The fraud called Irene (Cape Cod)-video

[Burt]

You can see my antennas and the Hy-Tower, one dipole I do not use fell
Not much of a video, but if you are bored......
Irene
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN7BOtsLp8Q

[WA1GFZ]

Consider yourself lucky Burt

[The Slab Bacon]

Burt,
       For once (and this time only) I have to agree with you. The local news was going for 24 hours telling everyone to "hunker down", put your head between your legs and kiss your a$$ goodby. We did get torrential rain and a little wind, but that was it. It really wasn't worth staying up most of the night for. Although the local news anchors were looking like they were rode hard and put away wet by the next morning   

[W3SLK]

I don't know about most of you jabrones, but back in the summer 1972, a lazy catagory 1 hurricane came strolling up the coast and wore out it welcome. Its name was Agnes and was one of the worst natural disasters to strike our area in over 36 years, (at that time). There wasn't any trees toppling over or roofs being blown away. But it rained, and rained and rained. When it got done raining, it rained some more. Sunbury, PA experienced 8" of rain in a 12 hour period alone. This storm had that same potential. To say that the media was 'chicken-little' is a farce. Ask some of the people that lived in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre back then and tell them what you think. You're liable to get an earful!

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

I doubt that any storm causing millions/billions in damage and numerous deaths could accurately be called a "fraud", though the choices in reporting left a lot to be desired. Two things to keep in mind:

 - While the storm wasn't what it was hyped to be for most areas, it wasn't a non-event, either.

 - The Weather Channel, like most of the media, is all about ratings and viewers, not necessarily good journalism or accuracy.

I found the local coverage to be spot on with minimal hype. National coverage, especially from TWC, was much more of a staged End of the World scenario. As the storm was churning across NC and heading north, TWC spent much of their time on their big name personality who was in Battery Park in NYC, telling people how the water would be over over his head, 11 feet deep there in just a few hours, mass destruction, etc etc. Didn't happen, though inland areas like VT really got hammered with rain and associated flooding. You could hear the disappointment in their voices as they scrambled to find anything that looked bad. One of the announcers on TWC even said "we've at least found some flooding on Long Island we can show you".

The other thing the media does that seems pretty pathetic is harping endlessly on evacuating; telling folks to get out of the area, stay off the streets, stay inside, etc. Then they send reporters out to stand in the storm and 'report', to build up the drama. They go out of their way to point out how dangerous it is to stay behind after being told to evacuate, then they seek out people who aren't evacuating to interview. Which message is the right one?

Local media, though not 'hype-free', seems to be much more on target and to the point overall. They based their reports on the National Hurricane Center releases and stuck to them without pumping it up with a lot of theoretical nonsense. Truly the difference between reporting the news and trying to create it. The contrast between the locals and more ego-drive national media was quite stark, right down to the reporters dressed up in their foul weather gear for on screen reports after the storm had passed, while folks walked behind them in shorts, T-shirts, and sandals with no indication of rain. Reminded me of the woman reporting from a boat during flooding in some town a few years back, and a local walking through the shot behind her with the water not quite knee-deep.

We consider ourselves lucky here, though the good wife is a Tampa girl who has been through a number of big hurricanes over the years. Others weren't so lucky even a few miles away from us. But overall, the storm was nothing of the huge catastrophe for the east coast that it was hyped to be, basically for the areas in the path that are known to have water problems during big storms. And the poor choices in reporting it are exactly what brings about the feeling with the general public that it's no big deal the next time.

 

[W1QWT]

Guess it depended on where you were. In Scituate, MA. I had tree come down across the road that blocked it until the town came with a front end loader and pushed it back up on my front yard. My neighbor on one side had a tree come down through his back roof, the other neighbors also lost trees that fortunately just missed cars. These were oaks.
So many trees came down that took wires with them that they say we won't get the electricity back for awhile.
For once I am glad to come to work where there is power.
Regards
Q

[Burt]

I don't know about most of you jabrones, but back in the summer 1972, a lazy catagory 1 hurricane came strolling up the coast and wore out it welcome. Its name was Agnes and was one of the worst natural disasters to strike our area in over 36 years, (at that time). There wasn't any trees toppling over or roofs being blown away. But it rained, and rained and rained. When it got done raining, it rained some more. Sunbury, PA experienced 8" of rain in a 12 hour period alone. This storm had that same potential. To say that the media was 'chicken-little' is a farce. Ask some of the people that lived in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre back then and tell them what you think. You're liable to get an earful!

When Agnes hit you it was not even a tropical storm, but it did get stuck in one place. Most of the time weather people exageratte, occasionally like in your case they under forecast. Media 90% of the time is chicken little, you got the other 10% and if they could have hyped it, they would have
Burt

[Burt]

 - While the storm wasn't what it was hyped to be for most areas, it wasn't a non-event, either.

 - The Weather Channel, like most of the media, is all about ratings and viewers, not necessarily good journalism or accuracy.
 

Your comments ought to be aired on every network, everyplace, your thoughts are exactly what I think but in no way could I be as good as you in expressing them. Great work.
Burt

[W2PFY]

Seems like the people here in upstate NY are feeling the effects first hand from the storm. Many people have died, other lost there homes. Seems all too real to me.

Here' a link that will give you some idea what we are seeing. Vermont had record floods as well.

http://www.timesunion.com/

[WD8BIL]

It knocked out phone/DSL and power in parts of Ohio too.

[KX5JT]

At least 35 deaths....

http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/hurricane-irene-blamed-for-1150358.html

Fraud?  Simply because many were not affected does not mean the media was not justified in warning people to be diligent.

[KX5JT]

Having been through quite a few storms in Louisiana, I can tell you that many of them are largely a non-event for many people.  We breathe easy after such storms.  This storm COULD have been utterly devastating to many more people along the Eastern seaboard.  There's no way of knowing until the thing has passed. 

Now you say "oh the media hyped this way up".   Along comes Maria (theoretically) in late September, maybe a much more compact storm with Cat 3 winds rotating around the eye and it's out there south of Bermuda but Providence, RI is where she is taking aim for landfall.  The media goes to work issuing warnings and saying this could be the Big One for the area.

"Oh the media is at it again, hyping this way up, trying to get everyone to watch them for their ratings. I'm going to get me a case a Samuel Adams and some chips and dips and ride this baby out on Cape Cod because of course this is just going be some wind and rain, no big deal."

[KA0HCP]

No Fraud here in southern Maryland.  We've got the damage and a few deaths to prove it.

About four hours before storm passage conditions were so bad that law enforcement and fire service was withdrawn from the roads.  It was agonizing to listen as the dispatchers and paramedics debated whether individual calls for medical assistance were worth risking EMT lives.

Bill

p.s.  Burt  I didn't see you cutting loose those makeshift guy lines on the HyTower! 

[The Slab Bacon]

I guess the proper term should have been hype instead of fraud. The local news purveyors here were just preaching the worst possible gloom and doom. Like this being possibly "the storm of the century." It actually got on your nerves after a while. But our local news idiots are good for carrying the hype to extreems. The damage was very much "area specific". With many areas just getting a good soaking.

I spent the whole night of Hurricane Agnes out pumping basements out and pulling swamped cars out of the water, and the whole night of Hurricane David babysitting an entire marina full of boats, so I have been out in a few of them. (Including this one)

However.................. The thunderstorms that pummeled us here last weekend were by far more violent than Irene that we saw here. If you would have seen the news anchors here "embelishing" the story You would have either laughed or puked. Especially after they ran out of new news to report. The best part was watching them wither away from being in front of the camera for so long. They looked like they had "been run hard and put away wet."

[WA1GFZ]

I can just imagine the smell of fraud when I open my fridge next weekend after the power was out a few days.
You always have a choice when the TV is on...to turn it off
Ralph has a fraud tree you could take down for him Burt.

[The Slab Bacon]

1 death in CT was a 46 YO gentleman who decided to go canoeing in a swollen river...
"Witnesses on Sunday urged Shane Seaver, 46, and Raymond Clyman, 39, not to take their canoe into the Hurricane Irene-swollen Pequabuck River in Bristol.
The river was raging and flooded a significant portion of Bristol. A veteran Bristol police officer said the river was the worst he's seen it in 33 years on the job.One of the men reportedly responded to people photographing the river from the bank that they couldn't pass up the once-in-a-lifetime experience to go canoeing in the swollen river, police said."

Carl,
       I hate to say it, but..............THAT GUY MUST HAVE BEEN AN IDIOT! ! ! ! ! !
That is like sticking your head in an aligator's mouth and crying because he bit the top of your head off! ! !  We should nominate him posthumously for a "Darwin Award".
That's like a "once in a lifetime" chance to commit suicide...................

[W1ATR]

You guys just keep getting sucked right in, don't ya? 

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

This storm COULD have been utterly devastating to many more people along the Eastern seaboard.  There's no way of knowing until the thing has passed.

Precisely. I don't think anyone (at least, not me) is saying otherwise, John. Having spent close to 25 years in things like firefighting, SAR, and emergency comms, it's never a good idea to downplay or ignore the evidence. The flip side of the coin though, is that hyping a situation without significant information to warrant it, is just as reckless.  

Now you say "oh the media hyped this way up".   Along comes Maria (theoretically) in late September, maybe a much more compact storm with Cat 3 winds rotating around the eye and it's out there south of Bermuda but Providence, RI is where she is taking aim for landfall.  The media goes to work issuing warnings and saying this could be the Big One for the area.

"Could be" is much different than "is going to be", which I heard numerous times. Nothing at all wrong with warning people with stark information of what is possible from a storm. It's actually a good idea. IMO, it's completely irresponsible to pump it up through catchy phrases or otherwise. When you have "200 meteorologists covering this storm" and a lot of airtime to fill, it's a recipe for a lot of unnecessary comparisons and misinformation to fill that time and appear interesting.

"Oh the media is at it again, hyping this way up, trying to get everyone to watch them for their ratings. I'm going to get me a case a Samuel Adams and some chips and dips and ride this baby out on Cape Cod because of course this is just going be some wind and rain, no big deal."

Not sure if you intended it this way or not, but you basically reinforce my point. Whether building it up into some great, scary event, or continuing to do so even after the evidence is showing otherwise, it gives people less confidence in what you're saying and makes them less likely to take it seriously. Crying wolf, if you will. Toss in the 'made for media' moments shown on the weather channel and elsewhere, along with saying one thing ("stay inside, it's not safe to be out in the storm") then doing the opposite, well - I think the term 'mixed messages' is putting it kindly. People should evacuate, yet we're going to scoop the competition by interviewing someone who chose not to. More brilliant, made-for-TV moments.

I lost count in the last few years of how many times these self-described experts have said we're in for another bad season of hurricanes, only to have it not happen. Sometimes they even attribute it to global warming or climate change. Then it doesn't take place. Apparently Irene was the first named hurricane to make landfall since 2008. The truth? Every year we're in for hurricane season. Some COULD be utterly devastating.

Forecasting is not a perfect science, which is why you seldom see the actual folks from NOAA making such dire predictions. Rather they use words like 'possible' instead of 'likely'. When you're trying to be seen as the source for all things weather, it's no doubt easy to overdo it in hopes of garnering more viewers.

The disappointment from TWC was palpable, no doubt a huge let down from the job they did in convincing themselves at least that they had a major hurricane story on their hands. It is, was, and will be for weeks to come. Just not to the extent they seemed to be hoping for. That's the pathetic part.

But there should be no mistaking bad media for actual events, threats, and so on. There is nothing even remotely resembling fraud for the outcome of this storm, only on how some chose to represent it. To those who lost homes or loved ones, I'm sure it feels as horrible as it gets.

[W1DAN]

Folks:

While it is interesting (I find humor in it) to see TV folks show us the hype of "deteriorating conditions", and the cameras frantically search for and amplify extreme video while the TV reporters stupidly put themselves in harm's way for the camera, it is up to each and every one of us to take in the information we can get and make personal judgements of what to do during these weather events. Having lived through many dangerous hurricanes, I know it is better to be prepared and take a proactive position.

The TV stations, with their hype, are doing what they are designed to do-make YOU watch them-and YOU did! As I work in the TV industry, I watch what is happening with an understanding of how and why it is done. To get an accurate picture of such an event, I watch the TV station's radar and what the meteorologists are saying. These meteorlogists are trained and often do not hype a situation. You will see this contrasting the bozo reporters and anchors saying the world will end, right after this commercial break...

I also also look at web sites such as the National Weather Service http://www.nws.gov/, the National Hurricane Center http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/, and for my area, the Eastern Mass ARES group http://ares.ema.arrl.org/. These are great sources of information that have no hype and no stupid reporters exclaiming "deteriorating conditions" while standing in a puddle in 50mph winds.

In the end, I'd rather have to filter through the hype to get good information and be prepared than not have it available and get blindsided (for a view on the professional TV hype, see here: http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/123854). There are folks who have had light to extensive personal property damage (look at the flooding in Vermont for example). I bet these folks are not thinking Irene was a nuisance. Me, I am very happy to have only lost part of a fence.

I knew Irene would have reduced power by the time it got to Massachusetts (as an average, due to the water temperature, a hurricane will reduce by one level as compared to the level it was in the tropics), but was very pleasantly surprised that the storm reduced so much. I am thankful, and we were lucky.

I also saw many folks in the northeast not preparing at all or completely (like leaving yard furniture and trash out. I actually saw a desk out for trash pickup Saturday and it was toppled over today. I also saw construction plywood loose at a house that was being renovated). When a level 1-3 hurricane hits up here, these folks will not fare well.

In New Orleans, there are many folks who become numb to the "cry wolf" syndrome of the media. Many of those folks died in Katrina and Rita. When state or federal authorities say to evacuate, DO IT! There is a good chance it will save your life.

Here you have to be a smart consumer, just as in many other areas.

Be educated, prepared and be safe.

Dan

[Ed/KB1HYS]

I suppose the worst thing is, for those area who weren't hard it, next time there is a big storm the reaction will not be to hunker down and prepare, but a lot of folks will just recall what was said and happened and the difference.  It's one thing to tell people to prepare for a bad storm (this is good reporting) it's another entirely to hype it up so badly that the media looses credibility.  So the next time, some folks won't be so quick to prepare.

A lot of folks died, but I don't think that the Surfer who drowned, and the Canoeist should be blamed on the storm.  That's just plain dumb.

[kb3wbb]

An example of over-hype is what happened in the Philadelphia area after the storm had passed. All 4 networks, instead of resuming programming with occasional breaks for updates, spent 6 hours showing viewers photographs that had been sent in, often not even knowing where the photo was taken or what area it showed. If I'd wanted to see them I could have gone to the website. I didn't need to see a TV screen showing a computer screen while somebody clicked on the thumbnails to enlarge the pic.

Larry

[Burt]

Burt,

I welcome you to come help clean up the fraud of downed trees and limbs in my yard and neighborhood.

I would wait a bit because the fraud storm has deprived us of lights, water, telephone etc for an estimated week. 100% of the customers in my town and surrounding towns are without power.

Oh by the way several people "fraudulently" died in CT during the storm.


 

As is becoming clear to me fraud was not the best word, over-hyped would have been better. My point is The Weather Channel said 100 year storm when it was clear it was not. It was a bad storm, but not the end of the east coast as national TV led you to believe.

[Burt]

You guys just keep getting sucked right in, don't ya? 

I see some very interesting and good points being made by people far smarter than I. I am learning from posts of others but I guess you would prefer, "CQ OHIO QSO PARTY" "CQ OHIO QSO PARTY" "CQ OHIO QSO PARTY" "CQ OHIO QSO PARTY"

[W1DAN]

Folks:

This is why WE need to become more educated on these storms, their dynamics, potential effects and what we should do to protect our lives and property.

TV stations today are often like the sensationalistic newspapers of the 1920s-some truth, but much sensationalism. For decades TV has often not met the definition of journalism. Radar does not lie. Usually meteorologists (as compared to weather presenters who may not have a degree) do not lie.

The weather channel was good in 1990. Today I have a hard time finding weather on that channel.

Us folks here on this web site are much smarter than the high school drop-out who believes the hyped TV reporting.

You know it when you see it....

Dan

[wb2fof]

I usually skip the TV, for my own reasons, but if you sway off of this blog and check Albany NY news, VT. News on the net ...............................Holy $^%T , the water damage is pretty bad ! I think the same goes for MA. and CT.  I just saw a few bridges out in VT. that are totally gone. Major roads too !! My penny's worth !

The long lost FOF  !  ( Hey ZE. Was with ur dad at the HP bench shoot. He puts lead down at better than 50wpm and more accurate ! He looks great ! )