David Paul wrote:WXman666 - Dr. Frank feels the hurricane center should have upgraded the storm to 'hurricane' status much sooner. Flight level winds were 80kts and pressures 977 but max surface winds were only 71mph so they held off until late yesterday morning. Docs problem with this is that people on the coast who are most at risk tend to stay put, even under evacuation orders, until they hear the word 'hurricane.' If it's just a 'tropical storm' they are more likely to stay in harms way. It's the psychological impact of NOT calling it a hurricane earlier that may cost some people their lives today. This morning we have massive flooding in Plaquemines parish and the un-protected coastal areas. High water rescues are now underway.
But it wasn't a hurricane yet....
The NHC has multiple duties:
1) To dissiminate accurate meteorological information. The 'general public' isn't the only consumer of this information. If they 'spin' things for push another agenda, they lose credibility.
2) To protect the general public from danger. That's why the LA coast was under a Hurricane Warning well over 24 hours before landfall. When a warning is issued, people need to heed the warning - it's just that simple.
Yes, I get it, people will 'perk up' and pay attention when a storm is designated a hurricane*. But it shouldn't be the responsibility of the NHC to start designating something that isn't; we just need to do a better job on conveying how serious the warning is and what the expected/potential impacts are. Knowing many Cajuns personally, I imagine most of the people who stayed, would have stayed anyway; they all knew it was expected to make landfall as a Cat 1 or 2 Cane. They know the drill probably better than anyone.
*edited typo