Why aren't tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes listed with other terrorist alerts??

Question

U. S. Gov. today announced that Al Quaida is most fearful terrorism to the United States Homeland, and tornados, hurricanes, and earthquakes are more common. More damages, lost lives, injuries occur every year to tornados and hurricanes, but I never see the terrorist alert system elevate to orange or red when a hurricane is spotted in the Atlantic, or a tornadic-possible storm system flies accross the weather map.

Should tornados and hurricanes be included in the terrorist alert system? Maybe the responders would be better prepared??

Comments, Opinions?

Answer 1

Tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes arent listed in the terror list because they are caused by mother nature and not by people like terrorist acts. Its easier (usually) to predict an act of terror than it is to predict when mother nature is going to get violent.

Answer 2

No. These are natural happenings, they can not be prevented.

Answer 3

Terrorism is human generated violence.  Weather events are not (well, unless you believe Al Gore).

Politics aside, these are two different types of events with two different warning systems.  Terrorism has the color system.  Weather has the watch/warning system of NOAA.

Each of these two systems are staffed by people with completely different trainings and skill sets.  Granted, both have the same goal - saving lives by issuing warnings.  But do you really want the weathman trying to predict the next pandemic?  Or the CIA and NSA warning you about a tornado?  I don't.

One should also consider that the responders are going to prepare differently for terrorism than they would for weather.  First Responders responding to a chemical bombing are going to need to equip and prepare differently than they would responding to a tornado or flash floods.  So from a first-response point of view, two clearly differnent warning systems with very different identifications and warnings will help expedite the fastest, safest and most efficient response.

Maybe what you should be asking is "Is there a way to have one warning system that can notify the public of a variety of emergencies in a more streamlined method?"

I personally feel that the NOAA weather radios with SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) are a great platform to use.  My newest unit picks up all the weather stuff as well as AMBER Alerts.  I wouldn't think it would be too difficult to incorporate an additional screen with Homeland Security threat level (just need 5 LEDs) and a text screen to give addtional needed information.

What do you think?

Answer 4

Absolutely not.  There is really no reason as to why they should.  Tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes are all natural disasters.  Terrorism and terrorist attacks are man-made disasters,