In fact, the Jackson, KY National Weather Service (NWS) forecast office released three days of severe weather warnings six days prior to a recent outbreak. That outbreak spawned at least nine confirmed EF-1+ tornadoes in the Southeast region. When the storm system rolled in on May 16, the Jackson office’s first concern was for the safety of the public. They provided real-time updates on their warnings through their website, social media accounts, and via the direct communication with emergency managers.
During the week before the severe weather outbreak, the Jackson office continued to be proactive in getting information out. From the very beginning, the staff was extremely proactive in engaging with local news media. They rocked it in terms of creating awareness in communities about what was coming with this storm. The Jackson office was not immune to staffing shortages, as with many weather service offices across the nation. Yet they ran at full capacity during this crucial time by maximizing use of surge staffing.
The Jackson office is one of several forecast offices that have faced reduced staffing levels since the previous administration’s efforts to downsize federal agencies. In response to these staffing woes, the Jackson office started closing for a number of hours overnight only last week. In a letter drafted earlier this month, five former directors of the weather service expressed alarm over the persistent shortages and their impact. They cautioned that if staffing levels aren’t up to par, we may see a “needless loss of life.”
On the evening of May 16, the NWS issued a tornado warning for Wayne and Pulaski counties at 10:29 p.m. This warning was later extended to include Laurel, Knox, Pulaski, and Rockcastle counties at 10:57 p.m. when a tornado was confirmed over the Somerset Pulaski Airport.
“As planned in advance, neighboring offices provided staffing support to the office in Jackson, KY.” – The weather service
On Friday night, three or more of the Jackson office’s meteorologists were directly involved in the response. They creatively developed communications and launched them early in their health emergency—they didn’t wait. Some staff members even took on double shifts to ensure timely communication of critical information during the overnight hours as severe storms approached.
The Paducah, Kentucky forecast office reported a total of nine tornadoes that night, with some areas experiencing “high end EF-3 damage, with low end EF-4 indicators.” With this amount of destruction, it’s vital that communities receive early, accurate weather warnings in order to keep their residents safe.
The Jackson office collaborated closely with the forecast offices in Louisville and Paducah. Together, they provided critical real-time warnings and advisories through official NWS posts, media feeds, social media updates, and NOAA weather radio broadcasts. The commitment of these offices to collaborate is a strong testament to their commitment to keeping the public safe despite their staffing limitations.
Tom Fahy, legislative director of the National Weather Service Employees Organization, is providing leadership to address workforce shortages. He’s even out there making “immediate transfer available” pitches to staff who are ready to come over and occupy open slots. Recently, one position was listed as open for transfer to help bolster staffing levels at affected offices.
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