On 7/6/2025 12:20 PM, AlleyCat wrote:
Experts say staff shortages might have complicated forecasters’
ability to coordinate responses with local emergency management
officials.
By Christopher Flavelle
Published July 5, 2025 | Updated July 6, 2025, 12:40 p.m. ET
Crucial positions at the local offices of the National Weather Service
were unfilled as severe rainfall inundated parts of Central Texas on
Friday morning, prompting some experts to question whether staffing
shortages made it harder for the forecasting agency to coordinate with
local emergency managers as floodwaters rose.
Texas officials appeared to blame the Weather Service for issuing
forecasts on Wednesday that underestimated how much rain was coming.
But former Weather Service officials said the forecasts were as good
as could be expected, given the enormous levels of rainfall and the
storm’s unusually abrupt escalation.
The staffing shortages suggested a separate problem, those former
officials said — the loss of experienced people who would typically
have helped communicate with local authorities in the hours after
flash flood warnings were issued overnight.
The shortages are among the factors likely to be scrutinized as the
death toll climbs from the floods. Separate questions have emerged
about the preparedness of local communities, including Kerr County’s
apparent lack of a local flood warning system. The county, roughly 50
miles northwest of San Antonio, is where many of the deaths occurred.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/05/us/politics/texas-floods-warnings-
vacancies.html?unlocked_article_code=1.UU8.FmX-.UqCT2EXTloky&smid=url-share >>
Trump is to blame for gutting the NWS, of course. Trump is not to
blame for shithole red Kerr County in shithole red Texas not having a
flood warning system. The stupid Trump-supporting locals are to blame.
Yep, it's impossible to fine-tune any organization so that it is 100% efficient, which means, that to be fully staffed, any organization needs
to be over-staffed, if only by a little bit.
Of course, we'll never know with absolute certainty if any additional
NWS forecasters would have saved these hundreds of living human beings
from the horrific & terrifying deaths that they all experienced; their pitiless screams, tears & cries have, along with them, been forever lost.
Dawn
On 7/9/2025 1:52 PM, chine.bleu wrote:
Dawn Flood wrote:
On 7/6/2025 12:20 PM, AlleyCat wrote:
Experts say staff shortages might have complicated forecasters’
ability to coordinate responses with local emergency management
officials.
By Christopher Flavelle
Published July 5, 2025 | Updated July 6, 2025, 12:40 p.m. ET
Crucial positions at the local offices of the National Weather Service >>>> were unfilled as severe rainfall inundated parts of Central Texas on
Friday morning, prompting some experts to question whether staffing
shortages made it harder for the forecasting agency to coordinate with >>>> local emergency managers as floodwaters rose.
Texas officials appeared to blame the Weather Service for issuing
forecasts on Wednesday that underestimated how much rain was coming.
But former Weather Service officials said the forecasts were as good
as could be expected, given the enormous levels of rainfall and the
storm’s unusually abrupt escalation.
The staffing shortages suggested a separate problem, those former
officials said — the loss of experienced people who would typically
have helped communicate with local authorities in the hours after
flash flood warnings were issued overnight.
The shortages are among the factors likely to be scrutinized as the
death toll climbs from the floods. Separate questions have emerged
about the preparedness of local communities, including Kerr County’s >>>> apparent lack of a local flood warning system. The county, roughly 50
miles northwest of San Antonio, is where many of the deaths occurred.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/05/us/politics/texas-floods-warnings-
vacancies.html?
unlocked_article_code=1.UU8.FmX-.UqCT2EXTloky&smid=url-share
Trump is to blame for gutting the NWS, of course. Trump is not to
blame for shithole red Kerr County in shithole red Texas not having a
flood warning system. The stupid Trump-supporting locals are to blame.
Yep, it's impossible to fine-tune any organization so that it is 100%
efficient, which means, that to be fully staffed, any organization needs >>> to be over-staffed, if only by a little bit.
Of course, we'll never know with absolute certainty if any additional
NWS forecasters would have saved these hundreds of living human beings
from the horrific & terrifying deaths that they all experienced; their
pitiless screams, tears & cries have, along with them, been forever
lost.
Dawn
They are the adults in the room.
Hi Siri,
It's been awhile. Having said that, I don't understand your comment;
likely, the adults were screaming, too, at least some of them.
Dawn
On 7/10/2025 4:08 PM, chine.bleu wrote:
Dawn Flood wrote:
On 7/9/2025 1:52 PM, chine.bleu wrote:
Dawn Flood wrote:
On 7/6/2025 12:20 PM, AlleyCat wrote:
Experts say staff shortages might have complicated forecasters’
ability to coordinate responses with local emergency management
officials.
By Christopher Flavelle
Published July 5, 2025 | Updated July 6, 2025, 12:40 p.m. ET
Crucial positions at the local offices of the National Weather
Service
were unfilled as severe rainfall inundated parts of Central Texas on >>>>>> Friday morning, prompting some experts to question whether staffing >>>>>> shortages made it harder for the forecasting agency to coordinate
with
local emergency managers as floodwaters rose.
Texas officials appeared to blame the Weather Service for issuing
forecasts on Wednesday that underestimated how much rain was coming. >>>>>> But former Weather Service officials said the forecasts were as good >>>>>> as could be expected, given the enormous levels of rainfall and the >>>>>> storm’s unusually abrupt escalation.
The staffing shortages suggested a separate problem, those former
officials said — the loss of experienced people who would typically >>>>>> have helped communicate with local authorities in the hours after
flash flood warnings were issued overnight.
The shortages are among the factors likely to be scrutinized as the >>>>>> death toll climbs from the floods. Separate questions have emerged >>>>>> about the preparedness of local communities, including Kerr County’s >>>>>> apparent lack of a local flood warning system. The county, roughly 50 >>>>>> miles northwest of San Antonio, is where many of the deaths occurred. >>>>>>
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/05/us/politics/texas-floods-warnings- >>>>>> vacancies.html?
unlocked_article_code=1.UU8.FmX-.UqCT2EXTloky&smid=url-share
Trump is to blame for gutting the NWS, of course. Trump is not to
blame for shithole red Kerr County in shithole red Texas not having a >>>>>> flood warning system. The stupid Trump-supporting locals are to
blame.
Yep, it's impossible to fine-tune any organization so that it is 100% >>>>> efficient, which means, that to be fully staffed, any organization
needs
to be over-staffed, if only by a little bit.
Of course, we'll never know with absolute certainty if any additional >>>>> NWS forecasters would have saved these hundreds of living human beings >>>>> from the horrific & terrifying deaths that they all experienced; their >>>>> pitiless screams, tears & cries have, along with them, been forever
lost.
Dawn
They are the adults in the room.
Hi Siri,
It's been awhile. Having said that, I don't understand your comment;
likely, the adults were screaming, too, at least some of them.
Dawn
I do not claim them to be intelligent or mature adults, but they are
the ones who want to be in charge, so they represent the county, and
it is their decisions children have to live with.
A long time policy of Congress is to take a little from other states
to protect people in the target state.
States can get stuck with unfortunate geology, weather, insects. Good
neighbours help, but it is still up to the state to identify needs,
propose solutions, and pay at least a part of it.
Agreed. On this one, however, the county officials were warned, and
they acted in a stupid manner, perhaps due to the people electing them
being stupid, also. Maybe this is federalism at its finest?? Maybe
less emphasis on Jesus and more on mathematics may have been helpful,
also?! Goes without saying that if one is near a river during heavy
rain that is occurring upstream, it's best to move away from it. In the
end, I suspect that the search & rescue/recovery will cost far more than
the proposed flood warning system that the county rejected over 5 years
ago. It's ironic that the federal government is willing to spend
millions on the recovery of dead bodies but not on proactive systems to
save living human beings, which everyone views as being a "local" issue.
(End ramble.)
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