In the early morning hours of February the 6th, 2008 an EF4 tornado, according to the National Weather Service, touched down in Jackson County. I was up and tracking the storm from the point it demonstrated a Tornado Vortex Signature approximately 60 miles southwest of Scottsboro until the storm was immediately west of Guntersville. At that point the Weather Underground site demonstrated the storm would either hit Scottsboro or Sand Mountain. Either way I decided it was time to leave my home and go to the nearest shelter, which was the Jackson County Courthouse. I sat in my car for a few moments and waited for an audible warning over WKEA radio. It was pouring rain and the wind was blowing hard. The first audible official warning was sounded on the radio between 5:05 and 5:10. I immediately went inside the Courthouse basement. By this time the storm was already in Jackson County. My previous tracking of the storm over Weather Underground and Monitoring of all TV stations indicated the storm was moving at 55-65 mph. The storm was already in Jackson County before the warning was given. I did not hear the warning sirens in Scottsboro at 5:05. A friend of mine near the Dutton Community told me he heard the first official warning at 5:10 and they headed to his storm shelter. He stated to me he could hear the warning sirens as they proceeded to take shelter. The tornado struck the Pisgah-Rosalie area at 5:15AM.
I have been performing extensive research on National Weather Service (NWS) tornado warning protocol. I found this disturbing information: http://ams.confex.com/ams/pdfpapers/120818.pdf This paper indicates the NWS is more concerned over savings of money in sheltering people rather than saving life. The disturbing paragraph reads as follows:
"As cited earlier, a NWS demonstration test in 2005
showed reduction in the area warned at near 70%. A
recent scientific study by University of Oklahoma
Associate Professor of Economics Dan Sutter (now
associated with University of Texas – Pan American)
concluded that a reduction of 70% of the area warned
would minimally save the economy hundreds of millions
of dollars in reduced cost of sheltering (Sutter, 2006)."
"As cited earlier, a NWS demonstration test in 2005
showed reduction in the area warned at near 70%. A
recent scientific study by University of Oklahoma
Associate Professor of Economics Dan Sutter (now
associated with University of Texas – Pan American)
concluded that a reduction of 70% of the area warned
would minimally save the economy hundreds of millions
of dollars in reduced cost of sheltering (Sutter, 2006)."
This individual storm warning protocol has been sold to citizens as a measure to advance the warning of life threatening storms. I can distinctly remember local weather news broadcasts indicating this fact. If the system is applied properly it will do exactly that, a superior advanced storm warning for specific areas. However, this is not the case, it appears the system and the bureaucrats running it prefer to utilize the system, as the article indicates, to save money NOT LIVES. The February 6, 2008 official storm warning was not given until the storm was well into Jackson County. This defeats the purpose of a comprehensive warning system.
It is my belief that the NWS and the County's EMA warning system is hindered by bureaucratic protocol. Kudos should go out to the local TV stations and their staffs. They did a wonderful job warning the public of this storm and saved lives. The Weather Underground web site is another wonderful tool in storm warnings. (This site is linked in my links section.) No home should be without a weather warning radio, properly programmed and turned on.
I wondered why the NWS and EMA did not issue a timely warning, now I know the reason, bureaucratic protocol placed over life saving measures. It is my belief this damning article proves the point, along with eyewitness testimony of the actual warning. (photo credits: public domain money stack photo; tornado n' lightning: http://wallpapers.jurko.net/pic/1130/ ; Rosalie Damage photo, courtesy: Creig Moore
Addition, 2/20/2008: The Jackson County EMA does not initiate siren "warnings" for Scottsboro. Scottsboro does not have any warning sirens as of this date. After discussions with Victor Manning, Director Jackson County EMA, it has been revealed that the EMA issued 3 tornado warnings after the National Weather Service initiated the warnings. Times of the warnings were not recorded.
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