Bogus storm reports probed

[John Diel]

What you're reading the Maximum punishment allowed by law. A cap, so to speak. It doesn't necessarily mean that's what the actual punishment will be once the person is given his day at trial.

There's still the bargaining process. Plea Bargaining, the actual charge, circumstances, first offender, motive, etc.

On a side note, I've seen bigger felonies get less than that max allows. How about Assaulting a Police Officer with intent to kill. Hmmm... That kid got off with credit for time served, weekend jail time to serve the remainder of a 45 day sentence, and the fine to be paid at $50 a month. I just looked and the kid already has 3 deliquent payment notices on this fine alone. No bench warrant issued and the previous notices were simply extended. Now you tell me if there's a problem with our justice system or not.

 

[beaudodson]

Epotter here at the KPAH Office requires a username and password and they can determine who is sending in the report. The offices normally know who they can trust and can't trust. They know their spotters.

 

[Jeremy Miller]

It makes me sad to hear of this going on. I also agree that sending false reports of severe weather to NWS offices is a very serious crime and there
should be punishment. I believe the punishment should depend on whos doing it. Whether it be a minor, adult or a storm spotter. I sure hope its not a skywarn member, ST member or a chaser. This would really give us a bad light even more than is being portrayed now by some people acting irresponsibly chasing storms with no due regard for safety.

Just curious, how is EAS activated when NWS issues a watch or warning?.
I always see the "EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED". How does that work?.

Hopefully they'll get this person soon and stop the problem, as well as
putting up a notice on all nws sites that false reports will not be tolerated.

Jer

 

[Tim Vasquez]

The most accurate IP geolocator I've seen to date pins that IP in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. That's right where College of DuPage (and Paul Sirvatka's excellent weather program) is located. It's not a school IP, but I wonder if there's some student there with a home account who's got a grudge.

Tim

 

[Robert Dewey]

Sounds more to me like someone trying to play weather-man. They see an intense storm on radar (perhaps even a weak meso) and call in a TOR or SVR report, keeping the NWS warning active or prompting them to issue a warning.

About the IP address... I'm using a cable modem, and my IP address is coming from Columbus, Ohio. Oddly enough, Google (and other sites) pick me up as being from Canada (or even the UK). It's nearly impossible to track an IP address right down to a specific city - only the ISP can determine that... and why wouldn't this guy just use an anonymous proxy?

 

[Craig Maire II]

I knew it would be only a matter of time before something like this would happen, hope they catch the person or persons who are doing this soon and put an end to this stupidity.

 

[Van DeWald]

Just curious, how is EAS activated when NWS issues a watch or warning?.
I always see the "EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED". How does that work?.

Jeremy,

EAS is activated via the SAME digital tones that accompany all of the warnings. Those are the digitial burts you hear before and after the text of the message.

 

[Ryan McGinnis]

Sounds more to me like someone trying to play weather-man. They see an intense storm on radar (perhaps even a weak meso) and call in a TOR or SVR report, keeping the NWS warning active or prompting them to issue a warning.

About the IP address... I'm using a cable modem, and my IP address is coming from Columbus, Ohio. Oddly enough, Google (and other sites) pick me up as being from Canada (or even the UK). It's nearly impossible to track an IP address right down to a specific city - only the ISP can determine that... and why wouldn't this guy just use an anonymous proxy?

While it's true that geolocation software can be off sometimes, a little manual sleuthing can usually pin down an IP to a general area, unless a network is set up in a way that makes this impossible (VPN, etc.) Google may not know where you're from (Google does this to me sometimes too with my Alltel connection -- you should try posting to Blogger in Finnish!), but someone using a combo of traceroute & whois could probably divine out your general area. Most large ISPs have their networks set up in a way where you can divine out where servers are located.

The FBI, of course, will have no trouble finding this guy, since they can just subpoena the ISP. Unless it's a drive-by wardriver or an exit node of a Tor network or something, their goose is cooked.

 

[Tim Vasquez]

Here is the IP location tool that seems to be the most accurate:
http://www.maxmind.com/app/locate_ip

The lazier sites will just find the location of a data center, but the better sites will use other resources to find where IP ranges are typically assigned (marketing data, etc). There are millions of dollars at stake in this kind of technology because of the ability to upsell it to advertisers. The above site is the only one that gets my IP in the ballpark... all the other ones think I'm in Houston, 2.5 hours south of here.

Tim

 

[Tarmo Tanilsoo]

Here is the IP location tool that seems to be the most accurate:
http://www.maxmind.com/app/locate_ip

The lazier sites will just find the location of a data center, but the better sites will use other resources to find where IP ranges are typically assigned (marketing data, etc). There are millions of dollars at stake in this kind of technology because of the ability to upsell it to advertisers. The above site is the only one that gets my IP in the ballpark... all the other ones think I'm in Houston, 2.5 hours south of here.

Tim

However, it is not so good with International IP's. It thinks that I am 107 miles(straight line direction) far from the location I actually am.

 

[Dave Kaplow]

I was trying to think of a motive for this other than sheer maliciousness and it occurred to me that the motive could conceivably be financial. There are places (mostly overseas) where you can bet on just about anything, including the weather. A bet on, say, the total number of severe thunderstorm warnings issued by the NWS in June would not be out of the question. Who knows, maybe someone is trying to push that number upward? Granted, it's a long shot, I agree it's much more likely to be just some prankster or a spotter with a grudge, but I thought I'd mention it. The world is so crazy today that it wouldn't really surprise me if this did turn out to be a betting scheme. I've certainly heard of much weirder ways that people try and game the system.

 

[Doug Lee]

Scary possibilty

Dave Kaplow's comment got me to thinking of another possibility - a terrorist trying to test the responses of various agencies to emeregency situations. I remember a bomb scare a few months ago, I think somewhere on the East Coast, that some people thought was a terrorist or terror group testing the response times and capabilities of police, fire, ambulance personnel, etc. Maybe someone is thinking of an attack during a severe weather event, when emergency responders are already taxed, and they wanted to test the feasiblity of the plan. I'm not saying that's what it is, but it is a possiblity. I certainly hope it is just someone with a grudge or an ego problem.

 

[Tom Pastrano]

I would be willing to put money on this being a person so obsessed with weather that they are trying to "create" it. I also think they have no idea the serious nature of their crime. I would guess this would be a person under 25 that has some meteorology affiliation.

 

[Ryan McGinnis]

Dave Kaplow's comment got me to thinking of another possibility - a terrorist trying to test the responses of various agencies to emeregency situations. I remember a bomb scare a few months ago, I think somewhere on the East Coast, that some people thought was a terrorist or terror group testing the response times and capabilities of police, fire, ambulance personnel, etc. Maybe someone is thinking of an attack during a severe weather event, when emergency responders are already taxed, and they wanted to test the feasiblity of the plan. I'm not saying that's what it is, but it is a possiblity. I certainly hope it is just someone with a grudge or an ego problem.

This idea is preposterous and I'm sure you're just kidding, but there is something about it that would make a hilarious SNL skit. Imagine a bunch of Al Qaida agents sitting in a tent in the desert, furiously clacking away at a keyboard. "Achmed, that storm is rotating. No, not that one, that one. Right there. Yes! File a false tornado report! Ha! Who's winning the war on terror now, America?"

 

[Brandon Sullivan]

I would be willing to put money on this being a person so obsessed with weather that they are trying to "create" it. I also think they have no idea the serious nature of their crime. I would guess this would be a person under 25 that has some meteorology affiliation.

I agree.. From what I read, they know just what information to include to get a warning out. And they seem to know how to match ideal ground reports from a storm.. (IE) wind reports from a bow echo etc.. It is sad that someone has to decieve the men and women who are out there to protect us.

Y???