Be Prepared
Next week is the annual Severe Weather Awareness Week for both Nebraska and Iowa. Each day of the week will feature educational material on the hazards as well as ways you can prepare. Having a plan of what to do ahead of time will save lives and avoid or certainly reduce the risk of property damage.
NOAA cuts
Being prepared may be even more critical this season. With some layoffs and the possibility of future cuts to NOAA, the National Weather Service will be very understaffed. As it is, a majority of offices that cover the state of Nebraska are already considered critically understaffed. A radar outage may take a longer than normal to repair and some offices may be stretched too thin at times during severe weather outbreaks. This could mean reduced times for warnings that save lives. The NWS personnel are true professionals who are dedicated to serving us and they will do their level best to keep us advised. But any additional staff reductions will be highly detrimental for both safety and for commerce.
