Man-on-Dog is a Drooling Idiot and We Are Obliged to Tell the Country

In a classic attack-their-strength move, Man-on-Dog is trying to tell us that the National Weather Service dropped the ball on Katrina.  They didn't do a good enough job warning us about the storm before it hit Florida and so all of the devestation and the BushCo-led trainwrecks that followed were their fault.  

Atrios and CapBuzz are linking to the big warning that came out of the NOAA on 8/28 but Man-on-Dog is blathering about the warnings for Florida.  So here are parts of the Katrina advisories for Florida:

8/24 5pm EDT:

...KATRINA GETTING BETTER ORGANIZED OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS...
...NEW WATCHES AND WARNINGS ISSUED FOR FLORIDA...

8pm EDT:

...KATRINA BEGINS TO TURN MORE WESTWARD...RECONNAISSANCE PLANE
INDICATES LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH...

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED REMAIN NEAR  45 MPH... 75 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.  KATRINA HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME STRENGTHENING DURING THE
NEXT 24 HOURS.

11pm EDT:

...KATRINA HEADING WESTWARD FOR SOUTH FLORIDA...HURRICANE WARNINGS
IN EFFECT...

AT 11 PM EDT...0300Z...A HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE
SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COAST FROM VERO BEACH SOUTHWARD TO FLORIDA
CITY...INCLUDING LAKE OKEECHOBEE. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT
HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN
THE NEXT 24 HOURS.  PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY
SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.

Aug 25 2am EDT:

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 50 MPH...85 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A HURRICANE ON THURSDAY BEFORE
REACHING THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA EAST COAST.  THE RECONNAISSANCE
AIRCRAFT THAT WAS ENROUTE TO KATRINA HAS HAD TO ABORT DUE TO
COMPUTER PROBLEMS.

DUE TO ITS SLOW FORWARD SPEED...KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE A
SIGNIFICANT HEAVY RAINFALL EVENT OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS...AND
SOUTH FLORIDA... WITH TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 12
INCHES AND ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 15 TO 20 INCHES POSSIBLE.

From the discussion of the 8/25 5am advisory:

KATRINA HAS BEEN BATTLING DRY AIR INTRUSION AND POSSIBLE NORTHERLY
SHEAR UNDERCUTTING THE OUTFLOW LAYER...WHICH HAS PREVENTED THE
CONVECTION FROM WRAPPING AROUND THE CENTER DURING THE NIGHT.  SOME
NORTHERLY TO NORTHEASTERLY SHEAR WILL LIKELY CONTINUE UNTIL KATRINA
MAKES LANDFALL IN FLORIDA...WHICH WOULD SLOW DEVELOPMENT.  ON THE
OTHER HAND...THE COLD TOPS AND THE INNER WIND CORE SUGGEST THE
POSSIBILITY OF STRENGTHENING.  BASED ON THIS...THE INTENSITY
FORECAST CALLS FOR KATRINA TO BECOME A HURRICANE BEFORE LANDFALL.
KATRINA SHOULD WEAKEN WHILE SLOWLY CROSSING THE FLORIDA
PENINSULA...THE RE-INTENSIFY UNDER LIGHT SHEAR CONDITIONS OVER THE
GULF OF MEXICO.

Read them all.  It's actually very sad to look at all the information that was so diligently gathered going unheeded.  Then don't waste time being angry or confused, instead write a letter to your editor that heads this nonsense off at the pass.  If you think that the National Weather Service did a good job warning us about  Katrina and that access to that information, for which we already pay, should be kept public, TELL THE WORLD!  You can get email addresses for your local papers here.   I copy the adresses and send individual emails so I don't trip the astroturf switch which gets your letter automatically discounted by some papers.

I put a copy of my letter below the fold.

To the editor:

 

In the wake of Katrina, as we learn more about the failures of FEMA and other government agencies to respond appropriately to the hurricane and the aftermath, it is good to remember that the National Weather Service, an agency of the Department of Commerce, did an outstanding job of keeping the country and especially the residents of the Gulf Coast informed about the dangers Katrina posed. 

 

Prior to the storm making landfall in Florida,  the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued several clear, concise and ultimately very accurate warnings as to the storm's severity and its potential do to great harm to people and property.  Now, in the wake of the storm, the National Weather Service's website is a valuable source of reports that explore the environmental and economic impact of Katrina as well as unique aerial photographs that illustrate the storm's damage.  NOAA.org is also continually tracking other weather systems of interest currently developing and provides in-depth weather forecasts for every region of the country. 

 

While other agencies failed, the National Weather Service is one taxpayer-funded federal agency that last week made its worth to the entire country clear.

 

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