Hurricane forecast manipulation creates air of distrust

 By now most of us have seen some form of this photo. The administration

altered it by drawing a line including Alabama. Trump appointees in one 

agency defended him. You have to wonder what the folks in Alabama felt

hearing that. Fortunately the local Weather Service forecasters went on Twitter 

with the correct information. And their union official has openly criticized the

politicians who made the decision to support the #fakepresident. (Snopes photo)

     "I get all the news I need on the weather report…" — Paul Simon

       Well, this is a fine kettle of fish. The #fakepresident says a storm will hit Alabama when all the official agencies say not a chance. So he keeps claiming it, even breaking a federal law by doctoring an official Weather Service map, drawing a line extending a forecast to include Alabama. Caught, he blames the media. But here comes the kicker, NOAA, the parent agency of the Weather Service which is led by political appointees defends the president refuting the professionals in their own agencies. So stepping back, what has happened here?
     Once again the general public has been victimized by the #fakepresident's manipulations, that have now extended to his appointees changing a weather forecast to fit one of his lies.
     We love to complain about the weather report, but think, in reality is there a government agency we trust more than the Weather Service? This action has driven a wedge between the service and the people it serves. Can we ever trust a forecast again if they are going to be written to satisfy political demands.
      In the future when the Weather Service says evacuate ahead of a storm, will we, or will we hesitate, try to figure out if it's true or not? On the other side of that, if we are told there's no danger are we going to wait to see what the political motivation is for the report? When they say mudslides or floods whether this is a serious threat or an all-clear, do we wonder how this benefits some donor to a political cause? Any hesitation in some circumstances can be dangerous.
      As I have been there often, what happens on the big ocean when a forecaster gives storm warnings and you can keep to your course or steer well around the danger? Even an hour in the wrong direction can mean the difference. Does the forecast serve some political purpose or is it valid?
     The point is, the #fakepresident's actions have created a measure of distrust in reports vital to us all and once trust is broken it does not heal easily. And, what have we come to when we can't trust the word of an acting president in something as straightforward as a weather forecast?

NOAA staff told not to contradict Trump