Its the Media Worldwide I think - Headlines need to sex it up - Just before the new year we had reports of a "Weatherbomb" that was about to hit parts of the UK - more like a damp squib that fizzled out fortunately.
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Blizzard of 2015
- Thread starter drd1135
- Start date
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Its the Media Worldwide I think - Headlines need to sex it up - Just before the new year we had reports of a "Weatherbomb" that was about to hit parts of the UK - more like a damp squib that fizzled out fortunately.
Lightmancer
Legend
- Location
- Sunny Frimley
- Name
- Bill Palmer
Quite.
Whatever happened to sangfroid? Stiff upper lip? Understatement?
Whatever happened to sangfroid? Stiff upper lip? Understatement?
Ray Sachs
Legend
- Location
- Not too far from Philly
- Name
- you should be able to figure it out...
Keep in mind, though, that they basically got this one right - they missed the exact track by something like 50 miles (I've heard everything from 30-70, but about 50). The severity of the storm was real, and it hit eastern Long Island and much of New England HARD. It just didn't hit New York City or Philly anywhere near as hard as they'd projected. So, they were off by some miles, but it was a very intense storm and I'm quite sure the folks in New England are quite glad that the media played it up enough for all to be aware of it and that civic leaders took the precautions they took up there. That it didn't hit New York or Philly as hard as expected doesn't strike me as a bad thing... If it HAD hit here as hard as projected, we'd have been damn glad for the precautions taken instead of lampooning those who sounded the alarm based on best information...
The media for sure overplays some stuff - it's an industry in the midst of a total re-structuring with lots of previously big players probably on their last legs, so they don't quite know HOW to act to both be responsible and continue to survive in an online world. To me, that's a separate thing from taking precautions and closing things down based on the best information you've got. Understanding that on occasion it will turn out to be a false alarm. But surprisingly rarely...
-Ray
The media for sure overplays some stuff - it's an industry in the midst of a total re-structuring with lots of previously big players probably on their last legs, so they don't quite know HOW to act to both be responsible and continue to survive in an online world. To me, that's a separate thing from taking precautions and closing things down based on the best information you've got. Understanding that on occasion it will turn out to be a false alarm. But surprisingly rarely...
-Ray
the real crime is that the news people did nothing different than the politicians who closed a major city, canceled 8000 flights, shut entire highway systems, sent millions home from work and school, prohibited driving, etc, essentially declaring marshall law, before a single snowflake hit pavement. i could care less about meteorologists; care somewhat about media fanning flames of fear daily; care much more about our inane and destructive institutional reactions.
Ray Sachs
Legend
- Location
- Not too far from Philly
- Name
- you should be able to figure it out...
Yeah, I agree with that. I can't even begin to count the "storm of the century!!!" pronouncements I've heard in the last 15 years...
The sad fact is that if one outlet uses that kind of language and the others don't, guess who gets the ratings. So they all do it and it loses all meaning...
As to our New England friends who are IN it, I know that when we've had 18" and larger snowstorms around here, you really can't even begin to go anywhere until you dig out and the plowing starts. They're digging today but the wind is still howling so they're probably getting as much blowing back onto their driveways and paths as they're clearing off. I doubt we'll start to see many photographs until tomorrow at the earliest. You can maybe take a few photos from your door or window, but not much beyond that...
-Ray
- Location
- Milwaukee, WI USA
- Name
- Luke
If all your best information is telling you that you're likely going to get 2 to 3 feet of snow, I don't know how you don't cancel everything and shut down the city.
I've always felt that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
When I hear tornado sirens, I go to my basement until the threat is over. I don't wait until I see one coming.
I'm fairly sure that everyone involved in keeping the population safe and the roads clear in Boston and coastal MA and ME are happy with their decisions.
I've always felt that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
When I hear tornado sirens, I go to my basement until the threat is over. I don't wait until I see one coming.
I'm fairly sure that everyone involved in keeping the population safe and the roads clear in Boston and coastal MA and ME are happy with their decisions.
- Location
- Milwaukee, WI USA
- Name
- Luke
Ray Sachs
Legend
- Location
- Not too far from Philly
- Name
- you should be able to figure it out...
To tide you over until the real snow arrives, this represents what happens when intensive preparations are done for an event that never quite occurs. The joke around here is that we may not need a snow day, but we definitely need a salt day. Much more salt than snow on the ground...
WC 50-11-Edit by ramboorider1, on Flickr
-Ray
-Ray
SnapDawg
Rorschach Test Pilot
- Location
- Canary Islands
- Name
- Ken
My favorite term is "war on snow".
Is there anything left in the known universe that hasn't been declared war on yet ?
Is there anything left in the known universe that hasn't been declared war on yet ?
my particular wish is that we had not declared 'war' on competence, but unfortunately that is a war from which we seem to find it impossible to disengage.
- Location
- Jersey Shore
- Name
- Steve
I wonder how Amin is making out after the blizzard. I wonder if he even has electric power right now.
off the top of my head, you have an emergency plan that is implemented in phases based on current facts on the ground. thats how adults handled things when i was a kid. its calm leadership vs frantic activity, there is no need to close the nys thruway at 3pm when not a snow flake is visible, or to cancel thousands of flights that could have taken place, or close businesses at noon when the first flake didnt fall until 3. thats not 'prevention', its foolishness.
- Location
- Jersey Shore
- Name
- Steve
Actually, I'm not sure I fully agree with this. There is every reason to cancel thousands of flights well in advance: Planes and people will be become stranded and aircraft damaged in blizzards. It takes more time than one might think for flights to terminate, passengers to deplane and aircraft to then get out of harm's way than many believe. The same goers for trains, subways and buses. If service is halted at 6pm, that's when the last trip begins. It may be another 2 or 3 hours before the trip has been completed and the equipment safely parked. I also think closing all of the roadways early was a great idea. It takes the civilian population a lot more time to respond than do professionals and/or military personnel. Close the roads at 3pm and you might have everyone home by 9pm. That's why virtually everything was plowed the next day. And remember: All of the computer models predicted the path of the blizzard in the same way. Had the storm hit the Philadelphia-New Jersey-New York City area as expected and these measures weren't taken, there would be a lot of wailing and finger-pointing going on about now. As for breathless media rantings about "The Storm of the Century," that's one reason why I left the mainstream media for business news.
EDIT: To add to my point about civilian response time, I'm 57 years old and I've been in the media for 42 of those years (that's right - I was 15 when I got into radio) My job is being a professional observer. It is clear to me that civilian discipline, at least in the U.S., is markedly reduced now compared to when I was a kid or even a young adult. Perhaps it's because the grown-ups of the 1950s and 60s went through the Second World War and the post-war nuclear attack drills. But today, trying to get the general public to do what you say is akin to herding cats.
Ray Sachs
Legend
- Location
- Not too far from Philly
- Name
- you should be able to figure it out...
one view of a tiny piece of the damage of overreaction
The Pointless NYC Subway Shutdown Was Worse Than You Realize
The Pointless NYC Subway Shutdown Was Worse Than You Realize
- Location
- Jersey Shore
- Name
- Steve
And if the subway kept running until the blizzard was upon us, the negative economic impact would have been far greater. Stranded and damaged trains might not have been running again for weeks or months - not to mention the cost to taxpayers for repairs to equipment. And how about the fate of passengers on a stranded subway train? Remember, the idea was to get people to stay home during the storm. Look, you have your opinion and it's clear none of us are going to change it. Fine. But I work in New York City everyday and I've seen what can happen when there's heavy snowfall that isn't even as bad what was forecast this time.
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