Gaylord tornado

[ChrisWL1980]

Who had the best local coverage of the worst tornado in Otsego County since 1974? The only area station I was able to watch was 7&4, and they were still in Dr. Phil while the tornado warnings were still in effect and the storm was dropping baseball-sized hail in Presque Isle County. Did 9&10 do any better? How about radio? Any radio stations do anything more than simulcast TV audio?

[Plate Cap]

Joe Charlevoix did a pretty good in-depth review of the radar in conjunction with a woman who seemed to have control of the graphics. I got the impression he was not at the station.

I would rate his performance as good to very good....but the message overall just needed to be take shelter. There is way too much attention on granular prediction of severe weather location and movement; that's all good but the storms move too quickly and erratically to be exacting. Attempting to do so can give people a false sense of security.

[TC Talks]

I believe the cellphone emergency alert feature was the winner of the day.

Who was sitting around watching TV on a warm sunny Saturday?

I think it is no longer necessary for broadcast to provide emergency live coverage like this given the power of a cellphone. I have full color radar on my phone and although meteorologists have more accurate long term forecasting, most people don't need it.

TV is largely entertaining but it's immediacy has been made obsolete.

Emma Goddard, 15, said she was working at the Tropical Smoothie Cafe when she got a phone alert about the tornado. Thinking the weather outside looked “stormy, but not scary,” she dismissed it and returned to what she was doing. Her mother then called and she assured her mom she was OK

[audiophile]

Who was sitting around watching TV on a warm sunny Saturday?

Saturday???

Are you still on planet earth?

[Nelson]

I also agree that EAS alerts are still quite relevant. I don't always have my cell phone anywhere near me. Usually, its turned off and in my car. During the tornado Friday, I was listening to WMKC. They had cut-ins as the severe thunderstorm warnings came in but I never heard a tornado watch or warning on their station.

[TC Talks]

Who was sitting around watching TV on a warm sunny Saturday?

Saturday???
Are you still on planet earth?

Great, even less people are watching TV on a Friday. Enforcing my point.

[TC Talks]

I think it is no longer necessary for broadcast to provide emergency live coverage like this given the power of a cellphone. I have full color radar on my phone and although meteorologists have more accurate long term forecasting, most people don't need it.

I disagree.

Cell phone alerts are not always timely. Mine has failed to sound for flash flood warnings in the past.

Cell phone coverage up north can be spotty, which can be a problem for tourists especially.

If a phone is uncharged or in another room when an alert is sent, it might not do much good.

I think it is important for broadcast media to continue to air EAS alerts.

I will say Alexa does a marvelous job of sending me NOAA watches, advisories and warnings. I often receive them a few minutes before TV cut-ins.

I agree that EAS remains important, but it is an automated system. The original poster was referencing "Live" coverage. Twitter / Facebook / Snap Chat are "Live" these days. I had video of the incident immediately after it occurred on my phone. Since then, YouTube has offered the best coverage which has all the press conferences plus numerous personal drone and man on the street interviews.

The most comprehensive reporting was by the AP, TV just parroted the press conferences.

[WC8KCY]

I think it is no longer necessary for broadcast to provide emergency live coverage like this given the power of a cellphone. I have full color radar on my phone and although meteorologists have more accurate long term forecasting, most people don't need it.

I disagree.

Cell phone alerts are not always timely. Mine has failed to sound for flash flood warnings in the past.

Cell phone coverage up north can be spotty, which can be a problem for tourists especially.

If a phone is uncharged or in another room when an alert is sent, it might not do much good.

I think it is important for broadcast media to continue to air EAS alerts.

I will say Alexa does a marvelous job of sending me NOAA watches, advisories and warnings. I often receive them a few minutes before TV cut-ins.

I fully agree with MW: let's keep the EAS alerts on broadcast media.

No cellular network provides anywhere close to 100% coverage in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, with T-Mobile providing especially spotty coverage. And in my area, NOAA weather radio station WNG672 in Wolf Lake often gets knocked off the air during severe weather.

Additionally, not everyone has a cellular phone or NOAA weather radio.

[TC Talks]

The entire situation from first Warning issued until the tornado ran out of steam was 14 minutes. What else is there to say but take shelter...

[MasterB]

EAS should always be around for those that don't have cell phones or just have TV they need a heads up on where the storms are headed.