Mike Smith (2) (1952–)

I’ve been a bit of a weather nerd since I was a kid. One of the first things I ever wanted to be when I grew up was a tornado chaser (still working on that one!) So I was eager to read Warnings by Mike Smith. I wasn’t disappointed! It’s a fascinating history not just of the development of the severe weather warning systems in the U.S., but also of the general advancement of meteorology over the past half century .

A word about the author: I’d heard the name Mike Smith before. He’s a pretty big deal in meteorological circles, what with being the founder of WeatherData - one of the most successful, award-winning, highest quality private weather service companies in the world. What I hadn’t known was everything he did before he started his company:
- He was a member of the first ever group of storm chasers.
- He was the first person to broadcast live footage of a tornado on TV.
- He was one of the first people to describe and photograph low precipitation supercells.
- He was the first (or one of the first) person to capture photographic evidence of a downburst.
- He helped invent color weather radar.

Even without his WeatherData credentials, Mike Smith is a meteorological superstar! He’s had a front row seat to most of the biggest advances in applied meteorology over the past half century. That alone makes this book worth reading! And I was quite surprised to learn how recent some of these advancements are.

There are a few reasons why I didn’t rate this book five stars. The main reason is stylistic – his prose gets a bit clunky and repetitive at times. This did mitigate my enjoyment of his storytelling somewhat.

At first, I was put off by his rant about the lack of post-hurricane relief efforts in the aftermath of Katrina (as well as for Hurricane Andrew). He’s obviously angry about the way rescue and relief efforts were spectacularly bungled, but casting blame for it seemed out of place with the rest of the book’s narrative. It started to make sense the more I thought about it, though - the point of the book is to emphasize the success of meteorology in saving lives, so there's a good reason to make sure the reader understands that loss of life in these cases was not due to a failure of meteorology. He also wanted to emphasize that Katrina wasn't a worst-case scenario… and so we need to be better prepared for the future.

He states that most meteorologists get into this business to save lives. In the cases of Katrina and Andrew, meteorology did it's job, and did it well; the next area for improvement is on the human front. And he does follow up his Katrina section with a couple examples of rescue and relief done right.

I also found it somewhat jarring every time he referred to his company, WeatherData – which he does a lot in the second half of the book. I’m of two minds about this:

On the one hand, he’s obviously - and justifiably - proud of his work; he has a responsibility to the reader to discuss his company in the interest of full disclosure; and WeatherData played active roles (sometimes crucial, sometimes peripheral) in several of the weather scenarios he describes, especially when it comes to their proprietary technology, and therefore readers need context.

On the other hand, he does occasionally cross the line into name-dropping his company when it isn’t entirely necessary. I also feel that he over-emphasizes the presence of his clients in these weather events. It can't help but come across as self-serving and promotional... which is very much at odds in a book that, in all other respects, is a general history of the evolution of weather forecasting and major meteorological events in the U.S. during the 20th and early 21st centuries.

In the end, these quibbles don’t significantly detract from the stories and history he relates in Warnings. This is wonderfully entertaining book and a must-read for anyone interested in severe weather!… (mere)

Primarily the story of how the tornado warning system came to be, including the author's participation as a TV weather guy and then founder of a private weather service. And when he sticks to that, it's good stuff.

Periodically, there's these sort of anti-government zingers that just hit me the wrong way, although I can see where they come from, given his experience. Also, the last quarter of the book (except for the last chapter) goes into great detail about hurricanes (specifically Andrew & Katrina), and a lot of that is about the political aspects. So...meh. Although that last chapter is a great wrap-up of the difference between the response to a recent tornado versus response to a tornado 50 years ago.

And one tiny quibble: the blurb gives the impression that he's talking about all the different kinds of weather events in the US, when really it's almost all tornadoes, with a detour into hurricanes. Coming from an area where tornadoes are vanishingly rare, I was a bit disappointed.

I think this makes a good read in conjunction with other weather history books: Children's Blizzard, Isaac's Storm, Cliff Mass's book, etc.… (mere)

Of all the things we take for granted, weather forecasting and severe weather warnings probably rank up near the top. We normally only notice – and complain – when forecasts are wrong; praise for accurate reporting just doesn’t happen. Meteorologist and author Mike Smith hopes to bring a more positive light to the criticized field of forecasting while exploring the history of weather warnings in his book, “Warnings: The True Story of How Science Tamed the Weather”.

“Warnings” is an intriguing look at the development of early warning systems and the difficulties in deciphering constantly-changing weather patterns. While many have the ability to write a book such as this, Mike Smith has the unique advantage of claiming, ‘But I’ve been a major player in its improvements!’ The book gives readers a firsthand account of some of the most disastrous storms of the last half century, showing Smith in the forefront of technological advances. Further, he describes early weather forecasting protocol and the surprising fact that at one time, forecasters were not supposed to give severe weather warnings! Smith goes on to detail lives lost in the government’s efforts to stay out of the warning business and his own struggle to overcome that political red tape. The inclusion of pictures further illustrated how important early warning systems are to life and property. The book ends on a positive note, giving the reader a sense of relief as he describes current warning practices while alluding to the fact that there are plenty of advancements yet to be made.

“Warnings” is the perfect read those with any level of interest in weather – from a healthy curiosity to a professional involvement; storm chasers and meteorologists alike will find it as informing as it is entertaining. As someone who has very recently earned her masters in emergency management, “Warnings” gave me plenty of alternative viewpoints to think about. For example, I’d never considered the ‘disconnect’ between a meteorologist’s warning and the political resistance of initiating action before it’s absolutely necessary (read: Hurricane Katrina). Normally it’s viewed as the emergency manager’s inability to get proactive support but in actuality that process starts as far back as the initial weather forecasts – that crucial step we take for granted.

“Warnings: The True Story of How Science Tamed the Weather” gives you a fresh perspective on the field of meteorology and the history of severe weather warnings. Smith has passion and a child-like fascination with weather which emanates from the pages. I absolutely loved how his obvious devotion to the subject came out in each and every sentence. Very enjoyable and educational read!

Vicki Landes, author of “Europe for the Senses – A Photographic Journal”… (mere)

This is a very good book telling the story of the development of the current weather warnings that we take for granted today. It describes the early years before radar became commonplace and the NWS did not issue weather warnings.

It is also somewhat biographical about the author and his part in the process.

It also analyzes several of the large storms of the past 100 years and how weather forecasts helped or failed to prevent deaths.

I heartily recommend that anyone with an interest in weather read this book.… (mere)