The logo for the Daily Beast's Obsessed website. It reads: 'Obsessed: What to Watch, Binge, See, & Skip'
DAILY BEAST
Membership call to action crossword iconCrosswordNewsletters
  • Cheat Sheet
  • Obsessed
  • Politics
  • Crime
  • Entertainment
  • Media
  • Innovation
  • Opinion
  • Reality TV
  • U.S. News
  • Scouted
CHEAT SHEET
    POLITICS
    • Biden World
    • Elections
    • Opinion
    • National Security
    • Congress
    • Pay Dirt
    • The New Abnormal
    • Trumpland
    MEDIA
    • Confider
    • Daytime Talk
    • Late-Night
    • Fox News
    U.S. NEWS
    • Identities
    • Crime
    • Race
    • LGBT
    • Extremism
    • Coronavirus
    WORLD
    • Russia
    • Europe
    • China
    • Middle East
    INNOVATION
    • Science
    TRAVEL
      ENTERTAINMENT
      • TV
      • Movies
      • Music
      • Comedy
      • Sports
      • Sex
      • TDB's Obsessed
      • Awards Shows
      • The Last Laugh
      CULTURE
      • Power Trip
      • Fashion
      • Books
      • Royalist
      TECH
      • Disinformation
      SCOUTED
      • Clothing
      • Technology
      • Beauty
      • Home
      • Pets
      • Kitchen
      • Fitness
      • I'm Looking For
      BEST PICKS
      • Best VPNs
      • Best Gaming PCs
      • Best Air Fryers
      COUPONS
      • Vistaprint Coupons
      • Ulta Coupons
      • Office Depot Coupons
      • Adidas Promo Codes
      • Walmart Promo Codes
      • H&M Coupons
      • Spanx Promo Codes
      • StubHub Promo Codes
      Products
      NewslettersPodcastsCrosswordsSubscription
      FOLLOW US
      GOT A TIP?

      SEARCH

      HOMEPAGE
      Trumplandsubvertical orientation badge

      Federal Weather Workers ‘Shocked’ and ‘Irate’ by NOAA Backing Trump, Union Head Says

      SHARPIE-GATE SAGA

      “Are people not going to believe the Hurricane Center or our forecasts now?”

      Tracy Connor

      Tracy Connor

      Updated Sep. 07, 2019 3:09AM EDT / Published Sep. 06, 2019 9:31PM EDT 

      Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty

      The head of the union that represents federal weather workers said Friday that his members are “shocked, stunned and irate” that the federal agency whose workers they represent put out a statement siding with President Trump in the increasingly bizarre dispute over whether Hurricane Dorian was on track to hit Alabama.

      “Never ever before has their management thrown them under the bus like this,” said Dan Sobien, president of the National Weather Service Employees Organization, which represents 4,000 employees under the umbrella of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

      “These are the people risking their lives flying into hurricanes and putting out forecasts that save lives. Never before has their management undercut their scientifically sound reasoning and forecasts,” Sobien told The Daily Beast.

      Sobien’s reaction is the latest development in a storm-fueled sideshow that has consumed the president for much of the week and been dubbed “Sharpie-gate.”

      It began Sunday, when President Trump tweeted out that Dorian was expected to hit Alabama—and the NWS’s Birmingham office posted a correction:

      “Alabama will NOT see any impacts from #Dorian. We repeat, no impacts from Hurricane #Dorian will be felt across Alabama. The system will remain too far east,” the tweet said.

      Then on Wednesday, Trump held up a weather map in the Oval Office that showed the track of the storm, outlined in white. It appeared someone had used a black marker, like the ones Trump favors, to extend that track into Alabama.

      Since then, Trump has dug in his heels, blasting out multiple tweets insisting that Dorian was forecast to hit Alabama and issuing a statement from his Homeland Security Adviser that backed up his version.

      Then on Friday came the statement from an unnamed spokesperson that said the NOAA and the National Hurricane Center had given Trump information that “demonstrated that tropical-storm-force winds from Hurricane Dorian could impact Alabama.”

      The statement went on to criticize the Birmingham office’s Sunday tweet, saying it “spoke in absolute terms that were inconsistent with probabilities from the best forecast products available at the time.”

      Soon after, Sobien issued a tweet about the NOAA statement: “I have never been so embarrassed by NOAA. What they did is just disgusting.”

      He later told The Daily Beast that in a Facebook group discussion, workers were so upset they were talking about defacing their NOAA T-shirts with a Sharpie. More seriously, they worried the statement could have real-life consequences.

      “What is very important is when the NWS issues a hurricane warning or flash flood warning—it’s very important [that] everyone is on the same page. It’s hard enough to convince people to evacuate or take cover. If you have confusion, it could be very bad.”

      “Are people not going to believe the Hurricane Center or our forecasts now?”

        Tracy Connor

        Tracy Connor

        Tracy.Connor@thedailybeast.com

        Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.

        READ THIS LIST

        DAILY BEAST
        • Cheat Sheet
        • Politics
        • Entertainment
        • Media
        • World
        • Innovation
        • U.S. News
        • Scouted
        • Travel
        • Subscription
        • Crossword
        • Newsletters
        • Podcasts
        • About
        • Contact
        • Tips
        • Jobs
        • Advertise
        • Help
        • Privacy
        • Code of Ethics & Standards
        • Diversity
        • Terms & Conditions
        • Copyright & Trademark
        • Sitemap
        • Best Picks
        • Coupons
        • Coupons:
        • Dick's Sporting Goods Coupons
        • HP Coupon Codes
        • Chewy Promo Codes
        • Nordstrom Rack Coupons
        • NordVPN Coupons
        • JCPenny Coupons
        • Nordstrom Coupons
        • Samsung Promo Coupons
        • Home Depot Coupons
        • Hotwire Promo Codes
        • eBay Coupons
        • Ashley Furniture Promo Codes
        © 2023 The Daily Beast Company LLC