Latest news with #VeteransonPatrol
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Anti-government group threatens key US weather radar sites
CHICAGO (NewsNation) — Officials from the National Weather Service are on alert after an anti-government group publicly made threats against radar installations across the country. Known as NEXRAD sites, or Next Generation Weather Radar, they are essential tools for meteorologists to monitor and forecast severe weather. Extremist group Veterans on Patrol claims NEXRAD installations contain military-operated 'weather weapons' that are 'poisoning the skies.' The group has not detailed how it intends to target the sites, but its founder, Michael 'Lewis Arthur' Meyer, publicly posted a response to the Washington Post on the messaging app Telegram. FAA, Duffy face grilling over safety, delays at major US airports Meyer said the group plans to 'take as many NexRads offline as possible.' He added that he has 'full authority' to do so. In response, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees the NWS, issued an internal warning advising employees to stay vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. 'NOAA is aware of recent threats against NEXRAD weather radar sites and is working with other authorities in monitoring the situation closely,' a spokesperson told NewsNation. The Southern Poverty Law Center has classified Veterans on Patrol as an anti-government militia. The group has claimed it is watching radar sites in several states and is allegedly exploring ways to disable the equipment. These developments come at a challenging time for the National Weather Service, which has been operating under severe staffing shortages. Roughly one-third of its positions remain unfilled following a wave of layoffs initiated by the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Engadget
07-05-2025
- Engadget
NOAA warns staff a militia group thinks its radars are 'weather weapons'
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has warned the National Weather Service of possible attacks from an armed conspiracy group targeting Doppler radar stations, according to a report from CNN . The group, Veterans on Patrol, is going after government radars because it believes they're being used as "weather weapons." CNN learned of the possible attacks through NOAA emails warning NWS staff that Veterans on Patrol was planning to conduct "penetration drills on NEXRAD sites to identify weaknesses," with the ultimate goal of destroying NEXRAD. Despite its cooler-than-average name, the NWS uses NEXRAD or "Next Generation Weather Radar" for a fairly mundane purpose: detecting precipitation in the atmosphere. NEXRAD plays a vital role in locating thunderstorms and tornados, making it easier to evacuate vulnerable communities before disaster strikes. It's not clear what Veterans on Patrol sees as threatening about radar — the group was previously focused on white nationalism and Pizzagate-style government conspiracies — but concern over the effects of being exposed to radio waves is a common bugbear for conspiracy-types. For example, groups set fire to cell towers early in the COVID-19 pandemic because of a belief that 5G somehow spread the virus. Viewing radar as a weapon could originate from some similar misconceptions. NWS staff have been advised to use the buddy system when working at remote radar sites and report anything suspicious to the authorities. Even without the threat of physical violence, though, the NWS and NOAA at large have already been devastated in 2025. Hundreds of weather forecasters were fired because of the cuts made by the Trump administration, just one of many attempts to dismantle government services.
Miami Herald
07-05-2025
- Climate
- Miami Herald
Homegrown militia plot to destroy life-saving weather radar across US, feds warn
National Homegrown militia plot to destroy life-saving weather radar across US, feds warn NEXRAD, which stands for Next Generation Weather Radar, has been in use for more than 30 years and helps experts track and predict weather. Getty/iStockphoto A homegrown militia group is planning to attack and destroy weather tracking radar systems across the country, claiming the life-saving installations are secretly weapons created by the government, according to officials. Staff at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were recently warned that a far-right group, Veterans on Patrol, has put NEXRAD radar installations in its crosshairs, according to emails obtained by CNN. 'This group is advocating for anyone and everyone to join them in conducting penetration drills on NEXRAD sites to identify weaknesses which can be used to ultimately destroy the sites,' the email stated, according to CNN. NOAA told members of its security to be ready for anything, and not to travel alone. 'Out of an abundance of caution, we are asking all regions to notify their field offices and radar technicians to maintain increased vigilance when at or near radar sites,' NOAA said in a May 1 memo, according to The Washington Post. 'Do not engage with anyone suspicious; instead, notify local law enforcement,' an email read, per CNN. NEXRAD, or Next Generation Weather Radar, has been in use for more than 30 years, and there are 160 of them throughout the country, according to NOAA. 'The NEXRAD system detects precipitation and wind, and its data can be processed to map precipitation patterns and movement,' which allow experts to more quickly and accurately predict severe weather and issue warnings that can save lives. However, Veterans on Patrol 'referred to the NEXRAD system towers as 'weather weapons,' and claimed there were no laws preventing American citizens from destroying the 'weapons,'' an email read, CNN reported. It's unclear how Veterans on Patrol plans to destroy the radars, but group founder Lewis Meyer told The Washington Post that they are training. 'We intend to take as many NEXRADs offline as possible once our attack simulations have prepared us,' Meyer said, adding that preparations would last until at least June. The group is pushing members to test NEXRAD sites to determine how tough they are to infiltrate and attack, and claims it already has followers gathering information in Oklahoma and Washington, the outlet reported. The Southern Poverty Law Center describes Veterans on Patrol as an anti-government militia and its founder, Meyer, as 'a Christian nationalist who rallies hard-right extremists and conspiracy theorists … and encourages vigilantism.' The group garnered attention in November with claims that Hurricane Helene, which devastated North Carolina, was caused by a government-controlled weather weapon, The Guardian reported. MW Mitchell Willetts The State Go to X Go to Facebook Email this person Mitchell Willetts is a real-time news reporter covering the central U.S. for McClatchy. He is a University of Oklahoma graduate and outdoors enthusiast living in Texas.
