Legislation to Create a National Disaster Review Board
- Thread starter Mike Smith
- Start date
Jason N
EF4
what do you think this is based on? a shift in the budget to focus on AGW/Climate issues? global interests that turn attention away from national ones? a shift in the desire to replace human for AI? or just bad management by sycophants getting caught up in bad politics? and how long has this been really going on? .. it seems to me from my outside looking in, that it has to be more than several years now.
Mike Smith
EF5
Even among my retired NWS friends who agree forecasts are getting worse and the NWS and there is a lot currently wrong in the NWS, very few agree as to the reason. This is part of why I am pushing so hard for the NDRB.
It is just like FEMA and "confiscating relief supplies." I can't possibly imagine why they would do that but almost every major disaster is followed by accusations of FEMA doing just that. We need an expert, neutral board to investigate all of this and recommend fixes.
Additional thought: One thing just about all they agree on is that training, especially as regard tornado warnings and radar in general are a big problem. From ~1992 to the early 2000's the NWS had a 5-week radar/warning school in OKC. That was disbanded the the training hasn't been the same since (according to several retirees). So, as my generation retired, they not only took the experience, they took the training with them.
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Jason N
EF4
could that be fixed or addressed as part of a normal upgrade training requirement from GS 7,9,11 journeyman and an annual operational refresher course at GS12?... I assume 13's and above probably on the whole do a lot less operational work?
Mike Smith
EF5
Perhaps, but the problems are far deeper than that.
Ben Holcomb
EF5
Mike is the best meteorologist in the OKC Metro market and it isn't even close.
Jamie H
EF3
Given the outcome of the election, this could be very important moving forwards as neither NOAA or the NWS are necessarily safe anymore. Project 2025 says:
Sounds reasonable?
Except the 'studies' are based on ForecastWatch's report on private providers, and does not use the NWS as part of this! I very much hope NOAA and the NWS are not changed, because they provide incredible information, publicly available, for free. Privatising this would be a travesty. If members are contacting their local representatives about a NDRB, also let them know you appreciate what you have!
(Hope this is reasonably on track for this thread).
Jason N
EF4
irrespective of P2025, assuming any of that actually happens in reality despite there being printing of the intent, there is part of me that both agrees and disagrees with your post respectfully.
In my opinion, market competition almost always increases success, but I agree the NWS system in place has over time due to its inherent connection with national budgets, provided a lot of good quality data for free and certainly valuable services to boot. However, if the inherent capabilities of the NWS are corroding, and it can be documented that private organizations have better verification statistics, Why would I want to keep an organization if the very information that is critical to national infrastructure, resource protection, and human safety has noticeably degraded over years and years?
due to whatever the internal issues are, as I don't really see inside that organization too deeply, I think there is a valid reason to question its existence (even if it's a mere internal/external shakeup, it's time for operational inspections and a federal review commission). Granted I am not advocating for NWS dissolution, I am simply saying, free information or not, if the quality of the output sucks, there is reason to question leadership, culture, and product at a minimum.
Ben Holcomb
EF5
Is the organization as-is really working for the people right now? It's okay to have those conversations like an adult. Technology has changed significantly in the past 20-30 years since the last reorg, why not discuss a vision at least?
Mike Smith
EF5
It turns out the rumors were true: FEMA leadership ordered its employees not to call on homes with Trump signs in the yard!
www.mikesmithenterprisesblog.com
Is there anyone left who doesn't think we need a NDRB? If so, I'd sincerely like to hear your reasons.
FEMA Ordered Employees NOT to Visit Homes With Trump Signs
What was suspected by many has now been confirmed: FEMA ordered its people in Florida not to call on, and offer relief to , homes with Tru...
Is there anyone left who doesn't think we need a NDRB? If so, I'd sincerely like to hear your reasons.
Mike Smith
EF5
On a related topic: We had a tornado watch for SW Oklahoma and north Texas today with no tornadoes.
There was no tornado watch for the pre-dawn Sunday tornadoes in central Oklahoma. Strong tornadoes.
I made another request for SPC's verification statistics and I've not heard anything yet. Unless I hear back fairly soon, I suspect the silence tells us what we need to know.
An expert NDRB has the potential to help guide future administrations in fixing these problems.
There was no tornado watch for the pre-dawn Sunday tornadoes in central Oklahoma. Strong tornadoes.
I made another request for SPC's verification statistics and I've not heard anything yet. Unless I hear back fairly soon, I suspect the silence tells us what we need to know.
An expert NDRB has the potential to help guide future administrations in fixing these problems.
Mike Smith
EF5
While I have no special connection to President-Elect Trump, I have been contacted by several people to offer suggestions regarding NWS/NOAA. Here they are: To President-Elect Trump: Recommendations for NOAA and the National Weather Service
John Farley
Supporter
That was one rogue manager, who was not authorized to do anything of the sort by top FEMA leadership.It turns out the rumors were true: FEMA leadership ordered its employees not to call on homes with Trump signs in the yard!
FEMA Ordered Employees NOT to Visit Homes With Trump Signs
What was suspected by many has now been confirmed: FEMA ordered its people in Florida not to call on, and offer relief to , homes with Tru...
Is there anyone left who doesn't think we need a NDRB? If so, I'd sincerely like to hear your reasons.
Mike Smith
EF5
That's not what she says. She released a video this afternoon that said she was ordered to do it by people higher up and that it is happening all over North Carolina, which corresponds to what I have personally been told by people on the ground there.
John Farley
Supporter
So at this point it is a he said-she said situation, at best. Certainly self-serving for her to say that. I am sure a lot of people, based in part on their political inclinations, believe that - there were all kinds of rumors and disinformation - but that does not make it so. In general, state and local officials not only in NC but also in other states with Republican leadership have said that the FEMA response was good. I think one reason your Disaster Review Board is a good idea is that it could sort through rumors and disinformation and distinguish facts from rumors and disinformation.