Latest news with #NationalSevereStormsLaboratory
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
EF-5 tornado drought reaches 12 years, longest in history
With all the negative weather headlines focusing on severe storms, rising temperatures, and climate change, here's a positive development. This month marks a significant milestone, as we will surpass 12 years since the last EF-5 tornado touched down. Despite roughly 1,200 tornadoes occurring every year, May 20, 2013, in Moore, Oklahoma, was the last time a tornado received the maximum damage rating. To show just how rare and extreme EF-5 tornadoes are, only 59 have ever been recorded. You might remember the third most recent one, which was the EF-5 tornado that struck Joplin on May 22, 2011. Missouri has only seen two of these powerful storms. One was the Joplin tornado and the other was the F5 Ruskin Heights tornado on May 20, 1957. Fortunately, Arkansas has never experienced an F5 or EF-5 tornado. This 12-year stretch is now the longest on record since official tracking began in the 1950s. However, this comes with some controversy. Some meteorologists chalk the streak up to a statistical anomaly, noting that the annual number of strong and violent tornadoes has remained relatively consistent. Research scientist Anthony Lyza of the National Severe Storms Laboratory disagrees. 'Our findings suggest the lack of EF-5 tornadoes is highly unlikely to be rooted in natural causes.' In February 2007, the National Weather Service switched from the legacy Fujita (F) scale to the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Lyza explains the shortcomings of the new system: 'The typical rating for a home being swept away from its foundation on the EF scale is EF-4, whereas it was F5 on the F scale.' He argues that the lack of EF-5 tornadoes is due to changes in how we classify natural disasters, rather than a decline in their occurrence. Download our KOLR 10 weather app Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
National Severe Storms Laboratory working to implement phased array radars
Doppler radar is an important tool meteorologists use to track where thunderstorms are occurring, how intense they are, and where they are moving. WSR-88D, the current radar that became operational in the early 90s, is becoming dated, and the National Severe Storms Laboratory is working to implement a different radar called phased array radar. Phased array radar can do a complete scan of the atmosphere in less than 60 seconds. A current scan with WSR-88D takes four to five minutes. Phased array radar uses an integrated, flat antenna that has an array of elements that can scan electronically rather than mechanically. PAR can also directly scan one portion of the storm. This is especially important during severe storms. This will allow meteorologists to see where low-level rotation is occurring, helping to improve warning time for tornadoes. Phased array radar can also be dual-pol, which allows the radar to scan horizontally and vertically. Dual-pol allows meteorologists to better see the sizes and shapes of particles in a storm and is widely used to track debris in thunderstorms. Dual-pol radar is currently used operationally. Phased array radar has been used for weather surveillance and research for the past 20 years. Wes Moody, Communications Specialist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory, says that the lab is working with the National Weather Service's Radar Next program to get phased array radars in operation by the mid-2030s. The vision is for the phased array radar to be used in tandem with other radars based on geographical need. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Boston Globe
17-04-2025
- Climate
- Boston Globe
National Weather Service buyouts will leave gaps as storm season ramps up
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The looming gaps have elevated fears particularly for forecasters in central states, including in the heart of the country, where tornadoes and menacing storms are frequent. As severe storm season ramps up, it's the offices in places such as Kansas City, Omaha, Louisville, Des Moines and Grand Rapids that were facing the most significant staffing shortages after buyouts earlier this year, according to people familiar with the agency. Advertisement With so many recent departures, it's not business as usual for operations at many forecast offices. More forecasters are working overtime, fewer shifts are being staffed each day and managers who wouldn't normally take on day-to-day forecasting duties have had to step in, according to current and former Weather Service employees. Advertisement 'You can only stretch things so much,' said Alan Gerard, who recently retired from the National Severe Storms Laboratory and was previously the meteorologist-in-charge at the Weather Service forecast office in Jackson, Mississippi. 'Eventually, things start to break.' As they face staff losses and increasing workloads, Weather Service staff are working through plumbing and maintenance issues at austere offices, including in the central region, multiple people familiar with the agencies described. In one recent example, staff at a Kentucky office had to rely on portable toilets in the parking lot during deadly storms in the Mid-South. Any new staff reductions, which will take effect by May, also come on top of a cascade of early retirements and other departures this year. Across all of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which includes offices that manage fisheries, conduct earth science research and study climate change, more than 870 employees had volunteered for buyouts as of Wednesday, according to two officials. The Post spoke with 10 employees across the Weather Service and its parent agencies, NOAA and the Commerce Department, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Concerned with leaks to the media, the administration is installing monitoring software on NOAA employees' devices to track their communications, two current employees said. Before Trump returned to office, the Weather Service employed about 4,300 people, still some 200 short of staffing levels that agency leaders then called ideal. After an initial round of DOGE-led buyouts and the firing of employees who were still on probationary status, that workforce dropped to below 4,000 for the first time in modern history, the union representing those workers said at the time. Advertisement The latest round of buyouts was expected to shrink the workforce even further: At least 300 Weather Service employees had applied for the program as of Tuesday, according to the two staffers who described Graham's comments. More were expected to take the offer before it expired at midnight Friday. About 1,400 Weather Service employees were eligible for the buyouts, according to one service official with knowledge of the program. Tom Fahy, legislative director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization, a union representing the agency's rank and file, said in a statement that 'attrition and retirements have been a huge factor in creating job vacancies' but stressed that Weather Service employees 'have an enduring, resilient work ethic.' 'The mission to save lives has not suffered and communities are still being covered across the country by NWS employees,' Fahy said. NOAA began the year with about 13,000 employees but has lost hundreds through the firing of probationary employees, early retirements and buyouts, according to officials close to the agency. Staff across the Weather Service and NOAA feared further cuts through reduction in force, or RIF, could be imposed in the coming days or weeks, perhaps as early as Friday. Ahead of the latest buyout offer, Trump administration officials set a target of cutting NOAA staff by about 1,000, a number believed to include several hundred Weather Service employees, according to officials familiar with the goals. It was not clear to employees if buyouts could reduce the number of any RIF layoffs. Advertisement The Trump administration has meanwhile proposed a budget for the coming fiscal year that would slash NOAA's budget by 27 percent, while virtually eliminating most climate research and maintaining flat funding for the Weather Service. Staff losses have stressed Weather Service forecast offices that were stretched thin even before Trump took office. Each one is responsible for producing forecasts and monitoring weather dangers across areas stretching from hundreds to thousands of square miles. While there are many sources of weather forecasts, from smartphone apps to broadcast radio and TV, the Weather Service's data and predictions undergird them all. The agency is also responsible for warning the public when a tornado, hurricane or other extreme weather threat is imminent. This week, a new forming storm is expected to bring a threat of severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall to more than a dozen states in the central United States, including in several states that have recently been hard-hit by tornadoes and floods. Each office typically employs 14 or 15 meteorologists, enough to maintain staffing around-the-clock, with two or three on hand at any one time to produce forecasts, launch weather balloons, and answer calls from local emergency managers and the public. During active weather, be it thunderstorms, tornado outbreaks, snowstorms or wildfires, staffing demands increase, requiring two or three times as many meteorologists to be on hand, said Gerard, who led the Jackson, Mississippi, office from 2002 to 2015. Staffing shortages have also prompted some Weather Service offices to conduct fewer weather balloon launches or suspend them entirely. Twice-daily launches from 92 sites across the country provide detailed data on atmospheric and weather conditions - vital information for developing weather forecasts and informing aircraft pilots of potentially dangerous conditions. Offices need at least two or three meteorologists on hand to safely conduct balloon launches while also maintaining normal forecasting operations. Advertisement There have been limited or no weather balloon data across a wide swath of the northern Plains and Rocky Mountains, with no launches in late March or early April from sites in Rapid City, South Dakota; Valley, Nebraska; or Denver, where balloon launch issues go back years because of helium shortages. Balloon launches have occurred only once a day in recent weeks at sites in Riverton, Wyoming; Grand Junction, Colorado; North Platte, Nebraska; and Green Bay, Wisconsin. More cutbacks in balloon launches and other Weather Service activities can be expected as offices lose staff, according to a Commerce Department memorandum issued to Weather Service leaders that was obtained by The Post. As staffing levels drop and vacancy rates reach at least 20 percent, the directive advised having only a single meteorologist on duty at any given time during quiet weather periods, for example. Under an initial version of the memo issued in March, the directive advised reducing weather balloon launches from twice daily to once if staffing levels drop to 15 percent vacancy or greater, and to suspend launches altogether at vacancy rates of at least 35 percent. But an update issued last week encourages the critical launches to continue until staff losses are even larger. The new version advises once-daily launches at 25 percent vacancy rates and says launches should be suspended only in scenarios in which no second meteorologist is available to help prepare the operation. Amid staffing reductions, increased scrutiny from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has separately prevented some contracts from being renewed. The agency leader has been personally reviewing any contracts worth $100,000 or more, a process that has ground some work to a halt, multiple officials said. Advertisement Earlier this month, the Weather Service said its warnings would no longer be automatically translated into Spanish, because a contract with an AI firm had lapsed. That decision breaks with previous agency goals to improve translations and increase the number of languages offered, in part a response to communication challenges that contributed to deadly disasters such as floods in New York City and a tornado outbreak that affected Mayfield, Kentucky. Even as meteorologists say forecasts and warnings have not yet suffered, morale has been sinking. As meteorologists began forecasting a four-day stretch of dangerous tornadic storms and potentially 'generational' flooding, they came within hours of losing access to software that a Weather Service website calls a 'cornerstone IT system' that is used 'to ingest, analyze, forecast, [and] disseminate operational weather data.' Its contract was renewed late on March 31, in an episode previously reported by Axios. At least 29 people died during those storms. But days of warnings and some luck with the weather meant the storms were not as deadly as meteorologists feared. But critics of the cuts argue that it's a matter of when, not if, any staffing losses will prevent meteorologists from carrying out a mission to protect lives and property. 'This isn't about finding government waste; this isn't about finding fraud. This is about making sure the United States of America is protected,' said Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-Illinois), who worked as a television meteorologist before joining Congress. 'I am incredibly worried about the safety of my own constituents.' During this month's Mid-South storm outbreak, one tornado came within miles of the forecast office in Paducah, Kentucky, where staff had to use portable toilets in the office parking lot because the bathrooms were inoperable and staff were unable to hire a plumber, according to officials familiar with the situation. Some of the recent scrutiny of contracts has included halting basic facility repairs. The storm outbreak would be a trying situation under any circumstances, but the staffing shortages and working conditions were only worsening morale among meteorologists, employees said. 'People keep working 12-hour shifts day after day,' said one Weather Service official. 'It really starts to take its toll.'
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Tornadoes will become more frequent in coming weeks. Here's what to know if your home is destroyed
An average of 1,200 tornadoes hit the United States yearly, and the country will probably get more killer supercells spawning tornadoes and hail as the world warms, according to a 2023 study. That study also warns the severe storms are edging eastward to strike more frequently in populous Southern states including Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. But tornadoes can happen at any time of year and have been reported in all 50 states, according to the National Severe Storms Laboratory. What should you do after a tornado if your home is damaged or destroyed? Focus on your safety The word people most commonly use to describe their mindset after a natural disaster is 'overwhelmed,' according to United Policyholders, a nonprofit that advocates for insurance consumers. 'Our basic guidance is to first focus on you and your family's safety,' said Amy Bach, United Policyholders' executive director. Next, if possible, she recommends photographing and documenting damaged and destroyed property — without entering severely damaged buildings — and determining whether further damage can be prevented through the use of tarps, fans or other methods. Finding safe and comfortable temporary shelter and getting a copy of your current insurance policy are important next steps. When you're safe, have shelter, and have an idea of the extent of your home's damage, be sure to notify your insurance company. How's your insurance? Tornado damage is generally covered under homeowner's and renter's insurance policies. But you'll want to read your insurance policy to know your deductible costs and what is covered, Bach said. If damage is minor to moderate, it might not cost as much to repair as the deductible in your policy. 'We tell people not to rush and to instead take stock and get situated before making any decisions,' she said. 'Know that you'll get solicited (by contractors), and in the first 48 hours, the shock and the trauma generally means you're not in your best decision-making mode.' For temporary, immediate housing, people often turn to a shelter opened by a local government, the American Red Cross or other organizations. In addition to providing a place to sleep, water and meals, Red Cross services — all of which are free — can sometimes also include child care, information about disaster-related resources in the community, and access to case workers to help with disaster recovery. People also may need to access insurance to cover longer-term housing, to rebuild a home and/or replace belongings, including vehicles. If you are not able to live in your home, keep receipts for hotel bills, clothing and meals, and take notes on the calls you make to insurance companies, including the numbers you call, the people spoken to, dates and times, and what was said. Keep up payments If your residence is temporarily uninhabitable or destroyed, the Red Cross recommends notifying utility companies and other services so they can stop billing you immediately. Paying insurance premiums and rent or mortgage should be your highest priority, according to the Red Cross. Call any creditors and ask for more time to pay. Most creditors will be willing to work with you, especially if you notify them before a payment is due, the Red Cross said. Overall, most people have a very steep learning curve after a tornado or other natural disaster because people think they'll be OK if they have insurance. The Red Cross also has a section on its website dedicated to recovering emotionally after a disaster. ___ Baumann reported from Bellingham, Washington, and Thiessen from Anchorage, Alaska.
The Independent
04-04-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Tornadoes will become more frequent in coming weeks. Here's what to know if your home is destroyed
An average of 1,200 tornadoes hit the United States yearly, and the country will probably get more killer supercells spawning tornadoes and hail as the world warms, according to a 2023 study. That study also warns the severe storms are edging eastward to strike more frequently in populous Southern states including Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. But tornadoes can happen at any time of year and have been reported in all 50 states, according to the National Severe Storms Laboratory. What should you do after a tornado if your home is damaged or destroyed? Focus on your safety The word people most commonly use to describe their mindset after a natural disaster is 'overwhelmed,' according to United Policyholders, a nonprofit that advocates for insurance consumers. 'Our basic guidance is to first focus on you and your family's safety,' said Amy Bach, United Policyholders' executive director. Next, if possible, she recommends photographing and documenting damaged and destroyed property — without entering severely damaged buildings — and determining whether further damage can be prevented through the use of tarps, fans or other methods. Finding safe and comfortable temporary shelter and getting a copy of your current insurance policy are important next steps. When you're safe, have shelter, and have an idea of the extent of your home's damage, be sure to notify your insurance company. How's your insurance? Tornado damage is generally covered under homeowner's and renter's insurance policies. But you'll want to read your insurance policy to know your deductible costs and what is covered, Bach said. If damage is minor to moderate, it might not cost as much to repair as the deductible in your policy. 'We tell people not to rush and to instead take stock and get situated before making any decisions,' she said. 'Know that you'll get solicited (by contractors), and in the first 48 hours, the shock and the trauma generally means you're not in your best decision-making mode.' For temporary, immediate housing, people often turn to a shelter opened by a local government, the American Red Cross or other organizations. In addition to providing a place to sleep, water and meals, Red Cross services — all of which are free — can sometimes also include child care, information about disaster-related resources in the community, and access to case workers to help with disaster recovery. People also may need to access insurance to cover longer-term housing, to rebuild a home and/or replace belongings, including vehicles. If you are not able to live in your home, keep receipts for hotel bills, clothing and meals, and take notes on the calls you make to insurance companies, including the numbers you call, the people spoken to, dates and times, and what was said. Keep up payments If your residence is temporarily uninhabitable or destroyed, the Red Cross recommends notifying utility companies and other services so they can stop billing you immediately. Paying insurance premiums and rent or mortgage should be your highest priority, according to the Red Cross. Call any creditors and ask for more time to pay. Most creditors will be willing to work with you, especially if you notify them before a payment is due, the Red Cross said. Overall, most people have a very steep learning curve after a tornado or other natural disaster because people think they'll be OK if they have insurance. The Red Cross also has a section on its website dedicated to recovering emotionally after a disaster. ___ Baumann reported from Bellingham, Washington, and Thiessen from Anchorage, Alaska.
