How the Shutdown Affects Our Future Weather Preparedness

On Monday afternoon, a line of storms hundreds of miles long crossed the Appalachians and struck cities on the eastern seaboard. Earlier that day, a tornado watch was issued, stretching from New York City to Washington, D.C., that lasted until 5 p.m.; broadcasts and web journalists picked up the news and transmitted it to millions in the affected region

Most people who heard about that tornado watch learned about it from journalists and journalist-meteorologists who work at private media companies. But, perhaps without realizing it, everyone who heard about it depended upon the meteorologists, one level down and less visible, who work for the National Weather Service, a program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Read more...