If you are wondering why a Tornado Emergency wasn't called for Kentucky last night, stop. And be nice, folks are dead.

Y2Kwebsurfer@reddit

This is 100% FAFO - also with some Darwin sprinkled on top. I saw the hatred online firsthand, from so many southerners gleefully harassing people from LA during the fires in January.

I have been patiently waiting for tornado season since then, and am glad tornado valley shifts eastward more and more each year. Some of these same folks said God was punishing LA while their neighbors suffered, lots of schadenfreude.

Martzillagoesboom@reddit

Until they bury their 51st nonsense completly and retract it for good id rather not use money that give peoples jobs if those peoples encourage the invader.

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saltyoursalad@reddit

Good!

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TheLizardKing89@reddit

Yes, 64.5% to 34%

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IrwinJFinster@reddit

So we should rejoice for California wildfires due to its politics too, scumbag?

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erbush1988@reddit

What? I'm not advocating anyone rejoicing in these things.

I m saying we need more accountability for those who allow things to happen. Like cutting funding for tornado preparation and staffing needs.

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Planeandaquariumgeek@reddit

To prove my point I tested out how I usually sleep (with a body pillow and comforter over my head) and played the sound effect of 2 different tornado siren types at the same time. Based off of the noise level I easily could sleep through it.

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LetsJustDoItTonight@reddit

You're not gonna be able to replicate it that way, dude. Not even close.

And, again, even if some people did somehow sleep through it, that doesn't mean the sirens wouldn't have saved people's lives.

Gee willikers, then how have so many of my friends and loved ones (including my husband) survived tornadoes throughout the decades? You haven't been through a damn tornado - you act differently for a tornado in the Midwest than you do an earthquake in California.

With tornadoes, you want to get into the lowest part of the building you're in, with as many walls as possible between you and the exterior wall, and as far away from windows as possible. Under the stairs is great.

Right now you are talking to someone who has lived through multiple tornadoes. Yes, the preferred thing to have is a storm shelter. But it's not absolutes, all or nothing, like you describe.

You're now prepping for tornadoes. What will you do when that EF1 is heading towards where you live? Is your storm shelter installed and ready to go?

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Planeandaquariumgeek@reddit

I have a doomsday bunker, so I definitely have a good storm shelter.

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JFlash7@reddit

Respectfully, you have no idea what you’re talking about. Sheltering in a basement can absolutely save your life during a tornado. You should educate yourself instead of spreading misinformation.

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Planeandaquariumgeek@reddit

I do know what I’m talking about thank you very much. There was one just 30 miles from me in December, along with a major storm. Guess what. I didn’t ride that out in the basement. I rode that out in the bunker, and most houses in the Midwest and south have storm shelters.

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JFlash7@reddit

Storm cellars are common in tornado alley…not the entire Midwest, and not in eastern Kentucky.

A basement is the next best thing for most people, and it does work. Flying debris is the #1 killer during a tornado and the basement gives you significant protection.

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Planeandaquariumgeek@reddit

Yea until your house goes bye bye, which this tornado did do.

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Every person from the Midwest I’ve ever talked to would disagree with you, and some houses don’t have basements.

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LetsJustDoItTonight@reddit

Every person from the Midwest I’ve ever talked to would disagree with you

Lmfao where in the Midwest were they??

I've lived in tornado alley for pretty much my entire life. I know several people who've had their homes destroyed.

I have never once met a single person who didn't think basements weren't the safest place to go.

There's plenty of people that'd stand outside and watch, rather than go into the basement, but that's not because they didn't think the basement was safe. They're just kinda dumb.

and some houses don’t have basements.

In the Midwest, in places where tornadoes are relatively common, nearly every building has a basement. Basements are everywhere, dude.

What's not common at all or practical for most people are storm shelters.

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Your house doesn't fall on you; it gets ripped up and thrown around. Being surrounded by concrete and dirt 10 feet underground really helps to prevent getting hit by shit that the wind is throwing sideways at 100mph

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Crocs_n_Glocks@reddit

Do you live in a tornado area? We have drills all the time.

You don't need to outrun them, you just need to get to a basement, or even a bathtub

Probably have only opted out of AMBER alerts…that has its own toggle.

1 in 6 have opted out of some form of WEA alert, AMBER alerts being the most common type (Source)

And just a reminder, Russell Vought (one of the authors of Project 2025) is now head of DOGE instead of Musk.

https://www.weather.gov/skywarn/

That’s not how the system works. In my experience the meteorologist rely almost exclusively on boots on the ground for tornado warnings. It’s all volunteer (some paid) storm spotters that are the first step in alerting in your community. Your local alerts are also not set off by NWS although they can send an EAS. More than likely the NWS is either getting a warning from a paid storm spotter or getting the alert from the local through ipaws.

Can’t stress enough trained storm spotters are always in short supply. Check with your local emergency manager or check the NWS site. It’s a two hour course and it’s taught in an evening.

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TruthandMusicMatter@reddit

I checked with AI, and it confirmed the meme was factual

🌀 National Weather Service (NWS) Staffing in Jackson, Kentucky

The NWS office in Jackson, KY, has been grappling with staffing shortages. Reports indicate that the office is currently operating with a 31% vacancy rate, missing four meteorologists from its ideal staffing level. This shortage has made 24/7 operations challenging, particularly affecting overnight coverage.

During the recent deadly tornadoes, the Jackson office had to rely on support from neighboring offices in Louisville and Paducah to provide overnight coverage.

⸻

🏛️ Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is a real entity established by the Trump administration in early 2025, with Elon Musk playing a significant role. While Musk is not officially the head, he has been referred to as the de facto leader, exercising substantial influence over the department’s operations.

DOGE has been responsible for implementing widespread staffing cuts across various federal agencies, including the National Weather Service. These cuts have led to significant challenges in maintaining essential services, such as weather forecasting during severe events.

⸻

✅ Conclusion

The image’s assertion that the Jackson, KY, NWS office lacked a permanent overnight forecaster due to staffing cuts is accurate. Furthermore, the involvement of Elon Musk in leading the Department of Government Efficiency, which is responsible for these cuts, is also factual.

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CaterpillarGold@reddit

I am not refuting staffing shortages your misunderstanding how the alert system works. The fact that the meme quotes the UNION steward tells me this is the union trying to gain political traction. Not to down play how critically important the meteorologist job is but there are 350,000 trained storm spotters for sky warn for a reason.

Every state and local has a different alerting process. A meteorologist can make a guess based on Doppler radar of rotation which is generally not accurate. I would say it’s also better to err on the side of caution in these cases. The NWS false alarm policy has varied greatly over the last ten years as well. NWS can and will use EAS for a tornado warning. With out eyeballs on target it’s just a probability.

Sirens, EAS, WEA are almost always launched by the local agency. In my own very limited experience with seven tornadoes over ten years there was no alert triggered by radar. Storm spotters triggered the alarm every time.

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TruthandMusicMatter@reddit

I stopped reading at the end of your first paragraph. You dismissed an argument simply based on who made it. Not evidence. I checked the evidence. Nothing you said after that would be convincing to anyone with critical thinking skills. If you lead your thinking and writing with a fatal error, don’t expect to be taken seriously.

All aspects of this meme survived a fact check.

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DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

Upvoting this because multiple people have asked how they can help.

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Guy0naBUFFA10@reddit

Wow. Doge legit killed people

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TallPrinceCharming@reddit

I work for DHS. People with brains saw this months ago.

DOGE pulled security details.
DOGE cut the VA, deep including the Veteran's Crisis Line
DOGE caused people to hurry their retirement plans or quit without other jobs lined up, leaving them with no affordable options for healthcare
DOGE caused anxiety for federal workers to skyrocket, pushed for RTO, mandated five day work weeks, and cut public travel incentives, placing millions more americans on the roadway every day, when driving is the most dangerous thing most of us do daily, and then distracted us all with bullshit office drama

DOGE has extremely adversely affected my personal life, but my struggles pale in comparison to the people in this video, or even my neighbors. What this administration is doing to federal workers is cruel not only to us, but to our families, and to the American public. They are setting us back a century.

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No_Tip_8220@reddit

It’s called being held accountable. You should try it sometimes.

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TallPrinceCharming@reddit

Please quantify what your comment means in this context?

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audiojanet@reddit

Two friend’s hospitalized with high BP from this administration.

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TallPrinceCharming@reddit

Neighbors been having panic attacks, COUNTLESS people I know went back on, or upped their dosage of anxiety meds, and everyone I know who holds it down at home as the family "anchor" has been sent reeling.

Never talked to or met any Kentuckians but I wonder is there is some apathy or normalcy bias involved when living in tornado country. "I lived here all my life and never been affected by a tornado."

I do live in a rural area and the mentality of a lot of people is to not worry, downplay, dont listen to emergency services. Its a country bumpkin shit kickin' dont tell ME what to do or think mentality. Cant imagine its that different in Kentucky.

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audiojanet@reddit

Tornados have shifted their path.

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rct040811@reddit

There is a lot of disaster apathy in general. I remember during late February 2020 and people thought I was strange preparing for the pandemic. Three weeks later they were panic buying while I was casually tipping off my stockpile.

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DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

This is the general mentality of anyone not preparedness minded in my experience.

Survivors bias runs rampant in the good ole US of A.

Tornado alley is moving, and will be moving, further East.

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ctilvolover23@reddit

TORNADO ALLEY IS NOT MOVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How many times do I have to tell you people on here?

Appreciate the info you've shared here, stay safe

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DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

Thank you. You as well.

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Zipper-is-awesome@reddit

I did not grow up in Iowa, but I have lived here for over 10 years, the tornado horns and alerts go off, and I’m in the basement. Native Iowans seem to think those things mean “go outside and see if you can get it on video.”

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OrindaSarnia@reddit

Grew up in Des Moines...

my memories of tornado sirens in the middle of the night would be my older sister taking the younger 3 of us down to the basement (where her bedroom was), and watching her TV, or reading, or falling back asleep in my blankets, under the stairs, while my parents stayed in their bed on the second floor, telling us "tornados never get far into big cities, our house will be fine!"

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Zipper-is-awesome@reddit

Well, Des Moines has the 801 Reflector, no need to worry! lol

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This one really hit home for me. While nowhere near the loss others experienced, my stepdad and dad lost their homes and my dad lost his business in recent LA fires. The “dad laugh” while people’s lives are in shambles was massive online in response. Is this a strictly American thing or is that just exposure bias?

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working-mama-@reddit

Yes. My husband is from an area of Mississippi that gets a lot of tornados. He won’t even get out of bed if we get a tornado warning. Drives me crazy.

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Sort of. They've been cutting a lot of NOAA staff but have been trying to sell off public-facing assets to make them PPV. Accuweather, the Weather Channel, etc., do not collect any of their own data. All of the weather stations and raw data are collected and processed by the NOAA.

The GOP has been attempting to restrict free public access to that data, so that consumers have to pay to view it though media companies like the Weather Channel.

What channel should I set them to

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redmaniacs@reddit

Short Answer: Go to https://www.weather.gov/nwr/station_listing and pick your state. Find a station local to you and check the frequency. It should be one of these

162.400 MHz
162.425 MHz
162.450 MHz
162.475 MHz
162.500 MHz
162.525 MHz
162.550 MHz

Or you can just try them all. NOAA is constantly broadcasting and it will be obvious which is the right frequency.

Long Answer: Come get your HAM radio license and see how deep the rabbit hole goes. Baofengs are a good budget starter radio, and using them for beaters and weather radios is great but they can do a lot more and can be the gateway drug to all of amateur radio. You can use them to listen to a lot of different frequencies in the 2m and 70cm bands (maybe more depending on the model). Without a license you are not allowed to transmit and talk to anyone else on them.

If you'd like to know more, head over to r/amateurradio and see what it's all about.

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DickDover@reddit

Baofeng UV-5G $40 directly from their website.

https://www.baofengradio.com/products/uv-5x

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Iron_Eagl@reddit

From another article:

"The deaths were not attributable to the staffing cuts,” he said. “Everybody was there last night. We had a full team.”"

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/05/17/kentucky-national-weather-service-forecast-office-staff-cuts/83693800007/

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DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

You can't have a full team if you don't have a permanent oversight forecaster.

I will concede that maybe they had a temporary one.

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Iron_Eagl@reddit

Not permanent oversight, permanent overnight. I still think the cuts are a horrible idea, but according to the forecasters themselves, the cuts weren't an issue.

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IrwinJFinster@reddit

Well, they will be. Go read over at r/fednews for awhile.

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aristocrates91@reddit

gif

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chaotics_one@reddit

This appears to be made up

https://www.newsweek.com/kentucky-nws-staff-cuts-before-deadly-tornado-hit-reports-2073733

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DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

I've addressed this quite a few times now.

The concern is they don't have a permanent full time overnight forecaster.

If an even larger storm were to hit it the future, or a cluster, staffing would not be able to cover all positions.

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kateinoly@reddit

Have we forgotten Trump drawing with a sharpie on a hurricane forcast map? The man is an idiot.

And people who live in tornado prone areas listen to warnings. It isn't a political issue if they don't.

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DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

Then after the storms he declared a state of emergency for Kentucky.

If you find one article that claims a tornado emergency was called please post it.

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kateinoly@reddit

https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/18/weather/nws-staffing-kentucky-storms

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DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

Tornado warning =/= Tornado emergency

Yes I've seen this article and just read it again.

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kateinoly@reddit

If you're angry about the cuts to NOAA and the National Weather Service (which you should be), making up stuff is counterproductive. Be angry that employees had to work overtime to keep people safe. Don't accuse them of not doing their jobs.

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DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

When did I accuse them of not doing there jobs?

I said they did their jobs. I also mentioned cuts multiple times and that's the full time overnight forecaster spot is empty.

At this point, I think you are just trying to gotcha me or something.

So what I'm hearing is my "awful thing I did" was literally copying the text from the previous post. You are moving the goal post. Make up your mind.

Tornado emergency was not called. Probably because the storm although large was not big enough. Pure speculation but from the research I've dont that seems to be the case. Someone not getting an alert doesn't mean someone didn't do there jobs.

Lastly, while the types of first responders usually give a shit about people, the government in large doesn't. I urge people prepare accordingly and ass if no one is coming to save you.

This whole convo is not productive nor is it prepping.

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kateinoly@reddit

The claim is that people died because they weren't warned. People were warned, per usual procedures, because the workers worked extra hours.

Your claim that these people don't care is rude.

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DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

I dont know how many times I have to say this.

Some were warned, some didn't get alerts. Most knew about severe weather earlier the day of.

I'm saying the government in general doesn't care. We are but numbers. To people, we matter and people care about people. Government employees care, that doesn't mean the govt at large does. If the government cared they wouldn't have made cuts to valuable resources.

At this point our convo is so buried it's doing legitimately very little good.

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kateinoly@reddit

Trump and MAGA don't care, but they aren't "the government." "The government" is thousands of regular people working hard in offices and military bases all around the country.

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kateinoly@reddit

Nonsense. The folks in Kentucky did everything they normally would do, no thanks to staff cuts.

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DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

If you have no source for a tornado emergency and you are going to keep moving the goal post this conversation will go no where.

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kateinoly@reddit

There are plenty of articles available with little effort. They all say exactly the same thing. The staffing cuts did not have any effect on how this storm was handled. People die in tornados.

There are plenty of legitimate things with this administration to be angry about. Making up something is counterproductive.

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DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

I mentioned multiple times I could not find these articles when I first reposted this.

It's like the end or 3rd thread down.

So at the time I posted it, this and on other article was the only info I had.

This is nearly the exact same thing I told you earlier.

Are you legit trying to filibuster me right now?

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kateinoly@reddit

https://www.wate.com/news/kentucky/did-weather-service-staffing-cuts-impact-tornado-warnings-for-kentuckians-beshear-weighs-in/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2025/05/17/tornadoes-understaffed-jackson-kentucky-weather-office/

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DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

On this sub, you cant edit the original post so I can't change the title.

Go ahead. Check my post history. I live in Kentucky.

Checking your post history, I know you don't.

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kateinoly@reddit

Just so you know, I have lived in Tennessee, Mississippi (where I was born), Illinois, and Oklahima. I'm quite familiar with tornadoes, tornado watches, tordmnafo warnings, etc.

It's irrelevant since your post is false.

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DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

People in Somerset, Gledall, and a few other places in both Kentucky and Missouri did not receive notifications. Some got notifications after they touched down. Some got notifications earlier.

I can't help what people write.

A state of emergency was issued prior. If someone didn't get alerts on their phones, how would I prove they did and that they are lying. Also, why would I lie about that? Makes no senss.

My post illuminates that there were cuts. Cuts can have future consequences.

You can petition mods to take it down if you'd like but there's no way to prove that cuts won't make things worse in the future. Which is the point of the post and to get people talking and sharing ideas.

I want people to prep, for know risks. That's why we are here.

I dont know what you mean by fit the post.

Meanwhile I'll be gathering supplies to donate as I live locally and fully recognize next time it could be me, and last time it also was.

DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

I check weather reports frequently. Have extra food and water. Have a NOAA radio.

r/preppers r/twoxpreppers r/prepping r/stormcoming

Look up 72 hour kits, blackout kits, etc on YouTube. You'll find more than you can possibly watch. This would be a good jumping off point.

Be ready so you don't have to get ready. If you have extra time you can get more ready.

SparksFly55@reddit

Dumb Donald has said Little Marco is gonna handle it now.

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Stuck_In_Reality@reddit

To quote Bender....we're boned.

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TrekRider911@reddit

You should prepare for more than 72 hours. 72 hours was good advice for folks when there was a functioning FEMA. Now they've been gutted, your state and local responders will be run dry in their first big event that reaches presidential declaration level.

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BayouGal@reddit

After Hurricane Ike in 2008, my parents didn’t have power for 3 weeks. They lived 1 block off I-45, so not even rural.

Infrastructure takes time, even with a functioning FEMA. Without FEMA a lot more people are going to suffer for a lot longer.

[-]

FEMA usually came in AFTER the guard and in addition to the guard.

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TrekRider911@reddit

Yeah. Guard will show up to clear the road and give you some pallets of water. They wont give you disaster assistance to rebuild.

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DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

I agree. I just don't want to overwhelm people who are just starting. They have to start from where they are.

r/tropicalweather

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ComfortableTwo80085@reddit

This fucking guy suggests using a US government agency that Trump obliterated through DOGE lmao

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DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

It's one source. There are others. Lots on YouTube. I've stated this repeatedly.

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ComfortableTwo80085@reddit

Shiiii. Where do you think the underlying info these YT people reliy on comes from? Especially when it comes to US local forecasting and live updates?

Isaiah_The_Bun@reddit

Lol if yall accepted the facts about climate science you wouldn't be in this mess.

Good news tho!!! Climate chaos has kicked into gear so more and more people are going to accept facts and reality.

No, just deserving of receiving no federal aid since that's what they voted for.

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HappyAnimalCracker@reddit

All of them?

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Dear_Palpitation4838@reddit

85% is good enough for me.

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MorganaDarkeDrake@reddit

Thanks for saying my family doesn't matter.

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PapaTua@reddit

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Shesmashin@reddit

London KY, county seat of Laurel County, KY. 85% of the people in Laurel county voted 47.

Also look to see if your local news station has a weather alert in your area. In Colorado we have a CodeRED Weather Warning. It gave us a warning on our phones yesterday at 1:10pm when it was a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for my location that turned into a tornado in Benett, CO and Elizabeth, CO. People lost their homes. https://www.cpr.org/2025/05/19/colorado-tornadoes-destroy-homes-sunday-adams-elbert-counties/

Office had staff overnight! Headline is false.

https://www.weku.org/the-commonwealth/2025-05-17/kentucky-nws-office-in-jackson-was-staffed-amid-severe-weather-despite-shortages?_amp=true

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LalaPropofol@reddit

The headline isn’t false.

They can’t stop because they can’t admit they were wrong about who they voted for. It’s shame on top of shame. That’s why they will agree to their own demise as opposed to speaking up.

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Kapn_Takovik@reddit

The NWS didn't have a warning on the Somerset tornado until after it had already been on the ground doing damage. didn't upgrade it to a PDS warning until after it had already left town and killed people.
Sure the NWS eventually found it and warned it, assuredly saving lives, but eventually isn't good enough.

Yes, tornado alerts went out. But a tornado emergency wasn't called.

The hierarchy is:

Tornado warning \^

Tornado alert \^\^

Tornado emergency \^\^\^

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Dirty_Delta@reddit

For anyone that doesn't know:

Taco Watch - we have the ingredients to make tacos

Taco warning - we are having tacos right now!

Taco emergency - many tacos dropped and made a mess alllllllll over

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Own_Active_1310@reddit

Oh. So they're saying they're gonna get cracked down on for being disloyal to the regime...

Well who needs weather forecasting anyway. Y'all have windows right?

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ckv1@reddit

Am I the only one that hates how the comments all say “thoughts and prayers”

Yea I agree. I commented on this earlier stating my concern that while temporary measures worked for the most part in this instance, I have concerns about a larger outbreak or multiple outbreaks stretching staffing thin.

When I orginally posted this I was unable to find sources that were explaining the situation further.

I have heard a few folks say they didn't get text alerts but in KY and in WI the other day, but idk about MO. I obviously can't confirm or deny this.

MO or KY?

If KY, hello fellow Kentuckian.

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LionNo0001@reddit

DOGE has killed people now.

Musk should be brought to justice.

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Isaiah_The_Bun@reddit

Lmao you think the Trump admin give any craps?!

Oh well, more storms on the way. Good thing yall don't accept the facts of climate change.

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LionNo0001@reddit

Climate change was a battle that was lost (or thrown) by Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden. The liars in ExxonMobil should be held accountable for the damage they did to the world too.

That doesn't change this. The utter failure of the judiciary to put Trump in jail in a timely manner prior to the primary doesn't change this. The reality that the current administration is hell bent on letting criminals like Musk destroy the federal apparatus is what matters in this particular conversation.

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Isaiah_The_Bun@reddit

lol the good ol' "why did democrats make us do this". Classic.

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LionNo0001@reddit

It is not "they made the voters do this"

It is, "they made the absolute worst decisions possible and demoralized a large chunk of the people who would have voted for them"

I really wish he'd lead by example.

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BadCorvid@reddit

I think perhaps a French-style solution should be considered.

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Anxious_Foot876@reddit

Yep to them it’s all ‘sinners in the hands of an angry God’

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BILLIONAIRE_JESUS@reddit

Sociopaths, they're called sociopaths, and it turns out there's an alarmingly large percentage of them in the United States.

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SparklingLimeade@reddit

I mean, there were deaths from withdrawn medical aid almost as soon as they gutted USAID. This is just some more and from closer to home.

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schlongtheta@reddit

It's Ronald Reagan's 12 term and they're still using his process to Privatize public resources:

Defund public resource (here, the national weather service)
Point to the critical failure of that public resource (OMG they didn't send out warnings, Americans died, the government sucks!)
Get the public to cheer on abolishing that public resource entirely, and
Hand that resource over to private ownership.

100% of the time, it works 100% of the time.

Now the weather reports will be more expensive, do less, be slower, be covered in ads, and even the paywalled weather reports will suck because the weather requires as much data as possible from all over the USA as possible, and you're not going to get that when you stop making observations in rural and poor areas.

Watching Americans do this to themselves over and over is depressing at this point. Some redditors get off on watching them fail, but honestly it's just depressing.

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Anxious_Foot876@reddit

Yep gotta buy a subscription to accuweather

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Astroloan@reddit

Now the weather reports will be more expensive, do less, be slower, be covered in ads, and even the paywalled weather reports will suck

I want to highlight this because you can see multiple instances in this thread of people recommending ad-supported clickbait youtubers as resources instead of public datasources.

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schlongtheta@reddit

Ryan Hall, as nice as he is at explaining the weather, builds his entire show using the USA's National Weather Service's models, radar, predictions, warnings, etc.

[-]

Anxious_Foot876@reddit

The goal, since the first trump administration has been to gut the national weather service, and then privatize it. This is spearheaded by accuweather, which wants people to pay for weather alerts/forecasts.

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BadCorvid@reddit

So, now we know that DOGE kills people right here in the USA.

Because these people don't understand what the NWS and NOAA do for us, they just shit the bed, fire folks at random, and leave the average citizens to pay the price.

There are some services that the government that can't be privatized because of the scale of their operations, and the fact that there is no direct profit in it, only saving lives.

[-]

JaJ_Judy@reddit

Thoughts and prayers!!

Oh also, look! Consequences of what was voted for!!

[-]

TruthandMusicMatter@reddit

This image is 100% factual. It should be on all news programs.

“🌀 National Weather Service (NWS) Staffing in Jackson, Kentucky

The NWS office in Jackson, KY, has been grappling with staffing shortages. Reports indicate that the office is currently operating with a 31% vacancy rate, missing four meteorologists from its ideal staffing level. This shortage has made 24/7 operations challenging, particularly affecting overnight coverage.

During the recent deadly tornadoes, the Jackson office had to rely on support from neighboring offices in Louisville and Paducah to provide overnight coverage.

⸻

🏛️ Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is a real entity established by the Trump administration in early 2025, with Elon Musk playing a significant role. While Musk is not officially the head, he has been referred to as the de facto leader, exercising substantial influence over the department’s operations.

DOGE has been responsible for implementing widespread staffing cuts across various federal agencies, including the National Weather Service. These cuts have led to significant challenges in maintaining essential services, such as weather forecasting during severe events.

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✅ Conclusion

The image’s assertion that the Jackson, KY, NWS office lacked a permanent overnight forecaster due to staffing cuts is accurate. Furthermore, the involvement of Elon Musk in leading the Department of Government Efficiency, which is responsible for these cuts, is also factual.”

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Domin8469@reddit

So be nice that this shitshow of an administration facilitated the deaths of Americans that could possibly been saved? For real?

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obnoxus@reddit

He wasn't fired

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Mizchaos132@reddit

The shift was cut due to funding reductions.

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obnoxus@reddit

No it wasn't. He said they didn't have a permanent employee. They weren't fired either, they left.

Still, there should've been some automation involved at the very least.

Everyone working there should be fired and charged with negligence.

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Mizchaos132@reddit

There were heavy incentives to leave; earlier this year there were emails sent out encouraging employees to resign before cuts being made due to DOGE.

F Doge. And Trump

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Commercial_Rule_7823@reddit

I cant wait for a reporter to ask this directly to trump next week for all media to play. Besides slamming biden...he will have no answer.

Anyone notice musk has slumped into the shadows after they all realized the damage he caused with absolutely no benefits?

Sad people lost lives for nothing. More to come, tornados and hurricanes soon.

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Few-Lack-5620@reddit

His answer will be “I don’t know anything about that” and the idiots supporting him will do a nazi salute on TikTok and move on

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Ok_Animal_2709@reddit

gif

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PhotocytePC@reddit

Repeating here. NWS doesn't trigger local sirens

If you want realtime look up your closest Skywarn repeater and tune in.

https://www.repeaterbook.com/wiki/doku.php?id=repeater_skywarn

Also, register for skywarn training if you want to be as informed as possible in how to ID storms with the potential to wreck things quick

Ryan Hall Y'all is my go-to.

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dwightschrutesanus@reddit

If I have enough service to stream one, I'd be thrilled.

We don't have high speed internet or cable. Its a nice life.

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ask_anybody@reddit

Another massive failure by the current Republicans in office. Don't just blame DOGE, while they were at fault- just remember who put them there and enabled them.

Sue your government for this catastrophe. They could have prevented this, yet they decided public works werent as cost effective as military spending. Our lives arent worth anything to them unless they can profit off of us, and they are already using our own money to do this. Save the government jobs, save our citizens.

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Proper_Look_7507@reddit

Sue them for what? Giving the voters exactly what they voted for?

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EmberOnTheSea@reddit

The government has sovereign immunity. It is extremely difficult to sue the government for anything.

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Proper_Look_7507@reddit

They got what they voted for. As will SC, NC, GA, TX, LA, and FL come hurricane season.

DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

My only point was that there is no permanent overnight forecaster.

I addressed this previously.

If we had an even more wide spread outbreak, will there be enough to cover all the areas? I have my doubts.

With this being said Andy Beshear, our governor, has spoke out and is on top of things. People are active in search and rescue. Video on YouTube but its long.

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Lyynwyyn@reddit

There are four areas with no overnight forecaster. But in KY they pulled “all hands on deck” and covered the shift.

Source: NYT gift article: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/18/weather/sunday-tornado-forecast-kansas-oklahoma-storms.html?unlocked_article_code=1.IE8.1Not.J7yW7HHBwRog&smid=url-share

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DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

This is my understanding as well.

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Lumpy_Dependent_3830@reddit

"Hundreds of people have left the agency". Why do they try to make it sound voluntary?

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Huge_Strain_8714@reddit

So Elone mUsk.....

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imjustaviewer@reddit

Honestly? No I won't. I'm full Bob Page on red states and voters. The absolute inability for reds to take any accountability got us into this situation in the first place.

So, "Let it spill over to the schools and churches, let the bodies pile up in the street. In the end, they'll beg us to save them."

irsh_@reddit

Thanks Obama!

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Acceptable-Bat-9577@reddit

If you are wondering why a Tornado Emergency wasn't called for Kentucky last night, stop. And be nice, folks are dead.

I think in the OG StormComing post

That sucks. Should either move or stand up. And people should help people like you. Those who voted for this should stfu and accept their lumps. People like you though need help..

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HybridVigor@reddit

Should either move or stand up.

You make it sound so easy.

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Future_Union_965@reddit

It's either that or death. If you have those two options, what do you choose?

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finfan44@reddit

I live in an area that went deep red in a swing state and started looking for work in a non-MAGA area in January, accepted an offer in April and will be moving in August. It wasn't easy but it is possible.

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DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

Luckily me and mine haven't gotten hit but I've heard the sirens and huddled in the bathroom more than I'd like.

People die every day. Deal with it.

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Turbulent-Crew720@reddit

Im gonna be even more disgraceful because that's how maga plays. May those who died but voted for orange man rest never and those who did not rest in peace.

Nazi scum

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Quirky_Chicken_1840@reddit

Dunning-Kruger effect is real with you.

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Your answer is tornado sirens…?

You cannot be a serious person making a good faith statement.

Once again, there is American blood on Trump’s hands. And the hands of our fellow citizens who voted for him.

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throwaway-wife88@reddit

It's right there in the post, can you read? They didn't get the same warnings because DOGE went and blindly cut a bunch of crucial services that save lives to "own the libs" or whatever the fuck. And now people are dead. Elections have consequences, bringing in a clown and a nazi to run the country does too.

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Same. It's beyond insanity. I'd simply sickening. People are dead, and they deserve it simply because the area cheered for the other team? We're better than this.

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bluegumgum@reddit

No one gives a flip when CA experiences devastating wildfires etc or blue states experience devastating natural weather events. I feel incredibly sorry for the ones that didn't vote for this. My hometown in KY was hit hard and honestly - some will learn that votes have consequences .

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CouldBeBetterOrWorse@reddit

I feel incredibly sorry for all of them. Hurting people are hurting people.

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bluegumgum@reddit

After the election something broke in me. I cared for these people during his first admin and during Covid. Sorry but I can't be bothered.. I just can't because these same people don't give a rats ass if something like this happens in a blue state or claim it's god punishing the gays.

Trump supporters who voted for this will soon learn being racist is deadly.

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Fit-Constant6621@reddit

You're not alone and not in the wrong. Folks wanting to do the perp coddling need to get heads checked. Or they just enjoy being abused... some are wired like that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_tolerance

Fuck them.

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CouldBeBetterOrWorse@reddit

I understand the sentiment and respect it, even though I feel differently. I hope you're able to find genuine peace amongst the chaos.

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Arctic_x22@reddit

This is a direct result of their actions. This would’ve never happened had any of this morons paid attention.

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TheFatJesus@reddit

Yeah, 80-85% of people in the path of this tornado voted for him. Part of the problem is that every time these people suffer as a result of their choices, everyone's told that they have to show them kindness. Well, fuck that. Everyone warned them this would happen if they made the choice they were going to make and they did it anyway. I'll save my sympathy for the people that didn't choose to create this problem.

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Thank you.

It wasn't me and mine this time. But I was up until almost 3am until my area was declared safe.

But I can tell you the last time, when we were huddled in our little bathroom and the sirens were going off. I was nervous. I was ready but I was still nervous.

I've had my power be out for 10+ days in the winter, I've had it out for 5ish days in the summer, ice storms, hail, etc. I'd pick all those over a fucking tornado.

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Quirky_Chicken_1840@reddit

Yes. I don’t know where you live, but having lived in Iowa those sirens were a great warning system.

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Bastilleinstructor@reddit

We have them in parts of Sputh Carolina. Where I grew up they were placed around the county at fire stations, but due to the size of the county and the distance between stations, you couldn't hear them everywhere. Only if the wind was "just right" could you hear the siren at my parents house. The sirens used to be tested every first Saturday at 1pm. Now I live in a neighboring county. Here they removed all of the sirens partly because we have the national weather service over at the Airport that sends out warnings on the weather radios. There are still sirens around the nuclear plant in a couple of counties away.

Having been a firefighter in those counties, and at an airport, NOAA is so much more important that people realize. All politics aside, the folks at the weather service inform the airfield when there is weather that is dangerous for take offs and landing, they inform the community about severe weather (not just tornadoes and hurricanes), they operate the emergency weather warnings that go out on the weather radios and ultimately across other media and electronic platforms.

In my area they tried about 25 years ago to close our local weather office. They've saved hundreds of lives during tornado season and people raised hell. The office stayed open. Their existence isnt political. Their existence is for everyone. And they arent super-staffed, they are like most government agencies and staffed below what likely should be. The FAA at that same airport was also minimumally staffed. TSA, uh, not so much, those guys were tripping over each other. But I digress....

Its disgusting what's happening.

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critmissesallday@reddit

Living in Oklahoma my entire life, ~30 minutes away from Moore (infamously leveled by tornadoes repeatedly during my lifetime), tornado sirens are NOT meant to be your primary alert system when you are indoors. They are actually meant to alert people outside only. Many people will sleep right through a tornado siren unless it is located right by your house. This is one of many reasons why nighttime outbreaks are so dangerous.

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DragonflyRemarkable3@reddit

I actually did not know that. Thank you! I don’t live in an area that is prone to tornadoes but they scare me nonetheless. I don’t sleep when we have warnings and I stay up watching the storms.

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Very good point.

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RidgetopDarlin@reddit

Welp. This is why I’m up before dawn today. Knowing storms were headed this way, due to hit around 5 am, but knowing there may not be a siren or alert to wake us if they became severe makes for light sleep.

Which means I won’t perform as well at work today.

Most red states still vote more than 40+% democrat, and vice versa. Even those numbers probably undersell how many minority party voters their are in "safe" states, because a lot of the minority vote isn't going to turn out. There's more conservatives in California than in nearly any red state.

All of this is to say that 1) our voting system is stupid as fuck at the federal level 2) Treating states as a monoblock because they vote red is not a good mentality to have

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Short_Dragonfruit_39@reddit

Laurel County voted 85% for Trump.

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fruderduck@reddit

And this is exactly what trimp wants. Division and finger pointing at each other.

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DefiladeSlut6@reddit

Who gives a shit fuck these traitors

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DefiladeSlut6@reddit

AmpEater@reddit

Nobody voted to defund weather alerts.

Maybe by proxy because it happened, but it’s a more complex situation. I’m also angry but not so angry I’ll distort the facts or make sweeping generalizations

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newphonenewaccoubt@reddit

And yet here we are.

They'll continue to vote for Republicans to defund the government, too.

What are you even arguing with? Reality?

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throwaway-wife88@reddit

They voted for concepts of a plan pitched by a criminal to make sweeping cuts to socially funded services that benefit everyone, all because they are so stupid they think they are somehow being robbed because some trans kid played volleyball or something.

Are there people there that didn't vote for the circus? Sure. Trump got 84% in Laurel County.... they literally voted for this and were perfectly fine with anyone but themselves getting screwed. No tears will be lost from me.

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XKryptix0@reddit

Except that they did, it was explicitly stated in the P2025 document that NOAA was on the chopping block. If people don’t believe us because “muh liberal lies” or some shit, well…. FAFO

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EWR-RampRat11-29@reddit

Be nice? People died because of incompetence. This is the wrong time to be nice.

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samjp910@reddit

Yeah this is the thing I've been thinking about a lot, specifically FEMA and the disaster unpreparedness of the US. Hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires and floods. They're all coming and as a Canadian but also an Arab, I'm thinking a lot about migration. What's Asheville NC like these days? What happens when people stop rebuilding and just get in their cars and drive away to find work and a life elsewhere? America's real big and real open.

ConkerPrime@reddit

Conservatives: “What’s more important? Keeping NOAA fully staffed or tax cuts for the rich? Trick question! The rich are always the most important! Stupid liberals.”

Non-voters: “See both parties are the same!”

As of now, there are no reports indicating that Jackson, Kentucky, sustained direct damage from the tornado outbreak on the night of May 16, 2025.

The most severe impacts were reported in southern Kentucky, particularly in Laurel County (including London) and Pulaski County (including Somerset), where multiple fatalities and extensive property damage occurred .

The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Jackson played a crucial role during the severe weather event.

Despite facing staffing shortages due to federal budget cuts, the office was fully staffed overnight and actively issued alerts for the affected regions .

While Jackson itself was not directly hit, the situation underscores the importance of adequate staffing and resources for weather monitoring and emergency response services.

https://www.lpm.org/news/2025-05-17/kentucky-nws-office-in-jackson-was-staffed-amid-severe-weather-despite-shortages?utm_source=chatgpt.com

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DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

Yes I agree.

The comments here are horrifying.

But I can still say that these shouldn't have been made and shouldn't be made in the future.

The still didn't have a permanent overnight forecaster on duty. That's no good.

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finfan44@reddit

I agree the comments are horrifying. So many people playing cover for Nazis. I can't believe that it has become so acceptable to so blatantly take the side of such horrible people. I keep checking the post history of all the people who are advocating for forgiving the racists and, what do you know, they all have recent comments full of bigotry and hate and misogyny. It is almost like the only people who care about Nazis are Nazis. What a surprise.

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PrepperBoi@reddit

The path of Friday night's tornado was so clearly defined on radar they were able to issue alerts 30 to 40 minutes ahead, he said.

From the article

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dandroid126@reddit

I feel awful for the people affected by this who didn't vote for Trump.

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Hikingcanuck92@reddit

But what about all the waste I was promised was happening? /s

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dntbstpd1@reddit

MAGAt trash u/DapperDame89 trying to brush under the rug their orange 💩 stain of a president fucked over KY and got ppl 💀… MAGAts gonna MAGAt

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TheOG-Cabbie@reddit

I would consider a gas one first unless you are in an apartment for obvious reasons. But yes a generator would be a wise investment.

I also prep for job loss or a large unexpected bill (financial prepping) so being able to eat out of our pantry and live off your saving while we get back on our feet kind of use case.

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No-Group7343@reddit

Nice job trumpers

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unnewl@reddit

This sounds like 2nd Amendment folks constantly saying it’s too soon or it’s not the right time to talk about gun control after a school or shopping center shooting.

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IrwinJFinster@reddit

It is in fact never a good time to talk about gun control.

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PrepperBoi@reddit

How would them having an overnight forecaster have either A. Stopped the tornados from happening, or B. Warned people sooner when Red Cross, NOAA, and FEMA all alerted to this, as well as national news?

There were plenty eyes on those tornados already. This shouldn’t be made political.

I would be much more interested in the time it took for the tornados to form and how long it took for the first report of activity. That’s the numbers we should care about and work to improve.

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Mizchaos132@reddit

One of the tornadoes in question wasn't updated to confirmed until a spotter called in to a NWS station in another state since Jackson was unavailable. A PDS warning wasn't issued until after that; people who wouldn't normally jump for a tornado warning are much more likely to take shelter for a PDS warning.

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DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

Lots of folks don't take them seriously unfortunately.

The tornadoes formed very quickly. People went to bed thinking they were safe. Some hit around 12am and later.

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Inner_Mortgage_8294@reddit

You get what you vote for

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GWS2004@reddit

It's NOT, not nice to point out that the Trump cuts were responsible for people not having warnings and resulted in deaths.

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SmoothExtension3270@reddit

Folks being dead is exactly why you shouldn’t be nice about DOGE cuts to weather service.

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GuiltyYams@reddit

Your thread title is false. You are spreading disinformation. This is fear-mongering.

https://www.weku.org/the-commonwealth/2025-05-17/kentucky-nws-office-in-jackson-was-staffed-amid-severe-weather-despite-shortages?_amp=true

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DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

I just used the same title of the previous post. Once posted I can't change it / I haven't found a way to.

My concern is future more widespread outbreaks, reduced staffing, and any future cuts if they happen.

Again, there was no permanent overnight forecaster there, only a temporary one. This should be a concern.

I'm encouraging people to be prepared. That's not fearmongering.

Also, as I stated before, at the time of posting, I had not found this additional article, despite searching. I have already adressed this.

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GuiltyYams@reddit

I just used the same title of the previous post. Once posted I can't change it / I haven't found a way to.

My concern is future more widespread outbreaks, reduced staffing, and any future cuts if they happen.

Again, there was no permanent overnight forecaster there, only a temporary one. This should be a concern.

I'm encouraging people to be prepared. That's not fearmongering.

Also, as I stated before, at the time of posting, I had not found this additional article, despite searching. I have already adressed this.

I have two responses to this: do better research, and if you tell a lie, which you damn well did, you delete that shit and START OVER. You are fear-mongering by providing false information which you have now been informed (and were informed before I informed you I have now read) and yet - here we are. You are devaluing the board with this shit. That hurts people. Like actually hurts people.

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Esky419@reddit

Thats weirdly worded. Like the quit and went cut. I do know that London KY did have warnings.

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DapperDame89@reddit (OP)

Yes there were warnings about weather after 5pm.

I did hear on another sub that sirens did not go off.

This is true. But that doesn't make the cuts right.

Something in the future that's more wide spread (not unheard of) would be a staffing issue.

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Bushpylot@reddit

Oh.... So the Turnip and his rat dismantled the office that was supposed to issue the warning. I'm sure it saved the country a lot of money and any losses were worth it....