Joplin, MO 116 dead and the count is not finished.
“Tornado warnings' effectiveness questioned after deadly twister
By the CNN Wire Staff
May 24, 2011 6:58 a.m. EDT
“Despite warnings, watches and sirens, at least 116 people were killed when the twister roared through the southwestern Missouri city early Sunday evening. While insisting that forecasters' alerts went according to plan, the head of the National Weather Service said Monday that the plan -- and how it is communicated -- was not effective enough.
"We need to ask ourselves, what can we do to protect Americans?" said Jack Hayes, the federal agency's director. "I have to say, it's not enough. We have to do more…"
““Despite warnings, watches and sirens, at least 116 people were killed when the twister Hayes notes that the transmissions of such warnings have improved, such that they go out as easily as "a forecaster can push a button." But beyond getting people to take such warnings seriously, the problems arise when people don't receive such messages even if they're communicated via outlets like TV or online.
The weather service director said his agency is working to have alerts sent automatically to cell phones, even though others without a cell phone might benefit more from automated calls to their home phone.
And finding that way -- or multiple ways -- to reach everyone is key, Hayes said. "We've got to keep everyone in mind."
That means rethinking, perhaps, the entire system. Joplin, after all, wasn't the only place that has seen mass fatalities this year after a tornado swept through despite concerted preventing efforts. Last month's tornado that hit Hackleburg and Phil Campbell, Alabama killed 78 people, while the one that struck Tuscaloosa and Birmingham killed 61.”
Cassi Creek:
As the death toll mounts, the cry goes out for a “better warning system. We need some system that will somehow, almost magically, warn every citizen in the projected path of a tornado to seek immediate shelter. The system must be foolproof and have zero false positive alerts assured, so that the general populace will not become complacent, bored, or distrustful of the warning system.
The cable television networks can be relied upon unless the subscriber is watching movies, premium channels, or playing video games. However, not all storms occur in an urban area, and most small cities don’t have local TV stations with 24-hour real-time weather capability. So NWS automated warnings may not make it onto the TV screen.
In an urban center, smart phones may be a partial solution. But not all residents will be equipped with smart phones. We are among many older citizens who use cell phones only for phone calls, not for text messages or other functions. Many people who do have cell phones live in areas that lack service. We are surrounded by a steep valley. Cell phones don’t work at our house unless we have a powered booster connected to our internet /cable feed. If we lose power, we lose TV, Cable, internet, and cell phones. If we’re really lucky and our landline service is intact, we can reach the outside world.
We don’t listen to commercial radio. PBS stations may reach our region or may not. We are 30 miles from the nearest warning siren, if it has power.
What remains for us, NOAA radio. Even in our steep-walled valley, it provides us with warnings as soon as the local NWS service issues them. With no power after the first 27 April tornado, I still had NOAA radio providing me with sufficient warning to get Gloria into what passes for shelter here.
The biggest problem to overcome is complacency. People don’t realize what tornado watches and warnings actually mean. They’ve heard too many warnings that didn’t lead to an EF-5 assault on life. They fail to recognize that the next warning may have their name on it. They don’t want to change their routine because of bad weather. They think that previous lack of tornadoes at point A means it will never happen. They think that tornadoes don’t repeat tracks. Complacency and just plain stupidity kill more people than are killed because of unheard warnings.
We need to improve our ability to forecast tornadoes. That may take decades. We can improve some of our notification methods. But we will never eliminate failure to listen to warning. We will never eliminate failure to avail one’s self of all the storm warning options.
At this point, equipping every dwelling with some sort of storm bunker will go a long way toward reducing deaths. It’s expensive, difficult, and will be ignored by far too many. For a storm like the Joplin tornado of 22 May, in too many instances, there was no safe shelter. Against EF-3’s, EF-4’s. and EF-5’s, only bomb shelters will suffice. Duck and Cover, while you can.
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