The Philadelphia Jewish Voice October 2005 > Katrina

Santorum's Weather Forecast: Mostly Colluded

The problem with Rick Santorum is he keeps on saying what he thinks. After criticizing homosexuals, working women, and hurricane victims, he now turns his wrath on the National Weather Service.

In an interview with radio station WITF-FM, on Thursday, September 8, 2005, Santorum said "the weather service gave no warning, or not sufficient warning in my opinion, as to the effects when it came on land."

This is the warning NOAA and the National Weather Service issued on August 28 in anticipation of Hurricane Katrina:

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER [...]

THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL. PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE [...] POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS [...]

FEW CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE KILLED.

WILLIAMS: There was a weather statement Sunday afternoon that we all got on our Blackberry computers and it was so frightening. It spoke of a storm that would create water shortages that would in turn create human suffering not known in modern times. It spoke of this catastrophic storm.

STEWART: This was a weather report prior to the storm hitting?

WILLIAMS: This was from NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Yes, prior to the storm hit. Yes. We wondered whether to go with it on the air. We wondered if it was real. We had to get it confirmed. And by the time we got it confirmed, we knew it was right, and it was too late. It was some forecaster trying his or her best to warn the nation using all they had. They predicted everything.

Why would Santorum attack the weather service? And what would Santorum institute in its place?

Radio Station WITF reports: Santorum's bill instructs the government to abandon weather prediction and data reporting efforts that duplicate private-sector activity. He came under fire when it was revealed that the head of AccuWeather, which would benefit from the privatization of the National Weather Service, has given thousands of dollars to the Santorum campaign. Interesting coincidence?

Perhaps voters are beginning to become wary of Senator Santorum's duplicity. The latest GOP poll by Strategic Vision shows Bob Casey's lead over Rick Santorum growing to 14% from 11% in early August.