Of all the disasters I’ve studied, tornadoes scare me the most.
They come with little warning and can erase entire communities in minutes — even seconds.
There’s no four-day lead-up to prepare like we often have with major hurricanes, and the winds of these storms can far exceed the most violent tropical cyclones.
In those few moments before one hits, especially if you’re sleeping, you’re at the mercy of your local weather station.
If someone is watching, they can issue a warning in those critical minutes before it’s too late.
Those few minutes after an emergency alert is issued are the difference between life and death.
That’s why experts were shocked and outraged by budget cuts made to the National Weather Service earlier this year.
Some offices were forced to no longer operate 24 hours a day back in April.
In the Jackson, Kentucky NWS office, one of the positions they were forced to cut was the full-time overnight forecaster.
The office's website even lists the "Meteorologist in Charge" p…
