Preparation is important. And when it comes to serious weather phenomena, I have always been in the “better safe than sorry” camp. Snowstorms, hurricanes, floods, heat waves, windstorms, and other events can be life-threatening in their most severe forms.
So when weather authorities, assisted by the media, report that severe weather is coming, I tend to take notice.
But lately, there have been a lot of these warnings. In my area, we’ve learned to respect the words “atmospheric river”. It’s a newer term that suggests there is a Noah’s flood-type inundation of rain on the way, a river of dark grey clouds pregnant with more moisture than a small ocean. We used to call these things wet storms, but that wasn’t dramatic enough for the media and the forecasting people.
To their credit, since that “atmospheric river” term became widespread, there have been some storms that did arrive with a lot of moisture, wind, or both. In that sense, the warnings proved helpful. They may have aided peoples’ preparation and perhaps even saved lives. That’s the way these weather service warnings and media attention are supposed to work.
But at other times, I find myself questioning the decision to issue warnings. On several occasions, I have found myself within the geographical warning areas for high winds, flash floods, and the like. The media have not wasted the opportunity to play up the dangers and what they seem to portray as near-historic levels of moisture or wind in the upcoming forecast. On several occasions, those storms have veered away or sputtered to where either the wind hasn’t arrived at all or rain showers have lasted only a couple of hours.
Even if I’m not in the National Weather Service warning area for a particular weather event, the local media have been hyping the storms anyway. They can almost invariably find some meteorologist or college professor who has looked at the storm models and suggests that this coming storm could produce more wind than we’ve seen in two decades (even though, when it finally arrives, it’s often less than an average afternoon of wind).
This media hype has gotten more common in the last couple of years. I sympathize with the media’s need to attract viewers and consumers. And I am more comfortable with “better safe than sorry”, especially in an era where weather phenomena seem to be more extreme than ever before. But even I think they are going too far with the volume of these repeated warnings.
The cautionary children’s tale of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” from Aesop’s Fables applies here. Too much alarmism may be seen as a lie, even if it’s sometimes true. Even though forecasting possible weather scenarios is meant in good faith, often because there is some element of possible risk in the outcome of the forecast models, too much alarmism will backfire.
In sensationalizing more and more storm stories, what forecasters and the media are doing is de-sensitizing people to the warnings. And in the end, though their job is to warn us, over hyping things could be far more dangerous. People who are de-sensitized to risks are more prone to dismiss potential danger.
Hopefully, those authorities are mindful of that balance, continuing to warn us when there is cause to do so, but not overselling the quantity of severity of those warnings. They don’t need to be right about the outcome all of the time because weather is unpredictable. But if they are wrong about more and more hyped forecasts, people will have a harder time believing them when it counts.
Images are public domain.
I've noticed this trend too, I've even found myself rolling my eyes at the weathermen more often than not, and you're right, being desensitized, at least in my case, has led to ignoring warnings. Particularly in NY during winter I always find myself thinking- it's snow, there is always a lot of snow in NY.
k sera
That's how it is now. We expect a certain amount of it is overplayed.
I fully agree Tom. Same goes where I live. Meteorologists and media tend to "overreact" just to draw attention at times...
That doesn't mean of course that they (meteorologists) have an easy job to do. All it takes is a slight change in the direction of the wind, and that storm that was about to strike at your area in a blink of an eye is to the next city...where they thought they were safe...
I heard a few days back on the news that in North America temperature dipped as low as -56 C and at the same time in Australia it was +51 C...crazy stuff
Bottom line is, environment and atmosphere is fucked up for good...
That's our accomplishment...
Nature's revenge...
Well said. Yes, we have messed it up and maybe our payback is not only more severe weather but more sensationalized stories about it.
I think a lot of this happens with hurricanes as well. Not that it isn't catastrophic where the eyewall lands and all of that, but looking at the satellite image with the weather forecasters covering the things 24/7, you would think an area 100x as big is going to get washed away to sea. Sunshine and rainbows just doesn't sell apparently
Yes, that's right, though hurricanes are dangerous enough that we might excuse some margin for error there.
Excellent review @donkeypong and I completely agree with you that the weather forecasts in the media are very important for people, as it can save someone’s life, but when the media is abusing these for the sake of reytengov and advertising, I think it becomes even criminal intent because it is impossible to mislead people in this way!
Indeed, meteorologists are not doing the right thing, when there really is a dangerous situation, people will not take it seriously. I watch the weather on proven sites that give accurate weather. But if I look at the weather on others, it will be the opposite :)
The humanity should take more care about the planet
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Though I've read it twice to understand perfectly what you're saying but I think over hyping makes more sense than de sensitising, and you have said it all too.
To quote you "over hyping things could be far more dangerous. People who are de-sensitized to risks are more prone to dismiss potential danger**".
It's better safe than sorry for them too, what if it wasn't hyped and many took it for granted, only to later sue the media for negligence of information. How do you see to that.
Hello Friend how are you? these crazy climates that are presenting, many catalog them as bad omen, I think that in any way nature is wise only she knows why these things happen and we will always see these types of climates
Regards!
@donkeypong, Well said and I completely agree with you. I always attention with daily weather report of news broadcast and weather authorities. Natural disasters can be anytime without inform. Peoples need to follow safer way preserve their own life and reduce some losses of properties. Glad to hear you followed perfect way to be safe.
Luckily most people have some common sense left.
They do. When people pay attention, it fosters critical thinking.
They do. When people
Pay attention, it fosters
Critical thinking.
- donkeypong
I'm a bot. I detect haiku.
The media is just too good over sensationalizing anything just for their own interests @donkeypong and it includes the weather issue which also had been a tool for Politicking but I might say that the weather had been changed lately for the reason that I experienced it myself after our home is getting flooded after a hard rain.
So we just have to do is to be ready at all times and avoid low-lying areas or near the beach in a hurricane path or hi-way.
nice article.. 👍 we should b aware of daily weather broadcast as diaster is always an invited guest..
we should also take care of our environment... just because of our carelessness, the global warming is increasing, due to which unwanted condition of weather is happening..
@donkeypong i really like to appreciate you for article.. 👍
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Ohooo weather looks so dengerous. Hopefully everyone will be save and going the other side of city. Life is very unique. God gives you life only one time. Peoples must follow the weather guide lines. Some day ago i see the new and usa weater some area -56. Thats not good for over health. I live in pakistan hottest area but save.
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For a few days the weather is getting worse, it is a painful cause, because of the bad weather, people can have many problems and people can not get out of the house. Flood Storm,Storm, Rain can take it very awful to know from the Wawa Office.
I think that if the weather is bad then,it can be very catastrophic for the environment because the weather should not be bad for a long time, which can be eliminated by human suffering, people can lead a very difficult life.
When we came to know that there are warnings from the Directorate of Meteorology for several days, rain storm,storm, winds can end in the rain. It is very terrible when every person needs to go to safety and shelter and they have to be careful while living up to their safety.
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I am fully suport you.you are right.The weather knock to be dangerous.I am also follow this.
Great advice
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