Skillful Weather Warnings But Catastrophic Damage and Large Death Tolls. We Need to Do Better.

[rangerrebew]

July 10, 2025
Skillful Weather Warnings But Catastrophic Damage and Large Death Tolls. We Need to Do Better.
 The same tragedy has happened time and again.

An excellent prediction of a major weather-related threat is unheeded, leading to massive destruction and loss of life.

We need to do better.  We can do better.

This blog will discuss the problem and how it might be addressed.


There are numerous examples of this failure mode; let me provide just a few.

Hurricane Katrina, 2005

In 2005, the landfall of Hurricane Katrina near New Orleans resulted in 1400 deaths and $125 billion in damage. Excellent forecasts by the National Weather Service and weather models.
 
Local governments failed to take the forecasts seriously and did not evacuate vulnerable populations.   Poorly designed levees failed.

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2025/07/skillful-weather-warnings-but.html

[rangerrebew]

If you put 10,000 people where there were once 500 and it is in an area prone to natural disasters, the next disaster is automatically guaranteed to create more damage and deaths.