Elsa will be the first for us this year but I have a feeling it will not be the last...
https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2021-07-06-tropical-storm-elsa-forecast-hurricane-florida-southeast-united
https://www.news4jax.com/weather/2021/07/06/northeast-florida-county-by-county-tropical-storm-prepsreports/
(https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/B7dcCpGFALQtkmNGqFZGZtXAGWc=/800x449/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ARKZZ67L75BEPHPKRAK44NV3A4.jpg)
Pretty non eventful... so far...
(https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/lite/KJAX_loop.gif?b1aaa019153af9408c637178dd5d2fd6)
I wouldn't say the government and the news media have been crying wolf, but I think they are doing a disservice by trying to alarm us with the news of this storm. I'm a life long resident of Florida and have noticed this is occurring more lately. I guess it gets the politicians more camera time and free publicity. Couldn't they be causing people to lose respect for a truly dangerous storm? There are many people who in the future will not respect the advisories and needed preparations because they will think it's just another false warning, or that hurricanes aren't that bad. I am prepared, but I looking at the weather forecasts for myself, I predicted this one pretty well. Elsa doesn't have as much punch in our area as many thunderstorms.
LOL. Most of the coverage is cookie cutter - same street corners for "floods", same shots of some waves at a beach, a few more of palm fronds blowing in the wind, an interview with someone buying storm supplies, another with a first responder saying essentially "drive safely if you must get out," and, you never know, someone might get hit by a tornado if nothing else.
One station last night had a reporter standing by a mature "dying tree" on a street corner expressing the neighbor's concerns that it might fall into the street. We literally have millions and millions of trees but this one made the news above all others. I figure it would take at least a 65 mph wind to impact that tree if it was even ready to go while in the same newscast they said we "might" see a gust up to 45 mph. Couldn't help but laugh at the hyperbole.
All other videos showed normal everyday sights and sounds but they blew it up as the "possible beginning of something bigger" when they would later admit we were going to miss most of the damage potential here. Again, couldn't help laughing at their self-contradictions.
On the flip side, many among us need to be whipped into a frenzy to take threats seriously. Many don't seem to have the experience, knowledge or disposition to prepare properly for what they may be in for. Not unlike the variations in the population in dealing with COVID. So, maybe the media is, as usual, catering to the lowest common denominator. Further, if a storm was worse than expected, no one wants to be criticized for underestimating it. That possibility would be worse than overestimating it, I suppose.
Quote from: BridgeTroll on July 06, 2021, 04:07:47 PM
Elsa will be the first for us this year but I have a feeling it will not be the last...
https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2021-07-06-tropical-storm-elsa-forecast-hurricane-florida-southeast-united
https://www.news4jax.com/weather/2021/07/06/northeast-florida-county-by-county-tropical-storm-prepsreports/
(https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/B7dcCpGFALQtkmNGqFZGZtXAGWc=/800x449/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ARKZZ67L75BEPHPKRAK44NV3A4.jpg)
Not 100% but looks like it did not manage to make landfall as a hurricane.
I think they'll start closing schools, gov't offices, military bases, Fedex, mail deliveries and all highways due to a chance of rain in the future.
May we never forget the field reporter struggling to fight against the brutal winds barreling upon him in his selfless attempt to inform the masses of the raw power of Florence while 2 calm, collected teenagers calmly walk past his backside.
Quote from: WarDamJagFan on July 07, 2021, 02:38:05 PM
May we never forget the field reporter struggling to fight against the brutal winds barreling upon him in his selfless attempt to inform the masses of the raw power of Florence while 2 calm, collected teenagers calmly walk past his backside.
Or the great shot of Anderson Cooper standing waist-deep in water in a roadside ditch while his cameraperson stands in the ankle-deep flooded roadway.
Maybe me, but I've long found that Channel 4's weather coverage tends toward doomsaying while First Coast News tends to be more straightforward. I switched to Tim Deegan almost exclusively for that reason. I don't get any of the non-local channels.
The "wall to wall" coverage on FCN (Tim Deegan's stations) was overkill. I switched to CBS this morning to get away from it. They had updates at the half-hours, and when a tornado warning was issued near Lake City - which is within their viewing area - they stayed on until the warning expired - several minutes instead of forever. Even when there is an actual hurricane, I find non-stop coverage to be too much. There are only so many 'new' (as in "news") things you can say, so they end up repeating unimportant stuff.
It's slow news season at all the stations.
It seems as though the local stations are simply unable to "dial it back" after it's clear the storm has weakened or moved... like they have committed resources for coverage and they are bound and determined to use them...
^ What I also find interesting is how they try to "out-predict" the National Hurricane Center as if they have "inside" info or insight on a storm that no one else has.
The major local impact from this storm not occurring until late in the afternoon made it easier for the local stations to stay committed to their coverage, as indicative by how poorly some of the posts from this thread have aged.
Quote from: Josh on July 08, 2021, 10:54:13 AM
The major local impact from this storm not occurring until late in the afternoon made it easier for the local stations to stay committed to their coverage, as indicative by how poorly some of the posts from this thread have aged.
Because there was actual news to cover late in the afternoon, does not justify the non-stop coverage of non-news over the ten hours preceding when things got exciting.
Here comes Fred...
(https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/AT06/refresh/AL062021_5day_cone_no_line_and_wind+png/233154_5day_cone_no_line_and_wind.png)
Probably just see some clouds and quickly passing light showers...
(https://www.news4jax.com/resizer/URqobpvqN_nIn5DRPh-JqpMpryY=/728x410/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/C5LPMXFOJRDMHMAZW7SIQSPC3I.jpg)
Grace looks more organized...
(https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/AT07/refresh/AL072021_5day_cone_no_line_and_wind+png/113711_5day_cone_no_line_and_wind.png)
And Grace will pass right over the area of this morning's 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Haiti.
https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/haiti-earthquake-08-14-21/index.html
Quote from: Charles Hunter on August 14, 2021, 10:53:53 AM
And Grace will pass right over the area of this morning's 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Haiti.
https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/haiti-earthquake-08-14-21/index.html
Ouch