Will you be Frog Soup?

For those that have attended my Chasing4Life community events, you know that I love disaster movies. Every few weeks, you can spend an entire Sunday afternoon watching one after another. When I speak at these events I like to talk about how obsessed America is with disaster, but it is sad to say that we are not nearly as prepared for disaster as we are excited about them.

When a natural disaster (or any disaster for that matter) occurs, we will sit riveted to the television watching update after update as CNN changes on screen graphics and shows us the same footage over and over. We’ll watch, sometimes cry, and usually will eventually walk away glad that it was not here, not our family and relieved it was not us.

As television and social media has evolved, watching disasters has gotten easier. There are few in this country that do not have the ability to “plug in” to watch one as it happens. Documentaries will follow so we can relive the disaster through another’s eyes, and then of course… the movie is made.

As I said, I love these movies. For years I have watched them as most Americans; laughing at the poor production, the cheesey special effects and the horrible “love story” plots that seem to permeate almost every movie… after all, what better time to make out than when the world is falling apart and you are both covered in sweat and mud?

This past weekend I watched Dantes Peak, a 1997 film starring Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton. I have to admit on a personal note, I have always thought that Linda Hamilton was one of the only disaster queens that could hold her own against Helen Hunt.

In the movie, a good-looking volcanologist, Harry Dalton (Brosnan) arrives at a countryside named Dante's Peak after a long dormant volcano, which has recently been named the second most desirable place to live in America, and discovers that Dante's Peak, may wake up at any moment. He of course interacts with Mayor Rachel Wando (Hamilton) of this beautiful mountainside oasis and eventually falls in love with her amidst the mountain erupting and destroying the entire region.

Ridiculous. Really, the entire movie is ridiculous. Our hero seems impervious to sulfur dioxide, he drives an old truck across burning lava with his tires on fire, is caught in a mountain side collapse of rocks that easily weigh 3 tons each, paddles a boat through acid with his hand wrapped in his jacket all to eventually lock lips with Hamilton surrounded by hundreds of rescuers while standing in 14 inches of volcanic ash.

Why do we watch this crap? Because it is how we want it to end. Deep down inside of each of us, we know that it could happen, but as long as we can watch these movies with their poor plots and even worse adherence to scientific fact and physical laws, we can tell ourselves that IF it happens here, we will have the adventure of a lifetime and come out the other side sexier and happier.

The fact is this: that is not how it will end. In fact, it never ends that way.

Over the course of our adult lives we will watch dozens, maybe even hundreds of disasters on television. We will interact on social media during these disasters, read the paper, look up reports in Google and basically become bystanders to every disaster that happens both near and far. Perhaps what we need to do is watch these movies again and start thinking…

You see, the plots are horrible, the scenarios outlandish, but the disasters are very real. From Twister to Dantes Peak, from Category 7 to Earthquake, the disasters could happen and they could change our world.

2010 was the deadliest year in a generation and we watched it in our living rooms. 2011 was an incredible year for disasters here in the States, and forecasts for 2012 are not much better. We have watched climatic changes, increased terroristic threats and crumbling infrastructure take lives like never before, but we have done very little at home to prepare for any of it.

It is as if we feel we do not need to act until it happens. Like in the movies, when the disaster occurs, we will become suddenly resourceful, know how to hotwire a car, make a boat from a tarp, be able to reroute lava and we’ll be the hero…

You won’t.

The continued complacency and procrastination that we all have when it comes to disasters needs to change and it needs to change now. Watching it happen, sharing about it and monitoring Tweets has placed us in a very unstable position as an American community… we’re boiling to death in our complacency.

What do I mean?

The lesson comes from one conversation in Dantes Peak…

As Brosnan’s USGS team prepares to leave the mountainside village of people that don’t think it will ever happen, he shares with a team member this bit of wisdom:

Brosnan: “My 9th grade science teacher always said that if you put a frog in boiling hot water, it would jump out. But put it in cold water, and heat it up gradually, it would slowly boil to death.”

Team Member: “What's that Harry? Your recipe for frog soup?”

Brosnan: “It's my recipe for a disaster”

This week’s weather alone should draw some concern from the depths of your imagination. Snow, wind, hail, flooding, temperature extremes, tornadoes… welcome to 2012. How long will you sit in the water as it gets warmer?

Go ahead and watch the movies again, but this time, ask yourself… would I be ready if it happened here? There’s no stunt people in real life, and certainly no second takes.

SO, YOU LIKE WEATHER, HUH?

Guest Blogger: Jessica Bacon

Re-posted from “atmos sphaira” (http://jessicabaconwx.blogspot.com)

“Life isn’t easy”, which is an understatement in my opinion, but we make the best of what we have. We find certain things in life that compel us to look for something more. Certain things inspire us to make actions affecting the community and world around us, no matter how so small. New things are discovered daily leading us to cures, innovations, new life stories, and give us hope for that thing we strive for. Now finding that one thing that drives us to achieve life goals alters your life. Once you know it, life seems to shift and you make that thing your priority. Mine is forecasting severe weather.

As a little girl, I loved being bossy, being the leader, telling people how things should be done and why it should be my way or the highway. I loved trying to outsmart and know more than my friends at every chance available. Honestly, I remember learning about weather and different types of clouds in fifth grade and saying, “This is pointless. Why should we have to know this?” It’s amazing how that one ignorant statement, would change to such a deep passion just five years later! Oh the irony.

As I mentioned before I liked to inform people, being able to explain something that was previously not understood was my joy. In 2008, Hurricane Ike made landfall on the southeastern shores of Texas, namely Houston where I have family. Remembering Katrina, I was terrified for my uncle! I watched the news anchors and meteorologists on TV for the entire event. Eventually the system travelled up north to Illinois, where I live. I remember sitting on the steaming hot pavement of my grandpa’s driveway watching the storms approach. I was called inside as the adults realized the potential danger of the situation. Once I caught wits of this, I went straight to the TV, and sat for an hour listening to the meteorologist telling us this is dangerous for these areas…. tornado watch issued for cook county… I was entranced! I ran indoors and out multiple times to watch the RADAR and the reality. My friends and I talked with such urgency that usually accompanies a 10 year old’s mind at the thought of some danger. Again I was the one who knew a bit more, and just a bit ahead of everyone else, EXCEPT the people on TV. I did not like that. As the tornado sirens went off, I took responsibility of ushering my sister to the basement since my grandpa was doubtful of nothing actually happening.

My sister and I sat there for half an hour before we went back upstairs to my grandpa who was cutting apples. I heard the wind howling outside, curious I opened the door but my grandpa was outside before I could step over the threshold. I will never know exactly what he saw, but it was enough to pick up my sister and practically throw me down the stairs to the basement. I was inches away from seeing what he claimed to be a funnel. I never saw it. The next day I bragged to all my friends of what happened and I watched their expressions as I told them my story. That was a great feeling. After a while, I dropped my interest in weather again thinking the only decent paying jobs were all broadcasting and were impossible to get.

Flashing forward two miserable years to 7^th grade. I was flipping TV channels until I came upon Discovery’s Stormchasers. The show was all science and every second was unpredictable. I loved it! It displayed beautiful shows of nature closely incorporated with scientists trying to crack the atmosphere, trying to figure out what seems impossible. It took me awhile to come to the realization, “Hey, these guys are getting paid. They are making a career out of this. Huh.” I think the main factor may have been that tornadoes are unpredictable; no one can tell what they are going to do. But what if I could? What if I can forecast better than these guys? What if I could make that discovery and know something no one else knows?

Twenty books later, I was obsessed! Nothing but weather could hold my attention for long! I started sneaking my books into class, occasionally getting reprehended, but all worth it. All the books I could get my hands on were “basics of”. I nourished my brain with field guides rather than that new issue of teen magazine! Still it wasn’t enough. I still couldn’t forecast and barely understood why storms formed at all. I started learning the ways of the Internet and shortly discovered NOAA and took a SKYWARN session through them. I remember meeting the Romeoville NWS head and blushing and stuttering so much. I couldn’t believe I was in the presence of someone who knew so much about what I now was.

My mom sadly started to realize that this wasn’t another phase I was going through and I was legitimate about making this my career. Through girl scouts we found Eddy Weiss and Chasing4Life giving out programs on severe weather from a real storm chaser! I was so excited to finally meet someone who has been out chasing and saving lives. My first class was addicting. My mom had created a monster, and I need much much more. Through Eddy I learned the other side of severe weather, the side that left devastation and death. Suddenly my world altered once more and now I was serving two personal goals; to become an extremely accurate forecaster and save lives of people who depended on those forecasts in the process.

One day I stumbled upon the webpage of Chasercon, the National Storm Chaser Convention in Denver, CO. It was something I just had to attend! While other kids were having graduation parties and big fancy gifts, I only wanted this adventure. Eventually I became so annoying and persistent that my mother approved the trip. Meanwhile I went to another of Eddy’s events and mentioned my trip to him at the end. Someone finally recognized me that night and we exchanged contacts. The three days of Chasercon overwhelmed me with information beyond my comprehension! I spent a few months deciphering all the material of supercell development, forecasting, radar technologies, chasing strategies, and so much more.

Forecasting was something I had to ease into. Not one prediction I made came true in my first month of attempts. I started talking with other chasers and their strategies and what they thought of a certain upcoming storm system. I watched the models play out and started to recognize the patterns. One afternoon Eddy called me, “Jessica, I would like for you to forecast for my team tonight. We need your help since I can’t frequently check the models.” That night my forecast made the center of the Storm Prediction Center’s Moderate Risk box. I grew more accurate with every forecast after that.

This itself is large and difficult journey, but add on having one parent (non-chaser), high school applications, and other kid’s cruel harassment throughout the final six months of eighth grade. I stayed true to my passion by keeping in contact with Chasing4Life and other storm chasers who encouraged me through the most difficult days of humility. Their words wouldn’t be the ones to decide whether or not I wanted a career in meteorology. Every pun and joke thrown at me was discriminating, but I found humor in it and laughed along with them. I had established that one thing in my life to strive for, why let arrogant classmates prevent further exploration?

As of today I have progressed more into the field of meteorology and emergency management than I could have ever imagined. I am the Lead Severe Weather Tracker and forecaster for Chasing4Life as well as an instructor! My forecasts have been used through multiple emergency personnel many times in the 2011 season. I have had forecasts ranging 72 hours out, with tornadoes within five miles of my targeted town. The last year has provided me with two beautiful tornadoes and many stunningly structured supercells within my vicinity. I have completed eight FEMA courses and have taken two Psychological First Aid classes through Chasing4Life. The support I have received from my family-blood related and friends- has undoubtedly lead me through the toughest challenges of my life so far, and I can not wait for the 2012 season to begin!

Chasing4Life Note: Jessica is 15 years old and lives in Northern Illinois. She is currently filming for a children's television show on severe weather, attends school full-time, is involved in numerous extra-curricular activities and is a uniformed member of the Chasing4Life Educational Team as well as the Chasing4Life Disaster Response Team.