Helene's Lasting Impacts

And more tropical trouble in the gulf brewing?

It is very sobering for someone who chases down significant weather events to see such a hugely impactful storm on both lives and property. Watching the horror unfold from Helene should be a wake-up call to the entire weather enterprise that, no matter how good a forecast is technical, the goal is to get people to act on it to save lives.

Scientists/forecasters forecast Helene well, but there is a disconnect between them and people taking action. I have long been a proponent of more research and work on a forecast's communication/action stage. There is a lot of work to do there to ensure that suitable information is reaching folks in at-risk areas from trusted messengers.

The ongoing work in this part of weather forecasting will likely bear much fruit. As always, be sure to have multiple ways to get weather information and warnings and an action plan based on your area's local risks.

The Big 3