Letter to the Editor: Too much hype with the new "enhanced" weather warnings

Mike Rothwell of Burr Oak has e-mailed this Letter to the Editor in the wake of our news story saying the National Weather Service was beginning "Enhanced Weather Warnings" as of Monday:

"What began from an established Fujita (F)-scale to a now ENHANCED F-SCALE for the new ratings for tornadoes and has seemingly evolved into a media hysteria that now even our (once) level-headed National Weather Service has seemingly bought into all this.  (Of course we can thank the Weather Channel for now naming snow storms!) 

My point is, the weather is probably one of the - if not THE - only constant we have anymore.  Why do these people/agencies feel the need that everything must now be 'enhanced,' (aka: 'hyped')?

I live in Burr Oak and we have no weather warning system.  I rely on my own interpretation of live radar data and of course, my own physical observation of currently existing weather conditions.  Now, I realize that people suggest a weather radio.  OK.  I did that.  Funny part about that is that the NWS no longer has a live person broadcasting.  That job has long since been replaced by this weird-sounding computer voice (think, "FRED" on your computer - and sometimes they mix it up with a female computer version - must have 'equality' - even for computer generated voices!)  So, now we hear a looped recording that isn't accurate at all. 

A couple summers ago, I was watching my live radar on my computer and noticing the rapidly deteriorating conditions outside.  I made the call that my wife and I take our dog and seek shelter in our basement until this immediately approaching line of severe weather had passed.  A few moments later, after the 'big blast' I was hearing on my weather radio 'loop' for the warning that this storm was 'currently impacting Bluffton.'  Excuse me.  The storm just passed Burr Oak.  Those weather warning recordings aren't worth depending on to employ as a part of a family's emergency preparedness plan in a rural area.  Only vigilance and relying on one's ability to determine that it's about to 'hit the fan' and to take cover.

Back to my point.  There's no need to 'enhance' a tornado warning.  There was no need to certainly enhance the longstanding F-scale with a new EF-scale.  I guarantee if an 'old' F-3 tornado were to hit my residence and potentially relocate me to OZ, the new EF-3 wouldn't do that any more effectively.  The results would be identical.

So...hang on people.  SUPER-MONSTER-(potentially)-KILLER THUNDERSTORM "ALBERT" is coming to get you!  I'm anticipating the Weather Channel will start naming our individual spring thunderstorms, of course - then blasting all over the tv media airwaves for ENHANCED HYPERBOLE!"