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Hurricanes Not Nearly As Important As Not Looking Stupid Posted by ueberbill (7700 views) [E-Mail link] The new director of the National Hurricane Center is doing his job. He wants to make sure that our weather scientists can see a hurricane coming from a long way off and prepare accordingly. Toward that end he's been pointing out some problems that are hampering that effort as well as some spending priorities that are out of whack. His superiors, rather than actually FIXING anything, are demanding that he stop TALKING about the problems. Bill Proenza has been telling anyone who'll listen that there are some serious problems with the NHC and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The biggest being the failing satellite QuikScat, an important tool in hurricane prediction and tracking, which is long past its designed life. The loss of QuikScat could reduce hurricane forecast accuracy by up to 16%. There are currently no plans to replace the aging orbiter. Proenza was also critical of NOAA for spending millions on a public-relations campaign (to do what, exactly? Get people excited about Oceans and Atmospheres?) while hurricane forecasters are left with budget shortfalls. Mary Glackin, acting director of the National Weather Service dropped a three page letter of reprimand on his desk stating among other things that his statements were "requiring me [Glackin] to spend a disproportionate amount of time to correct any confusion; causing undue concern and misunderstanding among your staff; and taking valuable time away from your public role..." Proenza made the letter public at the National Hurricane Center offices where the statements were met with outrage. Proenza said that he was told by Louis Uccellini, a senior weather service official: `"You better stop these QuikScat [and other] complaints. I'm warning you. You have NOAA, DOC [the U.S. Department of Commerce] and the White House pissed off." Well we wouldn't want that. Of course, we also wouldn't want to not see a hurricane coming. Details     Comments   Name: (change name for anonymous posting) Title: Comments:     1 Article displayed.

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