Tornado Quest Top Science Links For October 1 – 8, 2022

Greetings everyone! I hope this post finds all of you safe and well. The tropical Atlantic is still active even after Hurricane Ian which left a tremendous amount of damage and over 100 fatalities in it’s wake. This week, I’ll continue sharing helpful information on preparing an emergency kit that will be helpful in any tropical storm or hurricane scenario as well as an infographic cautioning you to the hazards and dangers of using unofficial sources for weather information. As usual, there are many other essential and important reads to review on climate, weather, and other science related topics, so let’s get started.

This week, we’ll start on a visually spectacular note with these amazing looks at Jupiter’s moon Europa that were captured by the Juno spacecraft.
This is a harrowing listen about environmental and public health irresponsibility that dates back to the early 1980’s. “Contempt: How Reagan’s EPA Head Became The First Cabinet-level Official Cited For Contempt Of Congress.“
Changes in past climates on our planet can quite often give us valuable insight as to what we can expect in the future with climate change.
Global weather patterns are strongly affected by this. “La Niña winters could keep on coming.” This will be the third winter in a row that the Pacific Ocean has been in a La Niña cycle.
Over a billion people depend on this water. “As Himalayan Glaciers Melt, a Water Crisis Looms in South Asia.“
A new and potentially catastrophic new normal for parts of the USA. “Megadrought could become the new normal in the south-western USA.“
Before we take a look at the latest US Drought Monitor, let’s take a look at how the ongoing drought is affecting California, only one of many states being ravaged by the current dry conditions.
Here’s a look at this weeks US Drought Monitor. With few exceptions, drought conditions continue to worsen across much of the contiguous USA. Hopefully the autumnal patterns will bring some badly needed relief but at the current time, there’s little substantial rainfall in recent outlooks.

Last but certainly not least, if you’re looking for hurricane preparedness information, here’s your one stop website for everything you need to know for before, and after the storm. This all inclusive website from NOAA will help you prepare for the storm and tell you how to stay safe afterwards. The infographics below will help you prepare an emergency kit and use discretion when you come across questionable weather information/forecasts/hyperbole when online or using social media.

HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS

Infographic courtesy FEMA/Ready.gov/Red Cross

That’s a wrap for this post! Thanks to everyone for stopping by. A big ‘Thank You’ to my followers in social media. If you’re on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, or Facebook, a follow is appreciated! And remember, prepare ahead now for the storm you hope never happens!

See you next Saturday!

Tornado Quest micro-podcast for October 1 – 8, 2022

Media inquiries: tornadoquest@protonmail.ch

Please note: queries regarding marketing, promotions, sales schemes, prizes, or papers/research that have not been under & approved by scientific peer review will not be accepted.

Tornado Quest Top Science Links For September 18 – 25, 2021

Visible satellite view of Category 4 Hurricane Sam over the Atlantic on 26 September 2021

Greetings to all and thank you for visiting. It’s certainly been a busy week for science news across many areas of study. For North America, the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is still with us. 2021 is proving to be another very busy year for Atlantic tropical cyclones. As of this post, Hurricane Sam is moving through the central Atlantic. This week’s post has a plethora of links to help you with hurricane preparations. There are many more weeks left in the Atlantic hurricane season, so now is the time to prepare for the storm you hope never happens. Much of western North America is still dealing with wildfires and a severe drought. As for the COVID-19 pandemic, the USA hit a very grim statistic of note this week. There are many other good science reads to review for this week, so let’s get started.

Misinformation, disinformation, conspiracies theories, and outright lies have been more than irritants to those of us in scientific fields, they also lead to unnecessary misery and death. There are paths to alleviate the lies, but it takes a robust, concerted effort.
This is a grim, morose milestone that, with vaccinations and other common sense safety measures, could have been prevented. “Covid overtakes 1918 Spanish flu as deadliest disease in U.S. history.”
Here’s a fascinating read about the weather on Mars. Not only has the Perseverance Rover detected hundreds of dust devils, it’s been hit (literally) by at least 100 of them.
A very good read on the irrevocable link between air quality and your health. “WHO Calls For Lower Limits On Air Pollution To Save Millions Of Lives.”
This is a very thought provoking read. “Hurricane Ida shows the one-two punch of poverty and climate change.”
“How climate change gave rise to a monster mosquito season.” Record-breaking storms & above-average rainfall in many states have exacerbated their numbers.
A very novel idea that will have long term benefits. “Scientists Flood Forests to Mimic Rising Seas.”
The loss of ice flows and glaciers is often focused on polar regions. These startling images from Italy give a new face to climate change and our warming planet.
However difficult it may be to ‘pinpoint’ the connection between climate change and extreme weather events, it’s still a worthy challenge to face. Unfortunately, there are scientific and financial matters to take into consideration.

HURRICANE SAFETY AND PREPAREDNESS

The official start of the Atlantic hurricane season began June 1, 2021. As is the case with most years, the late summer and autumn months comes the peak of activity. This is a list of tropical cyclone safety and preparedness links that I hope you’ll find helpful and spearhead your preparedness plan. None of the links on this page should be used for life-&-death decisions or the protection of property!

WEATHER DATA

National Hurricane Center

Tropical Atlantic

Central Pacific Hurricane Center

National Weather Service Homepage

N ational Weather Service Weather Prediction Center

NOAA Climate Prediction Center

Storm Prediction Center

National Data Buoy Center

NCAR Tropical Cyclone Guidance Project

HURRICANE SAFETY & EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION

NOAA Hurricane Preparedness

CDC Hurricane Preparedness

American Red Cross

American Red Cross Severe Weather Safety Information

American Red Cross Hurricane Safety Checklist (PDF file)

Extensive FEMA Emergency Preparedness Document (34 Page PDF File)

Ready.gov Basic Disaster Supply Kit Info

Preparing Your Pets For Disasters And Emergencies

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale

Flash Flooding: Turn Around, Don’t Drown

NOAA Weather Radio

Interactive NOAA Weather Radio Coverage Map

The following infographics cover many important topics including emergency kits, staying informed, and avoiding misinformation and disinformation that are applicable to tropical cyclone scenarios. Tornadoes are also common in land-falling tropical storms and hurricanes. If in doubt, always stay with OFFICIAL sources of important information, forecasts, and warnings.

Even though this infographic is focused on winter weather, it certainly applies to weather information year round. Diligence from January through December is important to cull through misinformation, disinformation, and unfounded rumors.

Infographic courtesy NOAA/NWS Fort Worth, TX

Please keep in mind that ONLY NOAA weather radio, your local National Weather Service office, or reliable broadcast media are the BEST sources of important, timely, and potentially life-saving information on hurricane/tropical storm watches, warnings, and other related warnings! None of the links on this page should be used for life-&-death decisions or the protection of property!

That’s a wrap for this post! Next week we’ll continue information on hurricane preparedness and safety. A big ‘Thank You’ to my followers in social media. If you’re on Twitter, Tumblr, or Instagram, let’s connect! As for the COVID-19 pandemic, get vaccinated, sport a spiffy mask, practice good hand-washing hygiene, mind your social distancing, stay positive, and test negative!

See you next Saturday!

Podcast overview of this week’s post.

Media inquiries: tornadoquest@protonmail.ch

Please note: queries regarding marketing, promotions, sales schemes, prizes, or papers/research that have not been under & approved by scientific peer review will not be accepted.

Tornado Quest Top Science Links For January 29 – February 5, 2021 #science #weather #meteorology #noreaster #winter #wintersafety #weathersafety #climate #climatechange #nationalweatherpsersonsday

It’s been an active weather week across much of North America with several eastern USA states getting a substantial amount of snow. A rare, but not unheard of, severe weather episode took place on the afternoon of 30 January 2021 with several brief tornadoes forming in northeastern Oklahoma. It’s a good reminder that, given the right ingredients, tornadoes can occur in any month of the year. As for winter, we’ve still many more weeks of cold conditions and any potential hazards that go with the weather at this time of year. Speaking of winter weather, we’ll explore more on winter weather safety with plenty of information for the next several weeks. There are several interesting stories to review, so let’s get started.

An excellent and very timely read with several important suggestions on how to fight back. “Beating Back Cancel Culture: A Case Study from the Field of Artificial Intelligence.“
Climate change denialism disguised as apathy. “‘The New Climate War’ exposes tactics of climate change inactivists.”
A startling and concise overview of the massive amounts of ice melt that has occurred in the past thirty years in sea ice, ice sheets, and glaciers.
Slow but steady progress. Realizing there is a problem is key to addressing the problem. “U.S. Cities Are Underestimating Their Greenhouse Gas Emissions.“
Late January 2021 brought a Nor’easter to several states in the northeastern USA. If you’ve ever wondered what a Nor’easter is, this excellent site from the National Weather Service will tell you everything you need to know.
Weather and citizen science go very well together. If you’re into observing the weather and citizen science, check out the National Weather Service Cooperative Observer Program!
Last but not least, Happy National Weatherperson ‘s Day to all the folks involved in weather and climate work in the public, private, educational, and volunteer communities! If not for all of us the world over collecting, analyzing, and sharing data 24/7, 365…the world would be in a total mess. Enjoy your day!

WINTER WEATHER SAFETY AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

With cooler temperature, snow, ice storms, et al. having settled in across much of the northern hemisphere, folks attention appropriately turns to winter weather hazards. The same preparedness plans and supplies that are helpful for tropical cyclones, tornadoes, flooding, etc. are beneficial to have for winter weather. NOAA has a very nice Winter Weather Safety website to help you get ready with plenty of helpful tips and information you may need.

This NOAA winter weather page has a myriad of links beneficial to organizations such as public services, schools, organizations, etc.

NOAA also has an excellent printable publication that covers winter weather safety which is one of the most underrated weather hazards. (12 page PDF file)

Social media is a very useful tool that can be misused for misinformation, disinformation, and hype. While this infographic is geared towards, winter weather, it certainly applies to all kinds of weather year round.

Infographic courtesy NWS Fort Worth, Texas

That’s a wrap for this post! I’d like to extend a warm welcome to my followers in social media. I’m glad you’re along for the fun! If you’re on Twitter, Tumblr, or Instagram, let’s connect! As for the COVID-19 pandemic, sport a spiffy mask as often as you can, practice good hand-washing hygiene, mind your social distancing, stay safe, and stay healthy!

Media inquiries: tornadoquest@protonmail.ch

Tornado Quest Top Ten Science Links For November 13 – 20, 2020 #science #weather #meteorology #weathersafety #wintersafety #climate #climatechange #environment #renewables #covid19 #pandemic #wearamask

Hurricane Iota at category 5 intensity on 16 November 2020

This year has seen an unprecedented degree of tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic basin. Hurricane Iota, which may well be the last storm of the Atlantic season, was the most powerful reaching Category 5 status before making landfall in Nicaragua, the second hurricane to affect that country in two weeks. With the changing of the seasons in the northern hemisphere, attention will shift to winter weather safety. We’ll touch on that topic with plenty of information for the next several weeks. There are many other good stories to cover, so lets get started.

This is a very thought provoking read. Communication style & content with scientific topics is often the key to success with the general public. We see this often with weather safety issues. “A Lack of Transparency Is Undermining Pandemic Policy.”
This is a very novel idea with great potential! “Simulating the pandemic: What COVID forecasters can learn from climate models.” Methods that are routinely used in computation-heavy fields such as meteorology and climatology could lead to more reliable pandemic predictions.
People that are asymptomatic or have very minor symptoms and yet are shedding the SARS_CoV2 virus like snowflakes in a blizzard are one of the most frightening facets of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A dose of nature may be just the trick to help you deal with the stress of the ongoing global pandemic.
Here’s some very good news for a change…specifically in regards to renewable energy. “Electrifying news: Coal’s 50-year reign to end by 2025.”
There will always be skeptics regarding new technology, but this borders on the ridiculous. “Climate Deniers Are Claiming EVs Are Bad for the Environment — Again. Here’s Why They’re Wrong.“
These are spectacular images, but the message behind them is unsettling. “The Bittersweet Beauty of Greenland’s Melting Glaciers.“
2020 will go down in the record books as an extraordinary year in the Atlantic and Caribbean regions. Climate change certainly has a part and, according to some studies, isn’t responsible so much for the number of storms as the intensity of the ones that reach hurricane status.
The latest NOAA Drought Monitor is out. Much of the western contiguous USA is experiencing worsening drought conditions.

WINTER WEATHER AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season will officially end on 30 November 2020. This year will go down in the record books for having many elements of an extraordinary year. Now, across much of the northern hemisphere, attention turns to winter weather hazards. The same preparedness plans and supplies that are helpful for tropical cyclones are beneficial to have for winter weather. NOAA has a very nice Winter Weather Safety website to help you get ready with plenty of helpful tips and information you may need. NOAA also has an excellent publication that covers one of the most underrated weather hazards. (12 page PDF file)

This handy checklist from the American Red Cross will help you put together an emergency kit for a variety of weather scenarios. A kit like this is very helpful in a variety of other difficult scenarios from wildfires to blizzards to tornadoes and hurricanes.

Misinformation and disinformation is running rampant across social media platforms of all kinds as of late. I would be remiss to not remind folks to stick with trusted and reliable sources for your weather information. A NOAA weather radio is essential and should be as common in homes and workplaces as smoke detectors…regardless of where you live in the USA and its territories. Of course, broadcast meteorologists of your choice are often equipped with sources of important information that is specific to your locale. Here’s an excellent and concise video on spotting misinformation you might see online. Bottom line: use discretion very carefully and avoid hypesters, shills, and attention-seekers at all cost…and think before you click.

That’s a wrap for this post! I’d like to extend a warm welcome to my new followers in social media. I’m glad you’re along for the fun! If you’re on Twitter, Instagram, or Tumblr, let’s connect! As for the COVID-19 pandemic, sport a spiffy mask as often as you can, practice good hand-washing hygiene, mind your social distancing, stay safe, and stay healthy!

Media inquiries: tornadoquest@protonmail.ch

Tornado Quest Top Ten Science Links For April 6 – 13, 2019

Greetings to one and all! I hope the weather…be it spring or autumn…is to your liking. There was very big news this week in the astronomical sciences with the first imagery of a black hole captured for the first time. In retrospective, this past week was the 40th anniversary of the Red River tornado outbreak…one of the most devastating regional tornado outbreaks of the 20th century. There are plenty of other topics to cover…including Severe Weather Preparedness…so let’s get started.

This is truly a watershed event in astronomical science. A black hole has been placed on imagery for the first time…and the detail is amazing.
Check out just how scientists took that amazing image of a black hole.
Single-use plastics are an ever-growing environmental problem worldwide. Here’s a look at the menace that drink bottles contribute to this pollution disaster.
As the planet’s climate warms, diseases from mosquitoes (which pose more health hazards to humans than any other non-microscopic form of life) could spread to almost a billion people worldwide.
A look at some very sobering data. “Three Charts That Show How Global Carbon Emissions Hit A Record High In 2018.”
The glaciers in the European Alps are not immune to climate change. At the current rate of warming, they could disappear by the year 2100.
For the northern most state in the USA, March 2019 was up to twenty degrees hotter than usual. Welcome to the new Alaska climate norm.
The latest US Drought Monitor is out. For the most part, all 50 states are in relatively good shape.
For those of us who live in the USA’s Great Plains, epic is a vast understatement! “Why The Great Plains Has Such Epic Weather!”
This past week marked the 40th anniversary of the Red River Tornado Outbreak…one of the most notable, watershed severe weather events in the history of the Great Plains. The outbreak included the devastating Wichita Falls F4 tornado which caused 42 fatalities and $400 million in 1979 dollars.

SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY AND PREPAREDNESS

Here are some links and infographics that will provide a starting point for gathering online severe weather information. I hope you find plentiful information here that will help you become better prepared as we navigate one of the most volatile climactic seasons on our planet.

When severe weather is forecast, it is assigned a risk category. Hazards exist in all categories, hence it’s important to be aware of all of them. Note: tornadoes can and do occur even in Marginal Risk areas…and a Slight Risk does not mean that storms will be “slightly” severe.

After thunderstorms form, they are carefully observed with Doppler Radar. This infographic explains how this amazing technology has works and how its progressed over the years.

If a TORNADO WARNING is issued, it means you need to take cover immediately. Where you take cover can sometimes be a life-or-death situation.

Here are more links that will help you prepare and stay informed during the severe weather season.

National Weather Service Homepage

Storm Prediction Center

National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center

NOAA Weather Radio

Interactive NOAA Weather Radio Coverage Map

Sky Watcher Cloud Chart: An excellent 2 page PDF file from NOAA and NASA on cloud types and and information on how clouds form.

Tornadoes, Lightning, & Thunderstorms: Nature’s Most Violent Storms (PDF file)

Tornado Safety Rules from the Storm Prediction Center

Highway Overpasses As Tornado Shelters (Slide Presentation)

The Online Tornado FAQ

Facts About Derechos

American Red Cross Severe Weather Safety Information

Flash Flooding: Turn Around, Don’t Drown

Ready.gov Basic Disaster Supply Kit Info

Preparing Your Pets For Disasters And Emergencies

This excellent Emergency Kit checklist from the American Red Cross is very helpful in assisting you while you compile items for your kit. A kit like this should be available year round…there are many winter weather scenarios where the same items will come in handy.

Please keep in mind that ONLY your local National Weather Service office, NOAA Weather Radio, or reliable broadcast media are the BEST sources of important, timely, and potentially life-saving weather information, watches, and warnings! None of the links on this page should be used for life-&-death decisions or the protection of property!

That’s a wrap for this post! To my new followers, I’d like to extend a very warm “Welcome” and thank you for being a part of the fun. For my long-time followers, here’s a sincere “Thank You!” I appreciate all of the support and kind words!

Cheers!

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Media inquiries: tornadoquest@protonmail.ch

HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS

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HURRICANE SAFETY AND PREPAREDNESS

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WINTER WEATHER SAFETY AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

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WINTER WEATHER AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

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SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY AND PREPAREDNESS

When severe weather is forecast, it is assigned a risk category. Hazards exist in all categories, hence it’s important to be aware of all of them. Note: tornadoes can and do occur even in Marginal Risk areas…and a Slight Risk does not mean that storms will be “slightly” severe.

After thunderstorms form, they are carefully observed with Doppler Radar. This infographic explains how this amazing technology has works and how its progressed over the years.

If a TORNADO WARNING is issued, it means you need to take cover immediately. Where you take cover can sometimes be a life-or-death situation.

Here are more links that will help you prepare and stay informed during the severe weather season.

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