Mother Nature’s recent one-two Washington weather wallop was big, it was debilitating and its first phase posed a formidable threat to Super Bowl parties. But it was not a surprise. Days in advance, weather forecasters warned of the first storm’s arrival, predicting an accumulation of up to 30 inches, which is precisely what the capital region got. Soon after, we were told to brace for a follow-on storm with high winds and a dozen or so more inches expected. And, like clockwork, that aftershock arrived and delivered its predicted payload.
Behind those spot-on forecasts was a sophisticated network of satellites eyeing our skies from above, radar and other sensors on the ground and sophisticated communication networks that coordinated with one another to give early and accurate assessments. The storms still did a lot of damage, but their impact was clearly diminished by a largely invisible and generally taken-for-granted web of technology, including wireless communications that have allowed many who were unable to reach their workplaces to continue their work.
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Author: JOHN P. HOLDREN
