Firing of 800 NOAA Employees

[Mike Smith]

I'm sorry to report there's been another fatal, poorly-warned tornado. It was in Kentucky this morning.

Kentucky Fatal Tornado Inadequately Warned By the National Weather Service

Another strong ( ≥EF-2), fatal tornado occurred in Kentucky this morning. Details here . Unfortunately, it lacked an advance tornado warning...

www.mikesmithenterprisesblog.com

 

[Randy Zipser]

I'm sorry to report there's been another fatal, poorly-warned tornado. It was in Kentucky this morning.

Kentucky Fatal Tornado Inadequately Warned By the National Weather Service

Another strong ( ≥EF-2), fatal tornado occurred in Kentucky this morning. Details here . Unfortunately, it lacked an advance tornado warning...

www.mikesmithenterprisesblog.com

I was unaware of this KY event, and am saddened by the loss of life. However, it reminded me of a similar situation a few years ago (I do not recall the date) where three isolated supercells developed in a N-S orientation from SW KS to the TX Panhandle in the summer after the usual "dryline" tornado season, all within an existing Severe Thunderstorm Watch (STW) box. As I recall, although the VWP was weak in terms of speed and shear and low-level moisture was marginal for thunderstorm development that afternoon, 500mb temps were quite cold for that time of year, so the DDC NWSFO issued a STW for large hail and damaging straight-line winds as the primary hazards. The southernmost of these three supercells "blew up" right over Perryton, TX, and within literally minutes produced a very large, destructive tornado right over that town. It all happened so fast that there was barely enough time for either the DDC or AMA NWS offices to issue a Tornado Warning, despite radar indication. The tornado was already OG and doing damage.

The key takeaway from this event (and others like it) lies in better education of the public. The NWS needs to do a better job, especially in tornado-prone regions, of making the pubic understand that when a STW box is issued, tornadoes can and do occur, sometimes suddenly, within and near the STW area. If a STW (rather than a Tornado Watch) is issued for your area, always assume that a tornado is possible, no mattter what season of the year.

Bottom line: The NWS needs to do a better job of messaging, along with their primary duties of issuing watches and warning to, the public, and the public needs to do its part by taking all watches and warnings seriously and preparing for the worst case, even if less-likely or unexpected to occur. It is a "two-way street," so to speak, between the NWS and the public...so not all the blame can or should be placed on the NWS in every case when situations like this occur. BTW, the SPC already does an excellent job in their Convective Outlooks and Meso Discussions using language to the effect "all hazards are possible, including a strong tornado." The local NWS offices should always convey that same sense of urgency when they issue their local watches, and in the case of issuing a tornado warning, before a radar indication (debris ball) is confirmed with a visual siting of a tornado.

 

[Randy Zipser]

However, it reminded me of a similar situation a few years ago (I do not recall the date) where three isolated supercells developed in a N-S orientation from SW KS to the TX Panhandle in the summer after the usual "dryline" tornado season, all within an existing Severe Thunderstorm Watch (STW) box.

The date of that event when Perryton was struck was June 15, 2023. There were three fatalities in Perryton as a result of this tornado, which, according to the AMA NWS, cut an eight-mile long path before lifting. Storm chasers Brian Emfinger of LSM and Jeff Piotrowski (if memory serves me correctly) witnessed and videoed this tornado.

 

[Mike Smith]

all within an existing Severe Thunderstorm Watch (STW) box.... The southernmost of these three supercells "blew up" right over Perryton, TX

Randy: Thanks for the Perryton info.

There was no watch of any kind yesterday.

[I have deleted the rest of my reply to you because I'm not sure what time the tornado began]. The NWS still hasn't released it (after saying the survey was complete by 4pm yesterday), which -- based on past experience -- indicates it is bad news.

Mike

 

[Randy Zipser]

Randy: Thanks for the Perryton info.

There was no watch of any kind yesterday.

[I have deleted the rest of my reply to you because I'm not sure what time the tornado began]. The NWS still hasn't released it (after saying the survey was complete by 4pm yesterday), which -- based on past experience -- indicates it is bad news.

Mike

Thanks for the clarification, Mike. I checked Storm Reports on the SPC website but saw only one reported tornado yesterday, near Loudon, TN (nothing in KY). If you get any more details about this, please let us know.

 

[Mike Smith]

This is what was posted around 4pm yesterday.

 

[Randy Zipser]

This is what was posted around 4pm yesterday.

As 6/1/2025, Storm Reports on the SPC website shows these details for the KY tornado on May 29th (not May 30th, as I had mistakenly understood):
3 miles ENE of Texas, KY in Washington County
1 Fatality, 14 Injuries
EF-2
450 yard width
5.55 mile path length
Time occurred: 1049

 

[Mike Smith]

Time occurred: 1049

Yet another tornado that magically begins the exact moment the warning is issued.

Thanks for the info, Randy.

 

[Randy Zipser]

Yet another tornado that magically begins the exact moment the warning is issued.

Thanks for the info, Randy.

Yes, and there even appears to be some discrepancy of the date this tornado occurred between the SPC Storm Reports (May 29th) and the NWS Louisville office survey map you show in Post #186 ("Damage Surveys for May 30th Storms"). Just sloppy work from the NWS SDF or possibly a case of a staff overwhelmed due to staffing cuts?

 

[Randy Jennings]

CNN posted a story today that "after losing more than 560 employees to layoffs and early retirement incentives earlier this year, the National Weather Service has received permission to hire about 125 new meteorologists and specialists for its forecast offices around the country." The story also mentions that "the weather service is also still moving forward with a stopgap measure of transferring meteorologists from well-staffed offices to ones that are down multiple meteorologists, radar technicians and other specialists" and says the new hires will be done after the transfers.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/02/weather/nws-rehiring-meteorologists

 

[Randy Zipser]

Here are two CNN news stories, one about the KY "unexpected" tornado on May 29th and the other a late-breaking (from a few minutes ago) story aired about the head of FEMA "being unaware that the US has a hurricane season." Unbelievable...

 

[Mike Smith]

head of FEMA "being unaware that the US has a hurricane season."

We don't know if he was being sarcastic or ironic when he said that.

Regardless, given the horrible non-performance of FEMA over the years, having administrators who knew about Hurricane Season didn't seem to help.

 

[Randy Zipser]

We don't know if he was being sarcastic or ironic when he said that.

Agreed, Mike, but thoughtless comments from the agency head, if even in jest, do nothing to inspire confidence in the staff, which is already in turmoil, not to mention that he had to be aware that the press would scrutinize his remarks...

BTW, Mike, can you please tell me what day that Kentucky tornado actually occurred: May 29th or May 30th? SPC shows Thursday morning, May 29th, but everyone else, including the CNN story in Post #191 above, says Friday, May 30th?

 

[Mike Smith]

BTW, Mike, can you please tell me what day that Kentucky tornado actually occurred: May 29th or May 30th? SPC shows Thursday morning, May 29th, but everyone else, including the CNN story in Post #191 above, says Friday, May 30th?

May 30. The appropriate tornado warning is attached.

 

[Randy Zipser]

May 30. The appropriate tornado warning is attached.

Thanks, Mike. I wonder why the SPC's Storm Reports shows this event on May 29th? An error, I'm assuming.

Regarding Post #193 above, here is what today's Wall Street Journal had to say about FEMA's hurricane planning and response: