In a world where endless information about seemingly every topic is at our fingertips, it is important to find reliable sources when the topic is hurricane season and potential threats unfolding in the tropics.<\/p>\n
Seeking up-to-the-minute hurricane information online can take you down a rabbit hole that starts with national weather brands and local meteorologists and leads to storm chasers, do-it-yourself hurricane mapping, doomsayers and more, more, more. <\/p>\n
\u201cMore is not always better, especially when it comes to mixed messaging,\u201d National Hurricane Center<\/a> Senior Hurricane Specialist John Cangialosi said. \u201cNot everything is equal. On social media, it is hard to see what is reliable and not reliable.\u201d<\/p>\n He said although it is easy to make interesting graphics, and model information that is from an official model source \u2013 the problem stems around a meteorologist is almost like a trained doctor.<\/p>\n \u201cInformation that you get from models and data sources are open to interpretation,\u201d Cangialosi said. \u201cIt is really important to stick to trained meteorologists that do it for a living \u2013 that filter out good and bad information.\u201d<\/p>\n It is also important to find a community broadcast meteorologist in the area, as the National Hurricane Center cannot be local enough. Cangialosi said the Tampa Bay Office has a great staff and provides active information for the Lee County area, which broadcast meteorologist use.<\/p>\n \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t take financial advice or health advice from just anybody,\u201d he said. \u201cYou have to look at it on the same lines.\u201d<\/p>\n Cangialosi said it is never a bad idea to use multiple sources while filtering out the bad ones, as those sources can cause panic by posting models that are not super skillful.<\/p>\n With the panic comes fatigue that tunes out the important information.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so much noise that it gets hard to ignore,\u201d he said, adding that he encourages people to come back to their official, reliable source to find out what is truly happening.<\/p>\n The National Hurricane Center is trying to produce more consistent messaging of what is going on in the tropics to increase a source of stability.<\/p>\n \u201cRather than see hype and models everywhere, we want to come back to a stable source,\u201d Cangialosi said.<\/p>\n Cangialosi said it is important to think, \u201cWhat I can do for my own self, own house and own family?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe want you to be zoomed in and not zoomed out,\u201d he said, adding that individuals should try to mute out the noise if their area is threatened with a storm. \u201cIt\u2019s not good to play meteorologist. It\u2019s better to figure out what to do to get prepared. It\u2019s more productive and better use of the time.\u201d<\/p>\n Find a forecast you can trust<\/p>\n When clicks equal cash, there are plenty of bad actors online pushing exaggerated or downright false information<\/p>\n \u201cThere are all sorts of things that can be done with graphics and AI,\u201d said AccuWeather<\/a> Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva, who encourages people to go to government sources and webpages that are trusted.<\/p>\n DaSilva said some of the information presented is not necessarily wrong but can be blown out of proportion to a worst-case scenario to get clicks.<\/p>\n \u201cWe try to explain the different scenarios \u2013 it could be a major hurricane, but these are the factors at play. If the storm does this, this environmental condition is met and could see that higher-end scenario,\u201d he said. \u201cThere is a difference between more of the official sources \u2013 they break down the different scenarios verse people just on social media looking for likes.\u201d<\/p>\n DaSilva said they do not want to mislead the public, especially with high end potential scenarios, if not warranted.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to be as realistic as possible. You explain the high end, low percentage change and explain why,\u201d he said to make people more comfortable. \u201cMy advice, go directly to the site and be a little wary on social media.\u201d<\/p>\n DaSilva said to be careful when things are reposted on social media.<\/p>\n \u201cWe at AccuWeather try to boil it down to make it the most easy to understand, explain different scenarios, have graphics, and do the tracks. A lot of times we are very close to the National Hurricane Center. Sometimes we vary a little bit. It\u2019s all about communication \u2013 communicating the different risks for different people,\u201d he said. \u201cWe try to explain things a little bit more, so the information is easily digestible for the general public to make the best decisions for their family.\u201d<\/p>\n A focus on storytelling<\/p>\n Dr. Rick Knabb, The Weather Channel\u2019s on-air hurricane expert and tropical program manager, said one of the main reasons he does what he does is to provide one of those reliable sources.<\/p>\n \u201cWe bring a lot of expertise to the weather coverage team of experts,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The Weather Channel\u2019s focus is storytelling to really help people understand, not just what the forecast is, but what it means to them and what they need to do about the weather they are facing.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are reasons why the Weather Channel has been named the No. 1 trusted news \u2013 trust that has been built on expertise and understanding not only what the weather can do, but need to do to have every advantage to be safe,\u201d Knabb said.<\/p>\n With access to all kinds of information, he said, it is important to verify that information in terms of where it comes from, the expertise and knowledge behind the information provided.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t need to look very far to find trusted sources of information. There are lots of voices out there with social media and all the different ways we have to communicate,\u201d Knabb said. \u201cYou can and will hear all kinds of conflicting information. Confusion often times leads to inaction. We cut through all of that and give people directly the risk of wind, water, and what you should do to respond to those hazards.\u201d<\/p>\n He said they focus on the hazards and risk of the hazards.<\/p>\n Knabb said to safely get through a hurricane season, start preparing before it begins \u2013 supplies, evacuation plan, making sure the home is insured and strengthen the home. He said also look out for elderly friends and family members that have mobility limitations or health issues.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to treat every new storm you are facing with the respect and the response it deserves because every hurricane threat is a real threat. Even in past events you did not get the worst of the storm, there is no guarantee that will be the outcome next time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n A Floridian\u2019s one-man weather brand<\/p>\n While government sources and big-media brands dominate hurricane reporting, the digital world allows everyday individuals who provide legitimate and useful hurricane content to extend their reach to millions of people they couldn\u2019t have connected with even a decade ago.<\/p>\n Floridian Mike Boylan, founder of Mike\u2019s Weather Page, is a prime example, bringing his personality-driven hurricane content to an audience of more than 2 million social media followers.<\/p>\n In 2004, Boylan says he began paying more attention to the weather as Hurricane Charley approached his home near Tampa.<\/p>\n \u201cHonestly, when I started, I didn\u2019t know anything. When I was doing this, I was sharing models,\u201d said Mike Boylan, of Mike\u2019s Weather Page, adding that now when he sees something he does his homework.<\/p>\n He now is touching shoulders with other meteorologists and invited to do speeches at such places as NASA. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s pretty cool to be in the weather world,\u201d Boylan said.<\/p>\n