Wurman, Kosiba Miss Iowa Tornado Data as 13% NWS Staffing Loss Strains Forecasts
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 11
Wurman, Kosiba Miss Iowa Tornado Data as 13% NWS Staffing Loss Strains Forecasts
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 11
Summary
Southern Iowa chases with Josh Wurman and Karen Kosiba ended without the intercept they needed, even as several tornadoes touched down elsewhere and warnings repeatedly hit the convoy.
The miss underscored how tornado science depends on narrow geometry—open roads, reachable storms and precise radar placement—leaving crews to drive 2,000 miles in three days for no usable close-range measurements.
Forecasting support has also weakened: the National Weather Service lost more than 560 employees, about 13% of its workforce, in early 2025, and some stations could not sustain twice-daily balloon launches.
Researchers said model guidance has performed unusually poorly this season, while funding for mobile Doppler teams remains uncertain despite diesel alone costing about $1,000 per truck fill-up.
That pressure matters because rare successes can shape safety standards for years: a 2024 study using data from 36 tornadoes helped inform new U.S. building-design standards.