100-Hour Streaming Marathon To Highlight Value Of Weather Expertise

MIAMI – SEPTEMBER 12: Michelle Mainelli, a meteorologist looks at a computer monitor tracking … More hurricane Isabel at the National Hurricane Center September 12, 2003 in Miami. Forecaster still can’t predict where the powerful hurricane Isabel is scheduled to move but they recommended that all residents of the U.S. East Coast check their hurricane supplies and plan their response. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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Recent headlines have indicated that National Weather Service Offices are experiencing severe staff shortages across the nation. Since NWS is unable to hire meteorologists, reports have indicated that agency leaders are attempting to relocate staff from other places to cover short-staffed offices that are exposed to severe weather and hurricane risks. The weather-climate community is mobilizing to sound the alarm while raising awareness of the value of its community.

With the Atlantic hurricane season starting in two weeks and over 150 vacancies around the country, the nation’s weather agency is depleted at a very critical time. Offices are without full staff, key management positions, and the capacity, in some cases, to provide full services. Ultimately, that could threaten people’s lives and property. Mark Alessi is the Hitz Climate Fellow at Union of Concerned Scientists. He shared, “These cuts are upending decades of our invaluable scientific research and weather prediction and are already impacting our forecasts.”

STERLING, VA-OCTOBER 1:Meteorologist, Carrie Suffern Prepares to Release the Weather Balloon at … More National Weather Service Headquarters on October 1, 2012 in Sterling Virginia(Photo by Benjamin C. Tankersley/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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On Wednesday, May 28th, Alessi and colleagues will host what they are calling a “public-facing, nonpartisan Weather & Climate Livestream.” According to the press release, “meteorologists and climate scientists from across the country will give virtual 20-minute talks continuously as we share our work and why it matters for every American.” Viewers will also be able to interact with the speakers. The organizers have an ambitious goal of streaming for over 100 hours from Wednesday through Sunday. Prominent keynote speakers include Kerry Emanuel, John Morales, Kate Marvel, Andy Dessler, Bernadette Woods-Placky, Ralph Keeling, Ben Santer, and more.

Heck, I may even participate.

VALENCIA, SPAIN – OCTOBER 30: Cars are piled in the street with other debris after flash floods hit … More the region on October 30, 2024 in the Sedaví area of Valencia, Spain. Spanish authorities said on Wednesday that at least 62 people had died in the Valencia region overnight after flash-flooding followed heavy rain. Spain’s meteorological agency had issued its highest alert for the region due to extreme rainfall. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

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Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2025/05/16/100-hour-streaming-marathon-to-highlight-value-of-weather-expertise/