I have received several emails regarding yesterday's post pertaining to the start of the 2013 Atlantic basin Tropical Storm/Hurricane season, all of which expressed concerns that I might be "...scaring some people by over hyping" this year's hurricane season, especially in light all our neighbor's sensitivity to this subject as a result of Hurricane Sandy and the damage our community sustained as a result of that storm seven months ago.
Additionally, one email suggested that I stop "playing weatherman" and find something more constructive to do with my time as they ..."can turn their radio to 1010 WINS anytime they want to hear a weather forecast."
Rather than respond to each individual email I have decided to explain post our response on the site for everyone to see.
Shortly after Hurricane Irene struck Broad Channel back in August of 2011, I decided to establish a protocol for this site regarding significant weather phenomena which would allow me to identify any serious weather risk to this community as early as possible and then closely monitor and continually assess that system to ascertain its possible impact on the Broad Channel community.
We have established a system of long range alerts and advisories from various governmental and private weather sources (National Hurricane Center, NOAA, National Weather Service, StormPulse, Wunderground, etc.) which provides us with long range storm forecasting from a variety of computer forecast models
When the facts indicate a weather threat to our area is possible, a system is in place to issue automatic routed alerts and follow up advisories to all our neighbors via postings on this site, twitter, face book and emails providing everyone with clear visuals and an analysis of the risk.
Rather than "over hyping" a particular weather event, it is our intent to provide a proactive and timely informational response to these type weather conditions.
Our system was in place when Hurricane Sandy struck our town back on October 29, 2012, and, as it turned out, it worked better than expected..
Early on the morning of October 22nd, eight days prior to Sandy hitting our area, a tropical depression formed in the Caribbean. Because of the peculiar "tracks" some computer models were generating indicating that this system would soon evolve into a tropical storm that would track up the coast and then turn towards the mainland at the time of high tide, we posted alerts at noon that same day under the heading Tropical Depression 18 (Soon to be Tropical Storm Sandy)...this storm bears watching.... and then continually monitored the storm issuing updates with visuals and analysis right up until impact.
It was not until two days later, on October 24th, that the local news media outlets started to earnestly cover the possibility of this system hitting us.
It wasn't that they did not have access to the same information and data we were looking at, it was simply a case of the local main stream news outlets not wanting to "over hype" the pending storm and then look foolish if it happened to change course and head out to see.
As stated above, our intent is to simply provide a proactive and timely local community informational response to these type conditions. In doing so, if we post information that ultimately proves incorrect, we will immediately correct same.
In closing, it was not our intention to scare any of our neighbors still recovering from Sandy nor do we believe we are "over hyping" he start of the 2013 hurricane season.
After Sandy's storm surge, I truly believe forewarned is forearmed!
Additionally, one email suggested that I stop "playing weatherman" and find something more constructive to do with my time as they ..."can turn their radio to 1010 WINS anytime they want to hear a weather forecast."
Rather than respond to each individual email I have decided to explain post our response on the site for everyone to see.
Shortly after Hurricane Irene struck Broad Channel back in August of 2011, I decided to establish a protocol for this site regarding significant weather phenomena which would allow me to identify any serious weather risk to this community as early as possible and then closely monitor and continually assess that system to ascertain its possible impact on the Broad Channel community.
We have established a system of long range alerts and advisories from various governmental and private weather sources (National Hurricane Center, NOAA, National Weather Service, StormPulse, Wunderground, etc.) which provides us with long range storm forecasting from a variety of computer forecast models
When the facts indicate a weather threat to our area is possible, a system is in place to issue automatic routed alerts and follow up advisories to all our neighbors via postings on this site, twitter, face book and emails providing everyone with clear visuals and an analysis of the risk.
Rather than "over hyping" a particular weather event, it is our intent to provide a proactive and timely informational response to these type weather conditions.
Our system was in place when Hurricane Sandy struck our town back on October 29, 2012, and, as it turned out, it worked better than expected..
Early on the morning of October 22nd, eight days prior to Sandy hitting our area, a tropical depression formed in the Caribbean. Because of the peculiar "tracks" some computer models were generating indicating that this system would soon evolve into a tropical storm that would track up the coast and then turn towards the mainland at the time of high tide, we posted alerts at noon that same day under the heading Tropical Depression 18 (Soon to be Tropical Storm Sandy)...this storm bears watching.... and then continually monitored the storm issuing updates with visuals and analysis right up until impact.
It was not until two days later, on October 24th, that the local news media outlets started to earnestly cover the possibility of this system hitting us.
It wasn't that they did not have access to the same information and data we were looking at, it was simply a case of the local main stream news outlets not wanting to "over hype" the pending storm and then look foolish if it happened to change course and head out to see.
As stated above, our intent is to simply provide a proactive and timely local community informational response to these type conditions. In doing so, if we post information that ultimately proves incorrect, we will immediately correct same.
In closing, it was not our intention to scare any of our neighbors still recovering from Sandy nor do we believe we are "over hyping" he start of the 2013 hurricane season.
After Sandy's storm surge, I truly believe forewarned is forearmed!
Pete keep on doing what you do best, informing the residents.
ReplyDeletePeter, THANK YOU for all you are doing. You can please some of the people all of the time, All of the people some of the time but you can never please all of the people all of the time.
ReplyDeleteI am one of the people pleased ALL of the time. Thank you.
Pete: I first became aware of Sandy from YOUR postings. They were highly accurate, credible sources. And very early. We started getting the same information from the media many days later. Unfortunately, all the information in the world really couldn't have prepared us for what happened. Forewarned is forearmed. And maybe, next time, we will be ready...
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Pete,although nothing could have prepared any of us here on our wonderful island for the fury of Sandy===I for one prefer to be informed and how I react to INFORMATION is completely up to me . Keep doing what your doing ...
ReplyDelete