I want to talk about the hot takes I've seen after the March 3rd tornadoes in S AL, the FL Panhandle, and GA – specifically, that “the storms had warning and thus there should not have been deaths” or “the NWS did everything it could, we just can’t save everyone.” Thread 1/17ish This is a cynical viewpoint that is simply untrue. We are on the cusp of a revolution of our weather warning system, brought forth by the increasing number of studies and experiments combining social science with meteorological knowledge.

Yesterday, the deadliest tornado event since the May 20th, 2013 Moore OK tornado occurred in Lee County, Alabama, with 23 fatalities. This is a horrible tragedy. I am dismayed, however, at the many hot takes flying around about this disaster and will be address a few here. First, I want to walk through the forecasts issued for this particular event, as understanding the sequence of events and the outstanding work done by the NWS to forecast this particular outbreak is important to understanding the unique vulnerabilities of the Deep South.