OKC Weather Coverage Wars 2013

[TaoMaas]

Are you suggesting there should be no coverage until the first tornado is physically on the ground doing damage? Or when the first funnel is sighted? Or when the first hook signature on radar is detected? When? What line do you want to have drawn over what's acceptable and what isn't?

No, I'm suggesting we wait to go wall-to-wall until it's at least raining. Since we're talking in extremes, are you saying that's too late? I'm not saying there shouldn't have been warnings. There most certainly should have been and had been for several days prior. With over-coverage...especially when nothing has really developed yet...we run the risk of viewers tuning us out and switching to a channel where they may or may not receive timely warnings. It's a balancing act, but an important one, I believe. Also...we don't really know what's going to happen. We know when the conditions are right and can give a percentage of the probability it will happen, but nobody truly knows until it goes down. I think we had the "ice storm of the century" that didn't happen earlier this year, didn't we?

[TaoMaas]

...I just can't get my head around what you were expecting in terms of TV coverage for last Friday other than what unfolded. You say keep people "informed and updated," but what do you mean by that? Specifically? Its easy to criticize from a distance in broad strokes, but the hard part is translating those broad strokes into hard, specific recommendations.

Sorry...I didn't see this question earlier. Here's the levels of what should be considered from a station's point of view. #1 If nothing has developed yet, but there's a strong possibility, cover part of the commercial break. Depending upon the severity, cover more than one or an entire break. The rule used to be to cover a PSA first (but nobody runs those anymore), next choice would be a promo, third choice would be a commercial. The commercial is last because it costs money. You could argue that a promo costs money, too, because it bumps a commercial out of the break, but that's not relevant to this discussion. #2 If things heat up...there's no tornado on the ground, but it looks like there's a chance of it happening before the next break, you interrupt programming while keeping an eye on the content of the show. The rule used to be that you don't want to cover up the point in the show where they reveal who the killer is just so you can tell folks that nothing is happening. The worst example I ever saw of this was years ago on the final episode of "Barney Miller" when Fred Norman cut in on the tail of the show and covered Barney's final thoughts on his life in the police station, only so Fred could let us know that there was no danger at present, but stay tuned just in case. Ch. 5 came back to the show just in time to see Barney turn out the lights and close the door. #3 If there's a tornado on the ground or a lowering that's about to touch down...cut 'em and go, no questions asked. You want more specific than that?

[SoonerDave]

#2 If things heat up...there's no tornado on the ground, but it looks like there's a chance of it happening before the next break, you interrupt programming while keeping an eye on the content of the show.

And you just cracked the golden easter egg. "Looks like it might" happen....where? Within 50 miles of the station? 100 mlies? 150 miles? Broadcast area? The key here is that the stations aren't narrowcasting to a few folks, there going statewide to hundreds of thousands of folks, so to say "there's a chance" overlooks that it maybe a 0% chance in Norman, but a 90% chance in Lawton with a storm bearing down.

As far as "covering part of the commercial," that's what I"ve seen the local guys - esp KWTV as of late - do. In fact, prior to this last round, I think KWTV had hedged more on being conservative than at any time I can remember.

[jn1780]

I'm sure its an educational experience to some to watch how fast a "boring" cumulus cloud can overcome the cap to become a full blown thunderstorm cable of producing in 45mins. The media wouldn't have been watching clouds for over 45mins beforehand if the storm initialization wasn't happening so close to major populated areas.

[TaoMaas]

And you just cracked the golden easter egg. "Looks like it might" happen....where? Within 50 miles of the station? 100 mlies? 150 miles? Broadcast area?

Anywhere within the broadcast area. You're right...it's not just OKC that's relying upon the weather coverage. However, it's possible to take things too far. I remember one night having to stay at the station until 3am doing cut-ins for a storm that was moving into the Grove area...WAY out of our viewing range. We asked the meteorologist (who shall remain nameless) if it was really neccessary to continue doing cut-ins when the storm was so far out of our area. He said, "I'm doing them for those who may have boats on Grand Lake." Seriously? When we talked to our boss about it, one guy said, "When you get the ratings for that time period, I don't think you'll have to worry about what the numbers were. There were so few people watching, they'll probably list them individually by name." lol I think there was something else going on last Friday that caused an inordinate amount of people to decide that fleeing was their best option...and I think it's unfair to blame it all on Mike Morgan. I've since talked to several friends and they all chose to leave their homes. Luckily, they went north and were able to avoid the storm pretty easily. What I'm finding weird is that these guys don't normally do this. They're pretty typical Okies in that they've lived here all their lives, are used to this stuff, and don't spook easily. So...something else was up that night, I think. I just haven't decided quite what it was exactly.

[jn1780]

I saw this posted on the Lost Ogle. Not much hype when your chasers don't have laptops, cellular towers to broadcast live video, tornado chasing helicopters, or Dominators.


I wonder if Venture was actually chasing this thing back when the roads were not flooded with amateur chasers? lol

[venture]

I'm afraid I'm not that advanced in years yet. I started chasing in 1996, in Oklahoma the following year. Which honestly I didn't notice a massive congestion problem until probably 2005-2006. It was so wonderful back then. You could get a storm all to yourself to enjoy out in the middle of nowhere and sometimes meet some really nice folks. Anymore it is a bunch of amped up thrill seeking testosterone pumped college kids that think they are amazing.

Some day I really need to go back and get all my old videos and pictures together and put them online.

[ultimatesooner]

I'm afraid I'm not that advanced in years yet. I started chasing in 1996, in Oklahoma the following year. Which honestly I didn't notice a massive congestion problem until probably 2005-2006. It was so wonderful back then. You could get a storm all to yourself to enjoy out in the middle of nowhere and sometimes meet some really nice folks. Anymore it is a bunch of amped up thrill seeking testosterone pumped college kids that think they are amazing.

Some day I really need to go back and get all my old videos and pictures together and put them online.

that would be sweet

[OKCTalker]

Great thing you have checked w/ all of these people to be so sure that they were only out there because all them were watching KFOR

Mike Morgan is the one who has been universally faulted for advising people to leave the area if they couldn't get below ground. Nevertheless, you're calling me out on this? Seriously?

[ultimatesooner]

traffic was bad all evening/afternoon long and tons of people from out of state staying in travel trailers, etc that likely hit the roads. The roads would have been packed regardless or what Morgan said

[zookeeper]

traffic was bad all evening/afternoon long and tons of people from out of state staying in travel trailers, etc that likely hit the roads. The roads would have been packed regardless or what Morgan said

Even more reason not to try to send half of a major American city out on to the roads. It was a monumental lack of judgement and he by no means deserves a pass.

[soonerguru]

You're own comment reflects that. Your post mentions that is a once a decade event since May 20th happened, but completely disregarding the 2 other violent tornadoes that were in Moore since 99.

It sounds like we agree here. My whole post was about the fact that very large tornadoes are NOT rare, which is how they are presented. And my point was that these are NOT once in a decade events. It sounds like we agree here.

[soonerguru]

No, I'm suggesting we wait to go wall-to-wall until it's at least raining. Since we're talking in extremes, are you saying that's too late? I'm not saying there shouldn't have been warnings. There most certainly should have been and had been for several days prior. With over-coverage...especially when nothing has really developed yet...we run the risk of viewers tuning us out and switching to a channel where they may or may not receive timely warnings. It's a balancing act, but an important one, I believe. Also...we don't really know what's going to happen. We know when the conditions are right and can give a percentage of the probability it will happen, but nobody truly knows until it goes down. I think we had the "ice storm of the century" that didn't happen earlier this year, didn't we?

Nope. If anything, I think they could have started coverage sooner. As it was, they started coverage when the super cells began to form. It would have been foolish for them to have waited.

[jn1780]

traffic was bad all evening/afternoon long and tons of people from out of state staying in travel trailers, etc that likely hit the roads. The roads would have been packed regardless or what Morgan said

That's nice, but Morgan hasn't said anything since about making an error in judgement and Channel 4 actually aired a promo that reused what Morgan said that Friday night. If he believes outrunning a tornado in a car is safer than staying put in your house, he should just go out and say it. Then others in the weather industry can formally disagree with him.

Of course, there are certain residences that are not a good place to be like a mobile home or house that's basically a shack, but there cannot be blanket statements that say everyone in the path of the tornado need to evacuate.

[ultimatesooner]

Even more reason not to try to send half of a major American city out on to the roads. It was a monumental lack of judgement and he by no means deserves a pass.

I don't believe he should have said it but i don't think half the city was on the roads because of what he said

[zookeeper]

I don't believe he should have said it but i don't think half the city was on the roads because of what he said

That's not the point. He was talking to pretty close to half the population of the metro. Yukon, West OKC all the way to Penn Square.

The lack of a statement from KFOR and Mike Morgan should bother everyone. Unless, he's been terminated. Their weather coverage is forever tainted by this scandal, and that's really what it is.

[TaoMaas]

Nope. If anything, I think they could have started coverage sooner. As it was, they started coverage when the super cells began to form. It would have been foolish for them to have waited.

The goal is to get people to pay attention. When you go long periods saying that nothing is happening yet, you run the risk of them turning you off. I'm not saying they shouldn't have been warning people, but do it through cut-ins and crawls. Save the wall-to-wall until there's actually something to report besides potential.

[TaoMaas]

I don't believe he should have said it but i don't think half the city was on the roads because of what he said

I've about decided that the path of the storm is what spooked so many people. It looked like it was going to cut right through the middle of OKC so a lot of folks bailed.

[soonerguru]

I've about decided that the path of the storm is what spooked so many people. It looked like it was going to cut right through the middle of OKC so a lot of folks bailed.

Correct. I know many people are somewhat blasé about these events, because invariably they believe OKC will be spared. The fact that OKC was in the direct path of a 2.6 mile-wide tornado freaked people out, as it should.

[zookeeper]

Correct. I know many people are somewhat blasé about these events, because invariably they believe OKC will be spared. The fact that OKC was in the direct path of a 2.6 mile-wide tornado freaked people out, as it should.

I agree with most everything you've said, but I really don't think we can overstate the importance of one of the bigtime meteorologists TELLING people, (as opposed to what they've been told all of their life), to get out of the way and head southbound. I don't think it can even be measured, so why should we not assume that Mike Morgan and KFOR shouting this directive wasn't the biggest factor to the packed I-44 and main streets (Council, Rockwell, Meridian, Portland, May Ave)? I think many people, in fact I've talked to some, who against their better judgement, deferred to the "professionals" and got caught in the gridlock. Unbelievable that he would scream this to a large part of a major city. It doesn't take a PhD to know that is the worst thing he could have done. Advice like that should mean your job. He got lucky as had that tornado moved on through, many more would have died like sitting ducks in their cars than taking precautions and sheltering in place.

[Anonymous.]

Morgan has spoken about the incident. He is not hiding or fired as much of you would love to believe.

He has spoken of the incident on social media. I will see if I can find the info once I am home.

[zookeeper]

Morgan has spoken about the incident. He is not hiding or fired as much of you would love to believe.

He has spoken of the incident on social media. I will see if I can find the info once I am home.

I'm curious, are you a meteorologist? Do you have a degree in the science? Why do you feel the need to defend what most meteorologists all over the world believe to be indefensible?

I'm using a screenname as you are, but you speak from a position of authority about these issues when the weather gets severe. I feel people should know if you are or are not a meteorologist.

[ultimatesooner]

That's not the point. He was talking to pretty close to half the population of the metro. Yukon, West OKC all the way to Penn Square.

The lack of a statement from KFOR and Mike Morgan should bother everyone. Unless, he's been terminated. Their weather coverage is forever tainted by this scandal, and that's really what it is.

you can't assume that that entire half of the population was watching KFOR, I'd be willing to bet that half of that half weren't even watching a television at all. O

[zookeeper]

you can't assume that that entire half of the population was watching KFOR, I'd be willing to bet that half of that half weren't even watching a television at all. O

Okay. 50, 100, 500, 1000 of them were. Any were too many. You're missing the point.

[yukong]

Well, I know this...after the EF5 that hit in Piedmont, just about 3 miles from my house, and the wife/mother was in the center bathroom, in the bathtub, and the tornado sucked two of her children from her arms and dumped them in a pond several hundred yards away, and they died, my faith in the center most part of my house in a tub is gone if they are saying a huge tornado is headed my way. My home was at one time in the projected path of the tornado Friday night. The projected path gave us 15-20 minutes lead time. My family and I bailed. We got in our cars and fled. And I don't regret it. Luckily for us the tornado changed direction and did not come near our house. But I would and will do the same in the future. I would rather be on the run and in control of my fate, than a sitting duck hoping I don't get killed. I may be in the minority, and many of you may call me crazy, but I think my odds are better getting out than hiding out. Now, if I only had a 5 minute lead, I may have stayed put. But I weighed the odds and felt evacuating was the best option. And Mike Morgan had nothing to do with it. And no guy on TV would influence my decision. I made my own decision. I'm not a lemming. Had he said go to a center room like a bathroom and get low, I still would have left.