[EAS] concerning the request for new weather Event Codes

[Mike McCarthy]

In a complete change from a few years ago, the local TV's here last night
were wall to wall with the reports of limited extent twisters in distant
counties 60 miles southwest of downtown.

After a few events which they were resoundingly scorned from all quarters,
local news folks realized severe weather is big interest. To wit, WLS TV
installed earlier this year an equivalent or superior to WSR-88D 40 miles
west of downtown. It was used extensively last night despite all the
excitement being 50 miles to it's south.

I guess this is good practice for when the the area is socked with another
EF4/EF5 closer into the metro.  We're over due...the multi-county EF4 from
last year in Dekalb County not withstanding.

But did any of the local unmanned stations out in those areas air the
TOR's?  Likely not...  Our station does for it's home county however.

Years ago, I was (and to some extent still) advocated required/compulsory
carriage of some specific call to action messages. Such as TOR's and
FFW's.

Yet again last night, Lasalle County had at least 5 different TOR's with
three concurrent for radar indicated rotation. Of those, several were
successive to prior warnings.

If call to action message compulsive carriage is to ever get any traction,
the NWS needs to revisit the criteria they not only issue SVR, FFW, and
TOR warnings, but also the manner in which the timed polygons are crafted.

The more you blow the whistle, the less it will be heard. It's that simple.

MM

On Thu, June 23, 2016 7:40 am, Dave Kline wrote:
> Fortunately, in this little slice of Tornado Alley Heaven, we have
> multiple TV stations where weather seems to be just as important as news,
> and when it is hitting the fan, the TV stations are on full alert. We
> also have an active Ham Radio spotter group that partners with some of
> the local TVs. I used to be one of those guys that manned the ham rigs at
> one of the TV stations. I would not only pass along valid spotter