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May 20, 2025 126 mins

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a Professor of Geology from the University of Alabama, where he specializes in synoptic climatology, which focuses on the intersection of weather, risk, perception and public response.  His research focuses on how people interpret severe weather messaging; especially tornadoes and hurricanes.  He's also a key contributor to projects on warning communication.    Dr. Jason Senkbeil, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Tonight's First Guest Panelist is a WeatherBrains regular and is the Science and Operations Officer at the NWS office in Birmingham.  Kevin Laws, it's always good to see you!

Tonight's Second Guest Panelist is the Director of the NWS Operations Proving Ground.  He graduated with a Bachelor's in Geography at Arizona State University.  JJ Brost, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.

  • Baseball sized hail near Bowling Green (06:28)
  • Weather literacy in the U. S. Southeast (09:28)
  • Factors in geography in risk perception (10:41)
  • Path direction of tornadoes (17:15)
  • General public's lack of geographic awareness and its long-term effects (18:40)
  • NWS BMX leads the Nation in FAR and POD (20:55)
  • Two Dimensional map space vs Three Dimensional world space (27:50)
  • General public interpreting text from a NWS warning polygon (35:20)
  • Literacy issues with audiences when distributing a weather forecast (40:30)
  • What does an Enhanced severe risk mean and why is it so difficult to forecast?  (01:03:00)
  • Improving consistency with different NWS offices as DMAs dissolve (01:28:30)
  • Parking under overpasses (01:53:00)
  • Bruce Jones/Midland Weather Radio  (Out this week)
  • The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:37:43)
  • This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:41:01)
  • E-Mail Segment (01:42:38)
  • and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1009:

Midland Weather Radio

Picks of the Week:

Dr. Jason Senkbeil - "Geographical constraints on rapid comprehension of tornado warning information" by Dr. Jason Senkbeil

Kevin Laws - NWS Heat Safety Risk Program

Bruce Jones - Out

James Aydelott - Out

Jen Narramore - Victims of Kentucky's recent severe thunderstorms/tornadoes

Rick Smith - Out

Troy Kimmel - KAKE News on X: News Coverage

Kim Klockow-McClain - Are Smartphones Creating A Loss of Spatial Awareness In Children?

John Gordon - The man who's blindness, deafness, and baldness was cured by lightning

Bill Murray - Out

James Spann - Aaron Brackett on X: Lightning strikes a Newcastle, OK police cruiser

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podca

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