Cloud warriors: deadly storms, climate chaos-and the pioneers creating a revolution in weather forecasting

"A deeply reported and wide-ranging look at the people, and the technology, predicting and tracking weather in order to raise public awareness to keep one step ahead of extreme weather. For millennia, humans have tried to understand and predict the weather. In the 1950s and 60s, the Space Age helped usher in satellites and radar, while computers made it possible to plug all that data into complex equations that predicted the atmosphere's future behavior. Now a new wave of forecasting advances is unfolding, driven by artificial intelligence, drones, and new types of satellites. The Internet of Things has turned everything from cellphones to cars into ubiquitous weather sensors. Equally significant are new efforts to understand how people respond to forecasts and warnings. Scientists and government officials are realizing that how people get their weather information, and how they use it, are crucial to the outcomes of weather events. Among other things, some inequities, such as economic and health issueas, as well as language barriers, can put vulnerable groups at increased risk due to weather. In CLOUD WARRIORS, veteran journalist Thomas E. Weber takes us on a fascinating tour of how meteorologists, scientists, and officials track and prepare for major weather events, such as hurricanes, tornados, floods, forest fires, extreme heat, and winter storms. As climate change is altering our planet and making weather events more extreme, readers will meet those on the front lines of weather preparation and prediction. We travel from coast-to-coast, to space and back, from National Weather Service to AccuWeather, meeting TV meteorologists and storm chasers, city planners and backyard weatherman. This is a book about the weather-and the power of being able to see it coming"-- Provided by publisher.