal government. Staffing at the NWS has taken a beating under DOGE, according to reporting by the Washington Post. In an open letter, five former NWS directors warned the cuts may 'endanger lives.' The Goodland office serves northwest Kansas and parts of Nebraska and Colorado. About 17 miles from the Colorado border on I-70, severe weather around Goodland ranges from tornado-producing spring storms to winter blizzards that shut down the interstate. But it's not just the Goodland County Warning Area, a 21,000-square-mile region with more than 80,000 people, that's at risk. Understaffing at Goodland and other forecast offices that have curtailed hours, including Wyoming and California, creates an additional burden for meteorologists at fully staffed locations. Somebody has to keep an eye on the weather, because the NWS is the federal agency responsible for issuing advisories, watches, and warnings. If you live in Tornado Alley, you know how essential those warnings can be. The alley is a broad swatch of the Great Plains, from Texas to South Dakota, where dry cold air from the northwest collides with warm moist air from the south. Kansans are familiar with the feeling along about dusk when conditions are ripe for a twister. The sky turns a peculiar shade of green, a thunderstorm approaches and the air smells like river water. A public affairs specialist for the NWS at Silver Springs, Maryland, did not respond to a request for comment by deadline. Specifically, the spokesperson was asked if the Goodland office would remain closed overnight, and whether that represented a threat to public safety. While the NWS did not respond, a spokesman for the union that represents federal weather service workers said there was no immediate crisis. Meteorologists at other regional forecast offices had agreed to keep an eye on the weather while the Goodland office was closed overnight. But, he said, a 20% reduction in forecast office staffing since Trump took his second oath of office poses a long-term threat. 'There is no question that the public safety for the community is at risk,' said Tom Fahy, legislative director of the National Weather Service Employees Organization. '(The workers) have done everything they can to shore up the holes and come up with a work flow schedule that will allow individuals not to be burned out.' Weather service employees are dedicated, hard-working individuals, he said, who take their mission to protect lives and property seriously. The Goodland is among the two worst hit of the 122 forecast offices in the nation, Fahy said. Goodland normally has 13 meteorologists, but because of DOGE cuts and a federal hiring freeze imposed in January, is down to just five. It ties with a forecast station in Hanford, California, as the most understaffed. While we are at the tail end of what is usually thought of as tornado season, May through early June, the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory at Norman, Oklahoma, cautions that twisters are unpredictable. They can come at any time of the year, at any time of the day, and meteorologists still aren't sure what causes them. 'The truth is that we don't fully understand,' according to the Severe Storms Laboratory website. 'The most destructive tornadoes occur from supercells, which are rotating thunderstorms with a well-defined radar circulation called a mesocyclone. (Supercells can also produce damaging hail, severe non-tornadic winds, frequent lightning, and flash floods.)' While I've seen scores of small twisters form, touch down, and spin themselves away within a few minutes, I've never spotted a really large tornado. These storms are measured by the Enhanced Fujita Scale, from 0 to 5, based on estimates of observed damage. A common EF0 has wind gusts up to 85 mph and produces little damage. A rare EF5 has wind speeds of more than 200 mph and produces 'incredible' damage. The tornado that struck Udall in 1955 was an EF5. So was the Greensburg twister of 2007 and the Joplin, Missouri, tornado of May 2011, a storm that killed 158 people and demolished a third of the town. I witnessed the aftermaths of the Greensburg and Joplin tornadoes in my capacity as a journalist, and the devastation of each was nightmare-like. In Greensburg, houses were turned to kindling and schools were reduced to piles of bricks. Trees were snapped off at about 10 or 12 feet, as if somebody had driven a giant lawnmower across town. At Joplin, there was similar destruction, and the neighborhood where my grandfather's house had stood was unrecognizable. The area looked like it had been shredded by a buzzsaw and then flattened. The human suffering across town was on a massive scale that night, with bodies in the streets and survivors sitting on curbs wearing trash bags as their only defense against the rain. I've never taken a roof over my head for granted since. The Greensburg tornado was a two-mile wide EF5 that blew up from the southwest. The National Weather Service issued a warning for Greensburg at 9:19 p.m. The storm hit Greensburg dead-center at 9:45, destroying approximately 1,000 homes and businesses, or about nine-tenths of the town. The response by the Federal Emergency Management Agency required 15 federal entities, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency. Now, cuts to the weather service by DOGE in the name of governmental 'efficiency' threaten to cripple the weather alert warning systems that saved untold lives in Greensburg. There was no such warning system in 1955 for Udall, and that's one of the reasons that casualties were so high. To decrease the number of staff available for weather forecast offices in the name of efficiency is like reducing the number of life preservers on an ocean liner to save space. But the explanation that DOGE is out to improve government by making it smaller and more effective is a canard. The real reason the NWS and other federal agencies are being kneecapped is to punish federal workers, dismantle the machinery of government, and achieve a long-cherished dream of neoliberalism, an economic philosophy from 1938. Don't let the name fool you, because there's nothing liberal or progressive about it. Never heard of it? Allow me a few paragraphs to explain. 'Its anonymity is both a symptom and a cause of its power,' write George Monbiot and Peter Hutchison in their 2024 book on neoliberalism. 'It has caused or contributed to most of the crises that now confront us: rising inequality; rampant child poverty; epidemic diseases of despair; off-shoring and the erosion of the tax base; the slow degradation of healthcare, education, and other public services; the crumbling of the infrastructure; democratic backsliding; the 2008 financial crash; the rise of modern-day demagogues, such as Viktor Orban, Narendra Modi, Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, and Jair Bolsonaro; our ecological crises and environmental disasters.' Neoliberalism, according to Monbiot and Hutchison, is an ideology whose central belief is that competition is humanity's defining feature, but that our greed and selfishness and the free market will lead to social advances. The term 'neoliberal' was coined at a conference in Paris in 1938, but it's been around since at least 1776, when Adam Smith used the metaphor of the 'invisible hand' in his 'Wealth of Nations.' Put another way, think of Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone's 1987 movie 'Wall Street.' In the movie, Gekko — played by Michael Douglas — says greed is 'good.' Gekko's soliloquy of nearly 40 years ago sounds disturbingly modern. 'America has become a second-rate power,' Gekko says. 'Its trade deficit and its fiscal deficit are at nightmare proportions. Now in the days of the free market when our country was a top industrial power, there was accountability to the stockholder. … The point is, ladies and gentleman, is that greed, for lack of a better word, is good.' Greed, according to Gekko, will save that 'malfunctioning corporation' called the USA. What does this have to do with the National Weather Service? Everything. The DOGE cuts aren't meant merely to make the federal government smaller, but also to make certain sectors of it ripe for privatization. The transfer of public sector assets to private companies is a long-held neoliberal tenet. And the privatization of the National Weather Service is an unambiguously stated goal of Project 2025, the right-wing playbook for the second Trump administration. Juan Declet-Barreto, a senior social scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, argued in a March essay that privatizing the weather service would result in the greatest harm to those who are the least able to pay for critical warning information. 'Public services exist to provide parity in access to all people in society without regard to their ability to individually fork out money for such a service,' Declet-Barreto wrote, 'so those unable to pay will end up paying twice: once with their tax dollars, and once with their wellbeing or with their lives. Paywalled weather alerts will deprive individuals, households, or towns with lower income of access to life-saving services.' Fahy, the weather service union legislative director, told me he doubts the weather service will be privatized, because so many commercial firms already get its data for a few dollars a month. But I'm not so sure, because the 'commercialization of weather technologies' is so clearly spelled out in Project 2025. It's all on page 675, in which the NWS is identified as part of a 'colossal operation that has become one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry and, as such, is harmful to future U.S. prosperity.' Know what else is harmful to prosperity? Tornadoes that eat your town. Here in Kansas, we typically associate weather alerts with tornadoes, flooding, blizzards, and temperature extremes. But every location across the country has its own hazards, from wildfires to volcanic ash to hurricanes. But weather alerts aren't the only things under threat by DOGE cuts. Of the 15 federal agencies responding to Greensburg in 2007, many are now targeted for downsizing. This may lead to little warning of severe weather and reduced help after. We're already seeing the latter, as Trump's FEMA has denied disaster relief requests from states hit by tornadoes and hurricanes. Michael Lewis devoted a chapter to the Joplin tornado in his 2018 book, 'The Fifth Risk.' The death toll in Joplin was the highest since the government had started issuing tornado warnings, in 1948. But it wasn't the failure of the National Weather Service that had killed 158 in Joplin, Lewis concluded, because the sirens blared 17 minutes before the storm hit. Instead, it was the inability of citizens to understand their government — and the inability of the government to understand its citizens. Not enough Joplin residents had sought shelter when warned because they had the 'false confidence' they would not be hit. Even a congressman misunderstood that weather channels and phone apps come from data provided by the NWS. For complicated reasons, human beings have a difficult time imagining the things that might actually kill them. Lewis said that's one of the reasons, after the Joplin tornado, that the weather service began encouraging news outlets to help people imagine what might happen if they didn't take cover: 'Complete destruction of entire neighborhoods … making the area unrecognizable to survivors.' Comparable warnings are appropriate for the era of Trump and DOGE. We were told, but we just couldn't imagine how bad it would be. Surely our weather forecast center, our university, our Medicaid won't be hit. Now we have some of the damage assessments, and it amounts to an EF5 political disaster. The crippling of the NWS forecast office at Goodland is a symptom of a hostile takeover of the federal government by a quasi-governmental group, DOGE, that until recently was headed Elon Musk, the president's biggest donor. DOGE's actions have made little sense, unless you think cruelty makes sense, or unless you realize they resemble the way in which a corporate raider will strip assets from a company and then sell off the carcass. When severe weather threatens, who would you rather get your information from? Your NOAA weather alert radio, activated automatically and broadcasting accurate and authoritative bulletins compiled by the nearest NWS forecast station, or Big Don's 'Nado Tracker app? Oh, here's a heads up on customer service for the 'Nado Tracker. It's only available 9 to 5, Monday through Friday. Holidays excluded. And customer support is for premium members only. Max McCoy is an award-winning author and journalist. Through its opinion section, the Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.
Winnipeg Free Press
24-05-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Enjoy the fruits of your labour
There are several cold-hardy fruit tree cultivars that have been introduced by prairie growers over the years. Why not choose from the wide number of apple and pear tree varieties that are available at garden centres and grow your own bounty of fresh fruit? You won't be alone — the interest in growing fruit by home and market gardeners is surging. Here are some apple and pear varieties notable for their cold hardiness and delicious flavour. Prairie Gardens Tree Nursery The Carroll apple was introduced by the Morden Research Station in 1961. Carroll apple is making a comeback. Introduced by the Morden Research Station in 1961, the Carroll apple (Zone 3) is a new listing for this year by Jeffries Nurseries, a wholesale grower in Portage la Prairie. This old-fashioned apple produces large fruit (7 to 8 cm) that is delicious for eating fresh and for baking. This old-fashioned apple has two notable parent varieties — Melba apple, which is a McIntosh seedling, and Moscow Pear Apple, a cold hardy variety that was developed in Russia. Carroll apple matures in early September and stores well until mid-December. Kandy Crisp is a new cold-hardy apple developed by Philip Ronald at Jeffries Nurseries. Introduced in 2024, Kandy Crisp apple is a controlled cross between Goodland apple, a Morden Research Station introduction, and Gemini apple, which was developed by Art Coutts of Unity, Sask. Kandy Crisp is hardy to Zone 3. The large (7 to 8 cm) bright red fruit tastes crisp and sweet. Bonus: you don't need a ladder to harvest the fruit when it ripens in September. Kandy Crisp is grown on dwarfing rootstock. Even after 20 years, the tree will be only two to three metres tall. Another bonus is that fruit production on dwarfing rootstock can be up to two years earlier than trees on standard rootstock. Dwarfing rootstock does not affect the size of the fruit. Aubin Nurseries, a wholesale plant nursery in Carman, is supplying Beedle Pear this spring to garden centres. To learn more about this hardy pear's interesting backstory, I talked recently with Dr. Ieuan Evans, a forensic plant pathologist and well-known plant breeder who named the Beedle pear. Evans lives in Spruce Grove, Alta., and is the Evans behind the famed Evans Cherry, a cold-hardy sour cherry tree that is grown in countless backyards across the Prairies. 'John Beedle was a horticulturist and park planner for the city of St. Albert, which is just north of Edmonton,' says Evans. 'He grew thousands of Siberian pear seedlings which were planted around St. Albert on boulevards. A wild pear, the fruit was no bigger than a walnut and more or less inedible. 'But in the early 2000s, he showed me a pear tree that he found growing on one of the boulevards that produced really good tasting, medium-sized pears. A homeowner nearby demanded that the tree be removed because some of the pears were falling on the boulevard near her driveway. The mayor at the time agreed and had the pear tree removed. 'I took budwood from the tree, which I gave to friends to grow. I also gave budwood to DNA Gardens, a U-pick fruit orchard in Elnora, Alta. I propagated it myself by grafting the budwood onto Siberian wild pear seedlings. 'The pear was a genuine wild seedling, a chance seedling just like the McIntosh apple,' says Evans. 'I named it the Beedle pear after John Beedle.' Prairie Gardens Tree Nursery Try growing your own bounty of Canadian-bred apples. Today Evans grows the Beedle pear in his home garden. It is Zone 2 hardy. Garth Aubin of Aubin Nurseries says the Beedle pear is sweet and juicy and lacks the bitter tasting outer skin of other cold-hardy pears. The fruit ripens on the tree in early September and keeps well in cold storage for up to two months. Keep in mind that for apples and pears, two different cultivars must be growing in close proximity for best fruit production. When to prune fruit trees is a common question. 'There is an overgeneralization that fruit trees must be pruned while they are dormant in the winter,' says Joel Kosa, an International Society of Aboriculture-certified arborist and owner of Boreal Tree Care. 'There are many options in terms of when to prune. There are different outcomes that will happen at different times of the year that can be advantageous to fruit trees. It all comes down to the goals you want to achieve through pruning.' Kosa says that if your tree requires large structural cuts which can result in significant wounds, wait until later in winter before pruning to minimize damage and promote healing. 'If your tree is producing way too much fruit, pruning in spring after your tree blooms will generally reduce fruit production,' he says. 'Now, that doesn't mean that you are going to get larger or tastier fruit, but the yield will be less.' Philip Ronald photo Kandy Crisp apple, a new introduction from Jeffries Nurseries, is grown on dwarfing rootstock for a compact height but has large, tasty apples. Kosa says summer is also a good time for minor pruning. 'By summer, a fruit tree has generally used up most of its energy for new growth production. It's also a good time for getting rid of water sprouts (thin shoots that grow vertically from the trunk or branches).' Pruning can also be done in fall, says Kosa, although large structural cuts would not be recommended then because wounds would not have enough time to heal. Apple scab on apple and crab-apple trees was widespread throughout Winnipeg last year. Apple scab is caused by a fungus that infects both fruit and leaves. It is easily identified by leaf spots that turn brown, black and then yellow. Last year, many apple trees (mine included) were severely affected by apple scab and dropped most of their leaves by mid-summer. 'The wet spring we had in 2024 exacerbated apple scab,' says Kosa. 'The snow melt was gradual this spring and so far, it hasn't been excessively wet…. If it continues to be a drier spring, there won't be as many new infections because the fungus won't spread as easily.' If your tree was affected by apple scab last year, strategic pruning to remove a portion of the infected soft tissue, along with a fungicide application, is a great option, says Kosa. If your fruit tree exhibits signs of poor growth, consult an arborist before deciding to apply fertilizer. 'Stunted growth or discoloured, deformed leaves can be related to many things other than the need for fertilizer or applying soil amendments,' says Kosa. He recommends starting small and doing things that are going to be helpful. Colleen Zacharias photo Apple scab can be controlled with strategic pruning and a fungicide application, but be sure to consult an arborist. Monthly What you need to know now about gardening in Winnipeg. An email with advice, ideas and tips to keep your outdoor and indoor plants growing. 'For example, if your tree is planted in a bed that is covered with rocks, we can remove those rocks so there will be less soil compaction and less pressure around the critical root zone of the tree. The immediate area around the root flare (the region where the trunk transitions into the main roots) should never be covered with rocks. We can do some root flare excavation if required.' A layer of rocks also creates drainage problems, says Kosa, because rocks do not absorb moisture or allow water to percolate slowly into the ground. 'In a perfect world,' says Kosa, 'every fruit tree would have a mulch layer of finely shredded bark or arborist wood chips. Natural mulch breaks down and feeds the roots of trees.' colleenizacharias@ For advice, ideas and tips to keep your outdoor and indoor plants growing, sign up for Winnipeg Gardener, a free monthly newsletter I write for the Winnipeg Free Press. Colleen ZachariasGardening columnist Colleen Zacharias writes about many aspects of gardening including trends, plant recommendations, and how-to information that is uniquely relevant to Prairie gardeners. She has written a column for the Free Press since 2010 and pens the monthly newsletter Winnipeg Gardener. Read more about Colleen. Every piece of reporting Colleen produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
