Media Portrayal of Severe Weather

[Rob H]

They started broadcasting around 3pm, and didn't stop until the last tor warning was canceled for their DMA. [...]I'm going to go ahead and disagree with you on the coverage in the MN and ND area - most stations I looked at had some sort of blurb or something going.

I think we're talking to slightly different points. Maybe the Fargo area did better - I'm talking specifically about the Twin Cities metro area. I'm also not complaining about the coverage as the event was ongoing, I'm complaining about the forecasts from earlier in the day. At least one Twin Cities TV station and one of the larger radio stations that I heard had forecasts call for "scattered thunderstorms" the morning of, when the SPC already had a moderate risk out. No mention of the word "severe" at all from what I recall hearing, because I remember joining up with my chase partners and conveying to them that I was disappointed with the morning forecasts I had heard.

I know several people that were camping, playing golf, and hiking that day and had no idea that there would be anything worse than these "scattered thunderstorms" from the news that they listened to earlier. A 45% hash for severe winds and hail does not constitute "scattered thunderstorms" and the tornado risk was not that far to the west of the metro area. Wadena is ~140 miles from the metro area, and Buffalo and Blooming Prairie are only 50 miles out. Any slight shift in the UA could have easily brought those storms into the Twin Cities. I'm also guessing that there are plenty of metro listeners/watchers that live, work, or visited near affected areas that day.

You also have to remember - what "WE" as weather geeks deem as being "Important" is different than what Joe or Jane Q. Public deem important. Most people just want to know if their baseball game will be rained out, not what the CAPE or CIN or Craven is. Stations need to cater to the greater public, not the specific needs of one area that is 2 miles by 2 miles.

71 tornado outbreaks with multiple violent tornadoes spread across an entire state would probably be considered important to most people, and this was not a surprise event by any means.

 

[Chris Vagasky]

Do any of your markets talk about SPC and the risks...

Not in Detroit, but WXYZ did have a pretty good expression of the SPC risk in their video here:

http://www.wxyz.com/subindex/weather

 

[Elaine Spencer]

A growing number of stations are contracting out or combining their weather departments for cost-cutting reasons. This can hamper severe weather coverage in small markets.

I no longer have TV, either cable or broadcast (I find everything on the internet anyway), so I can't speak to the quality of TV weather coverage around here. But when severe weather threatens I like to tune to a local AM radio station, WMAY (970), which covers ALL severe weather events live.

When Springfield had those tornadoes in 2006 their lead host/announcer, Jim Leach, stayed on the air all night long with damage reports, new weather bulletins, etc. until all danger of severe weather had passed. Any time there is a tornado threat, they are on the air and start tracking it when it's several counties away.

 

[Shane Adams]

After seeing this thread, and remembering countless ones in the past chastising the OKC market stations for being too good, I have to ask what exactly are you guys looking for?

I think it's universally-accepted that KAKE in Wichita is the one people feel "ok" backing. That is to say, they don't suck like 99.9% of all TV station weather and they're not an OKC station.

 

[Aaron Blaharski]

I did see WXYZ use velocity mode one time, but it was poorly explained, labeled poorly, and later in the same cut-in, they used the 'future radar' product.

They did this last night, at around 23:00 (local time), some kind of overlay on their standard radar image. The explanation given was "these areas of red and green may affect some of you". The only problem, the radar image they were showing with a "LIVE" headline at the top was from at least 45-60 minutes earlier, when the storms were peaking in their intensity.

 

[Sean Ramsey]

So there are places that don't provide live coverage via helicopter of random rain showers? Man I need to get out more often....

 

[Rob H]

Sorry, I need to go back on my previous statement - the coverage *during* was less than stellar also:

http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/showthread.php?t=24623

Quick and dirty: WCCO tracking a dangerous steam trail from a power plant while an EF-4 is on the ground 60 miles to the south.

 

[Jeremy Lemanski]

I'm talking about how local television markets/meteorologists discuss (potential) severe weather events during their newscasts.

Although I am in Oklahoma, and am affiliated with the OKC market, I pay close attention to the market I grew up in - Detroit.

I have been battling frustration for years with the way the meteorologists discuss upcoming severe weather potential, but tonight probably had me frustrated most of all.

With a Day 2 Moderate Risk out, and DTX and GRR talking about the potential of an outbreak, the following quotes that I picked up from two of the three Detroit stations just don't cut it.

Station 1: Some active weather tomorrow afternoon and tomorrow night with some gusty winds.

Station 2: Some strong thunderstorms with the potential for gusty winds and some hail.

It's almost as if "severe weather" is a dirty word up there. Certainly, having only 1-2 minutes in the newscast for main weather (which is what I've seen in the Detroit market) doesn't help matters, but if there is a threat of significant severe weather for the area, I'm fighting that news director for extra time to discuss the potential event.

Maybe Rob Dale and some of the other Michigan contingent can pipe in on this, as well.

One of these days, a big event is going to happen in Southern Michigan, and there will be significant damage and lives lost (remember July 2, 1997?)...and if we only talk about 'strong thunderstorms' or 'active weather' ...we don't have the public prepared.

when i use to get detroit stations, they were always behind the smaller market around flint and saginaw/bay city in terms of coverage.

the one time i remember wall to wall from a detroit station, and i think it was wdiv, was during the 5-21-01 outbreak of mini supercells across the metro.

 

[J Tyler]

I have been an on air talent in the media for 28 years (at the network for 17).

Oklahoma City has the BEST severe weather coverage in the country. Period. But, that is because the majority of their viewers WANT severe weather coverage. When Gary England does wall to wall coverage of a rotating wall cloud 80 miles west of Oklahoma City, the viewers are rivited to the TV.

But....when KXII TV12 tried to cover a confirmed tornado on the ground in THEIR viewing area, this is just one of the phone calls they got:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZJd...&p=A3F1CA9C4883B1D3&playnext_from=PL&index=10

 

[Shane Adams]

I have been an on air talent in the media for 28 years (at the network for 17).

Oklahoma City has the BEST severe weather coverage in the country. Period. But, that is because the majority of their viewers WANT severe weather coverage. When Gary England does wall to wall coverage of a rotating wall cloud 80 miles west of Oklahoma City, the viewers are rivited to the TV.

But....when KXII TV12 tried to cover a confirmed tornado on the ground in THEIR viewing area, this is just one of the phone calls they got:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZJd...&p=A3F1CA9C4883B1D3&playnext_from=PL&index=10

I can't be 100% sure, but I'm 99.9% sure I know who that caller is. I went to school with her, and she used to call the Debris Show regularly last Winter. I'm kinda shocked at that phone call considering her position on public warnings, at least the ones she expressed on one of our shows. Then again, maybe it's not her.

 

[Jesse Risley]

I really wish TWC would hire this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCcp3Stq_VQ