Emergency Broadcast/Awesome: Difference between revisions

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** In particular, the warnings that went out for the Worcester tornado of 1953. At this time, it was thought that warning people about potential severe weather would lead to panic, so severe weather warnings were banned until 1938 and highly discouraged for years after that. Despite this, when the same system that produced a devastating tornado in Flint, Michigan was due to come through New England, both newspapers and radios carried the first severe weather warnings in New England history, and they risked their careers to do so.

*** Related to that, Worcester gets a CMOA for its response: not a single incidence of looting could be found during investigations of the aftermath.

** Indeed, modern tornado forecasting [http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/GoldenAnniversary/ started with a CMOA]: On March 20, 1948, a tornado hammered Tinker Air Force Base near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, causing $10 million 1948 U.S. dollars ($94 million 2011 U.S. dollars) in damage. The Air Force decided that it would be prudent to find out if tornado prediction was possible, and if so, to then implement a prediction system. The base's meteorologists, Robert C. Miller and Ernest J. Fawbush, were put in charge of this effort. On March 25, 1948, the two discovered that atmospheric conditions were very similar to what they were five days' prior, as well as on a number of days that saw tornado outbreaks. They were still unsure whether a tornado would come roaring in so soon after the previous occasion [[Million to One Chance|(the odds of a tornado hitting a spot less than a week after it was hit by a previous tornado are]] ''[[Million to One Chance|astronomically]]'' [[Million to One Chance|low)]], but nonetheless decided to issue the warning anyway. Sure enough, later that night a tornado hit Tinker; this time, however, the warning meant that the base personnel were able to safely secure aircraft and equipment well ahead of the storm. Damage from this storm came out at only $6 million 1948 U.S. dollars ($55 million 2011 U.S. dollars).

** Indeed, modern tornado forecasting [http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/GoldenAnniversary/ started with a CMOA]: On March 20, 1948, a tornado hammered Tinker Air Force Base near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, causing $10 million 1948 U.S. dollars ($94 million 2011 U.S. dollars) in damage. The Air Force decided that it would be prudent to find out if tornado prediction was possible, and if so, to then implement a prediction system. The base's meteorologists, Robert C. Miller and Ernest J. Fawbush, were put in charge of this effort. On March 25, 1948, the two discovered that atmospheric conditions were very similar to what they were five days' prior, as well as on a number of days that saw tornado outbreaks. They were still unsure whether a tornado would come roaring in so soon after the previous occasion [[Million-to-One Chance|(the odds of a tornado hitting a spot less than a week after it was hit by a previous tornado are]] ''[[Million-to-One Chance|astronomically]]'' [[Million-to-One Chance|low)]], but nonetheless decided to issue the warning anyway. Sure enough, later that night a tornado hit Tinker; this time, however, the warning meant that the base personnel were able to safely secure aircraft and equipment well ahead of the storm. Damage from this storm came out at only $6 million 1948 U.S. dollars ($55 million 2011 U.S. dollars).

* As annoyed as we are with them in the US, any time the Amber Alerts actually work and a child is safely recovered.

* The weather and fire emergency alerts in [[Everything Trying to Kill You|Australia]] are really essential. We're constantly at risk of bush fires, and we have some of the most bipolar, psychotic weather on the planet. The recent emergency alerts and the emergency organisation when cyclone Yasi hit the coast were particularly amazing. Despite Yasi being on the same scale as hurricane Katrina, for more than a hundred kilometres around people were able to prepare, and with the top-notch evacuation efforts and organising shelter for everyone who couldn't get out of the way there was minimal loss of life, even with extensive property damage and the levelling of entire houses.