Government To Replace Hurricane Forecasts With Prayer, Good Luck Everyone! -- Gary Legum

[erronis]

https://www.wonkette.com/p/government-to-replace-hurricane-forecasts

We like hurricane forecasting. Perhaps it is our upbringing in an area that got unpleasantly surprised by multiple hurricanes over the decades before weather satellites existed. Perhaps it is all the horrible news about possible missed warnings before the awful flooding in Texas this weekend. Perhaps it is that we are right this instant looking out our window at clouds from the edges of what was Tropical Storm Chantal as they prepare to drop an inch or two of rain on our heads and allow us to take “water the geraniums” off our weekly to-do list.

Or perhaps it is just our common fucking sense telling us that if humans can forecast these things with reliable methods and data, there is no good reason not to.

On this issue, however, the fascist chucklefucks in charge of America’s federal government apparently disagree. They have been angling to carry out Project 2025’s stated goal of eliminating the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and cutting the National Weather Service (NWS) to the bone because both organizations are part of the “climate change alarm industry.” Well, we certainly wouldn’t want any alarmism while people are drowning in more frequent and devastating floods, would we?

All of this is to say that it makes sense — in the way that anything does these days — that the US Department of Defense recently announced that it would stop sharing satellite weather data with hurricane forecasters right in the middle of hurricane season.

. . .

[erronis]

1. The satellites will continue collecting data. Who will have access to it?

From Gary Legum's post:

Well, the Defense Department does not appear to be shutting down the satellites or letting their orbits decay until they burn up in the atmosphere. The satellites will still be there doing their thing, so the data is still being collected. Is this because of all the massive funding cuts? Does ICE need to re-task the satellites to find more Home Depot parking lots where migrants might have gathered to seek work?

My guess is that the forecast data will finally be privatized and sold. This has been a goal of repugs for years. If you're a rich farmer (say Cargill) you can get very accurate data. If you only have $39.99/month to spend, your data will be less timely and may not be as complete. If you live in a part of the country that has a lot of "undesirables" (Democrats, multi-hued people), then the data may be flat out wrong.

Color me suspicious.