In the days prior to hurricane Ian’s devastating landfall, millions
of Americans were anxiously pouring over Ian’s forecasted “cone”
and “spaghetti”
models. These models, and the accompanying forecasts, played a huge role in
policies that were meant to protect lives and property.
As Ian crept towards Florida, millions were evacuated, homes
and businesses were boarded up, and scheduled events were cancelled, moved, or
postponed. Tragically, for parts of Florida fears of what Ian would bring
indeed proved true. However, in the area where I live—northeast Georgia—Ian-based
precautions proved ill-advised.
Northeast Georgia is hundreds of miles from any U.S. coast,
yet as early as the Monday (9/26) prior to Ian’s Florida landfall, schools
across our area, and throughout Georgia, begin to change their schedules due to
the possible impact of hurricane Ian. This was especially the case with
Friday-night football. As reported by
our local media, 17 out of the 20 games involving Northeast Georgia high
school football teams moved from Friday evening to Thursday evening. This move
also impacted numerous JV and middle school games, which are typically played
on Thursdays.
Such a move might seem like a small thing, but, along with
the players, cheer leaders, band members, and school officials involved, countless
schedules—work, and the like—of parents and fans were also impacted. As we got
to Thursday, it seemed clear that Ian’s impact in our area would be minimal. As
Friday arrived, Ian’s impact was less than minimal. There was no rain, and only
a slight breeze. Late Friday night—after midnight—a few showers grazed extreme northeast
Georgia, and that was it.
Rescheduled football games were not the only Ian-based
decisions made by Georgia school officials. Several central Georgia systems cancelled
classes on Friday, or switched
to the dreaded “virtual learning” schedule. Again, Ian’s impact in these
areas was also minimal to nothing.
I say this not to lambast school administrators who made these
decisions. Central and northern Georgia have, in the not-too-distant
past, have seen significant
damage due to the remnants of a hurricane or tropical storm. However, the
missed forecasts of a weather event that was only days away should give us
great pause when it comes to climate forecasts that speak of events that are typically
decades or even centuries away.
We see failed weather forecasts constantly, as I’ve noted
before, more
than once. Yet millions throughout the world—with
religious dedication—continue to buy the left’s doom-and-gloom forecasts
when it comes to the global climate. Again, the lesson is this:
if weather forecasters often get events wrong that are only days away, there’s
no way we should put any faith in climate forecasts that are
years away.
(See this post at American Thinker.)
Copyright 2022, Trevor Grant Thomas
At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith and
Reason.
www.TrevorGrantThomas.com
Trevor is the author of The Miracle and Magnificence of America
trevorgrantthomas@gmail.com
