This Blog Has Moved!

We are pleased to announce our new blog (and new website) at the following address:

www.weatherdefender.com/blog

Please update your readers/bookmarks accordingly. There will be no further posts on this site.

New Developments

It's been a few weeks since our last update, and even though summer affords most people a chance to slow down and enjoy the great outdoors (there's certainly nothing good on TV), it's business at usual here at SWIFT Weather. In fact, summer is usually one of our busiest seasons (we take our breaks in the Fall).

We have been hard at work on the new version of Weather Defender. Since releasing this Spring, we have been gathering feedback from you and incorporating it into the new edition of the program.

I am very pleased with the progress so far. Some of the enhancements you can look forward to include:

• Pre-configured Maps

No more customization headaches! We've spent hundreds of hours crafting the perfect Maps for the most common uses of Weather Defender. (of course, customization will always be an option!)

• Perimeter Alert Enhancements

It will be easier than ever to create perimeters and set alerts with simple option boxes like "Heavy Rain" or "Tornado Sighted"

• Drawing Tool Enhancements

New Eraser tool, and ability to add points by latitude/longitude, or even street address

• Bug Fixes & Component Upgrades

Many stability improvements, bug fixes, and the latest and greatest components (GIS/GPS) will be rolled out with the next release

Stay tuned for more updates, and enjoy your summer!

Best Regards,
Rory Groves

Founder & CEO
SWIFT Weather

---

Also in this update:

Layer Updated: Storm Tracks

Storm Tracks project the path of a storm up to 1-hour.

We've revamped the Storm Tracks layer to provide you with more details, and clearer visuals:

- Cleaned up the clutter! No more overlapping tracks
- Reduced the number of timestamps to just two: 30-minute and 1-hour ETAs
- Added more storm details to tip window: rainfall estimates, hail sizes, MESO & TVS indicators, and storm height (Echo Tops)

The full Community Update is sent out every other week to all members of the Weather Defender Community. If you would like to join, click here to get started.

Last Day to Save $70 on Hurricane Upgrade

Don't miss out on our Hurricane Tracking Layers upgrade sale! Today is the last day to sign up for the 2009 Hurricane Season and save 35% off the retail price -- that's a $70 discount! For the first time this season, you will be able to: Monitor Tropical Storms & Hurricanes on a world-wide map Predict future locations and estimate max wind speeds Know precisely where and when Hurricanes will make landfall 17 layers in all give you extremely detailed and precise information about each Hurricane's track and anticipated movements, including: Hurricane Summary (Worldwide) Current Wind Speeds Forecasted Track Forecasted Winds Error Swaths Wind Probabilities Past Track Past Wind Speeds Coastal Watches and Warnings Rainfall Estimates: 24, 48, 72 hours in advance Possible/Imminent Flood Outlook Upgrade Your Account Today! Complete 2009 Hurricane Season: Regular Price: $199.97 Sale Price: $129.97 SALE ENDS TODAY!!! Click Here to Buy Now

Summertime Threats

We're in peak summer now, which means most of the U.S. is vulnerable to the following summertime weather threats:

• Tornadoes: Up to 80 deaths and 1,500 injuries per year
• Flash Floods: Number ONE weather killer - 146 deaths annually
• Lightning: Kills 75-100 people each year
• Damaging Straight-line Winds: Can reach 140 mph
• Severe Hail: Can reach the size of a grapefruit - causes several hundred million dollars in damage annually to property and crops
  (Source: NOAA)

Depending on where you live, some threats are more common than others. For example, Florida is known as the Lightning Capital of the World. And Kansas and Oklahoma have more Tornadoes per square-mile than any other region in the world.

This week's update includes some unfortunate news from Colorado and Virginia, although this is just a sampling of what has been going on around the country, and will continue throughout the summer months. As we move into late summer and early fall, new threats will emerge including Tropical Storms and Hurricanes.

So stay tuned to the seasons, and know what the main weather threats are for your region of the country. Its the essential first step in your weather preparedness plan.

Best Regards,

Rory Groves

Founder & CEO

SWIFT Weather

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Also in this update:

In The News

Aurora, Colorado Tornado Rated As EF-1

National Weather Service Meteorologist Assess Damage

Denver ABC-7 Affiliate, Photo by Brittany McKown

Meteorologists with the National Weather Service said Monday that the tornado that dropped in southeast Aurora Sunday afternoon rated an EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale.

Based on a damage assessment conducted Sunday and Monday, the tornado had estimated wind speeds of around 100 mph, said Bob Glancy with the National Weather Service.

Full Story >>

Boy, 12, Killed by Lightning on Baseball Field

By FOX News

A 12-year-old Virginia boy is dead after he and his friend were struck by lightning while playing catch on a baseball field Wednesday night.

The Little League umpire called the game around 6:30 p.m. and ordered everyone off the field in Fredericksburg, Va., because of dark clouds, rain, hail and lightning.

But, Chelal Gross-Matos and his unidentified 11-year-old friend lingered on the field playing catch, the station reported.

"Their parents were close by. Their children were being supervised by their parents and they were just kind of playing catch with one another when they were struck," said First Sergeant Liz Scott, a spokeswoman with the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Department.

Full Story >>

Community Spotlight

Patrick Callahan

Pierre / Fort Pierre, South Dakota

Weather Defender Username: OaheTV

Occupation: General Manager, OaheTV cable channel 8 (www.oahetv.com)

OaheTV is the public/education/government cable channel for the City of Pierre, City of Fort Pierre, Pierre Public School district and is the webmaster for the City of Pierre, State Capital of South Dakota
www.pierre.sd.gov.

Special Certifications:
Former United Press International (UPI) Chief of Bureau for North & South Dakota, Capital Bureau Chief for ABC Newswire

How do you use Weather Defender in your professional responsibilities?

Weather Defender is now my 'go to' preference for early public alerting and notification of severe weather. My responsibilities include broadcasting weather information to central South Dakota, in a television market where the nearest call letter station is more than three hours away. My job also requires me to provide off air detailed weather reports to city administration, public safety, public works, transportation, and other local government agencies.

Weather Defender provides me with detailed forecasting tools, the ability to monitor and track developing weather systems, and a customizable perimeter alerting feature that triggers information to be sent to me and/or my local government team.

It's the simplicity of use that makes Weather Defender unique. Weather Defender allows me access to these features at home, at work, or from my mobile phone - quickly, easily, and reliably.

The full Community Update is sent out every other week to all members of the Weather Defender Community. If you would like to join, click here to get started.

Track Hurricanes, Tropical Storms, and Typhoons in Weather Defender

Hurricane Season has begun, and we are proud to announce the new Hurricane Tracking Layers upgrade for Weather Defender!

For the first time this season, you will be able to:

• Monitor Tropical Storms & Hurricanes on a world-wide map
• Predict future locations and estimate max wind speeds
• Know precisely where and when Hurricanes will make landfall

All layers are vector-based, which means they scale infinitely with zoom level. Overlay Counties, Cities, Streets, or import your own custom Shapefiles and determine the impact of approaching storm systems to your exact region.

A full set of layers is provided for each and every active storm, and will be continuously updated as new advisories are issued.

17 layers in all give you extremely detailed and precise information about each Hurricane's track and anticipated movements, including:

• Hurricane Summary (Worldwide)
• Current Wind Speeds
• Forecasted Track
• Forecasted Winds
• Error Swaths
• Wind Probabilities
• Past Track
• Past Wind Speeds
• Coastal Watches and Warnings
• Rainfall Estimates: 24, 48, 72 hours in advance
• Possible/Imminent Flood Outlook

Read the Online Documentation for complete layer descriptions, usage instructions and more screenshots.


Upgrade Your Account Today!

Complete 2009 Hurricane Season, June through December:

Upgrade Today & Save 35%!

Regular Price: $199.97
Sale Price: $129.97

Click Here to Buy Now

* Discount Expires on Wednesday, June 10th.

National Hurricane Preparedness Week

"History teaches that a lack of hurricane awareness and preparation are common threads among all major hurricane disasters. By knowing your vulnerability and what actions you should take, you can reduce the effects of a hurricane disaster." -- National Hurricane Center (US)

There are an average of about 6 hurricanes each year in the Atlantic, 2 of those being being at least Category 3 or stronger. So with the official start of Hurricane Season just a few days away, this is as good a time as any to begin making preparations if you reside in the path of "Hurricane Alley".

The ever-vigilant forecasters at the National Hurricane Center are spending this week educating the public as to the history, threats, and preparations we should be aware of during this very unpredictable season.

So take a few minutes and educate yourself with these resources. Hurricane season starts June 1st -- the time to prepare is now!

Best Regards,
Rory Groves

Founder & CEO

SWIFT Weather

---

Also in this update:

Under Development

2009 Hurricane Season Data

For the first time ever, we are making available a complete and very comprehensive Hurricane Datatset for the 2009 Hurricane Season!

Each Tropical Storm and Hurricane will come with its own selection of layers which you can track with precision in Weather Defender.

The dataset selection includes:

• Current Location
• Wind Ranges
• Forecast Tracks
• Forecast Wind Swath
• Forecast Error Swath Wind Probabilities
• Past Tracks
• Advisory Positions
• Past Wind Swath
• Hurricane Watches and Warnings
• Rainfall Estimates (1-3 Days)
• Flooding Outlook

The Hurricane Data will be available soon as an optional upgrade to your basic membership. Stay tuned for pricing details and a special discount promotion!

Community Spotlight

Adam Wainwright

Page County, Iowa

Username: Firemedicadam

Occupation: Assistant Coordiantor for Page County Emergency Management

How do you use Weather Defender in your professional responsibilities?

I used Weather Defender almost every day to look at pending storms coming into our area. I have also worked with other Emergency Management Agencies as well as Fire Depts to educate them on the capabilities of Weather Defender. I use it while viewing at home, as well as using the alert perimeter and email / text capabilities. This is great for when I am out "in the field" and it alerts my phone of attributes or other alert profiles.

The full Community Update is sent out every other week to all members of the Weather Defender Community. If you would like to join, click here to get started.

Unexpected but Prepared

Vacations are a rare thing for me during the severe weather season, but at the urging of my wife I decided to travel with her to Kansas City on a short weekend excursion. Of course, I packed the laptop "just-in-case" but promised not to work.

My sister-in-law was playing an outdoor concert near Kansas City and it sounded like a great opportunity to connect with my family and get away from the grind for a few days.

Well, I did in fact break out the laptop, but not to work. Turns out that eastern Kansas was under a "Moderate Risk" for severe weather the day of the concert and I could tell from observing the wind and humidity patterns on the ground that things could get ugly fast.

In addition, I was among 500 or so other concert-goers who were plainly exposed in open air to any and every weather threat coming our way.

I booted up Weather Defender on my laptop and using a Sprint EVDO card for Internet access, I created a 20-mile Alert Perimeter around the concert site, monitoring for Lightning, Severe Thunderstorm or Tornado Warnings. I configured the alerts to go to my cell phone as well as my wife's phone just in case we were separated. Leaving the laptop running in my sister's tour bus, I returned to the concert.

The storms did indeed come, but skirted north of us by about 25-30 miles. Everyone enjoyed the concert and went home safely. It really made all the difference to me knowing that Weather Defender was continually watching the skies for potential threats.

I don't know if you call that a working vacation, but it was definitely a happy ending.

Best Regards,
Rory Groves

Founder & CEO
SWIFT Weather

---

Also in this update:

In The News

Severe storms, tornadoes batter Missouri

Dirk VanderHart, Springfield News-Leader

 

Suspected tornadoes tore through southwest Missouri this morning, killing an elderly man and ripping the roof off of a high school as students fled the building.

 

Shortly before noon, the National Weather Service here said nine tornado tracks had been reported in the area, though none have been confirmed as tornadoes. The service reported winds of 60 to 80 mph.

 

Full Story >>

Wildfire imperils Santa Barbara

By RAQUEL MARIA DILLON, AP

Powerful winds during a night in which "all hell broke loose" have pushed a raging wildfire to the doorstep of this wealthy coastal city, threatening to destroy dozens more homes and leading to the evacuation of more than 20,000 people.

Firefighters were putting out roof fires Friday as gusts drove the flames down from the steep canyons above Santa Barbara and started burning homes in the residential flatlands. Once tame, the fire front now stretches for five miles, city Fire Chief Andres Dimizio said. "Literally last night, all hell broke loose," he said.

Full Story >>

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Receive occasional updates and announcemens via on the Weather Defender Twitter feed.

Community Spotlight

Brian Vauter

San Antonio, Texas

 

Username: sacaver

Silver Defender

 

Occupation: Cavern Geologist/ Operations Manager/IT guy for Natural Bridge Caverns, Inc.

 

We are a commercial cave operation located near San Antonio, Texas in the Texas Hill Country.

The full Community Update is sent out every other week to all members of the Weather Defender Community. If you would like to join, click here to get started.

Weather Preparedness Training

I had the opportunity to provide on-site training at a couple of organizations recently. The first was Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries (NLOM) located in Ashland, Nebraska. This organization oversees camping operations across several sites and two states. The forward-thinking directors were evaluating technology solutions to help keep them informed of severe weather, and ultimately improve camper safety.  They liked Weather Defender's ability to proactively alert users on a myriad of weather threats at multiple locatons, and have made the Alert Perimeter feature a key component of their overall Weather Safety strategy.

 

The second training session (pictured) was held at the Pottawattamie County EOC in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The team at Pott. County has done a superb job mapping out storm spotter positions and overcoming communications inefficiencies. Weather Defender will play a role in their Emergency Operations Center, as the operators communicate threat details to deployed storm spotters.

 

In a software development firm, it's easy to become disconnected from your customers, so I thoroughly enjoyed holding these training sessions and getting a chance to meet several of our clients face-to-face.

 

 

Best Regards,

Rory Groves

 

Founder & CEO

---

Also in this update:

New Layer: Fire Detections

The Fire Detections layer displays active fire detections for the last 7 days using remote-sensing satellite technology.

 

Different from the Wild Fires layer we introduced last week, which was only for large-incident fires, the Fire Detections layer is generated using MODIS satellite technology and incidents may range from controlled burns to uncontained wildfires.

Community Spotlight

Joseph White

Golden Valley, Minnesota

 

Username: joecasa

Silver Defender

 

Occupation: Owner, ThoseFunnyFatGuys, LLC

 

We sell comedy scripts and other material to radio stations to use during commuter drive time shows. 

The full Community Update is sent out every other week to all members of the Weather Defender Community. If you would like to join, click here to get started.

Free Activation on Weather Defender expires Tomorrow

Free Activation Sale!

Only 2 Days Left to Save $35
on new account activations

Discount offer expires tomorrow (4/24/09)

With, Weather Defender, its EASY to stay ahead of threatening weather:

1. Configure one or more Alert Perimeters for your home, office, or job site
    
2. Select the types of weather threats you want to monitor
    
3. Receive threat alerts instantly on your computer, e-mail or cell phone whenever your Perimeter is breached

Weather Defender can detect numerous types

of weather threats, including:

• Lightning
• Hail
• Heavy Rain
• High Winds
• Tornadoes
• Wild Fires
• Earthquakes
• ...and many others!

Spring has sprung

While the trees are still trying to bud here in the northern latitudes, the hot, dry summer climate is steadily invading the southern states.

The last few weeks have seen numerous Red Flag (Fire) warnings throughout Oklahama and Texas, along with a few dozen large wildfires.

It's another reminder that each new season brings its own weather challenges. In Spring and Summer it's tornadoes, flooding, and forest fires. In Fall and Winter it's wind storms, freezing rain, and blizzards. When it comes to weather safety, there is never a season for complacency.

But each season also brings its own weather joys. It's finally warm enough around here to start enjoying the weekends outside. I think I'll go for a bike ride tomorrow, weather permitting!

Best Regards,

Rory Groves

Founder & CEO

---

Also in this update:

New Layer: Wild Fires

The Wild Fires layer indicates large-incident forest and wild fires across the United States.

Incorporating data from NASA, the Interagency Fire Center, and USDA Forest Service, the Wild Fires layer depicts locations of large-incident fires on your map in Weather Defender.

Events new!

Rory Groves will be speaking and demonstrating Weather Defender at Pottawattamie County EOC.

Date:

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Time:

7:00pm - 9:00pm

Location:

Pottawattamie County EOC

Council Bluffs, Iowa

Event is free & open to the public, but please RSVP.

Community Spotlight

Tom Raiola

Brandford, Connecticut

Username: astrocom

Silver Defender

Occupation: Accounting Manager, Brewer Yacht Yards

Brewer Bruce & Johnson's Marina is located in Branford, CT. We are one of twenty two full service yacht yards on the east coast of Long Island Sound.

The full Community Update is sent out every other week to all members of the Weather Defender Community. If you would like to join, click here to get started.

Ground truth

"640K ought to be enough for anybody."
-- Bill Gates, 1981

The advances in weather technology over the past few decades is nothing short of miraculous. A Doppler Radar beam can not only detect individual droplets of rain, but can "see" which direction they are moving! This information can then be translated into rotational detection algorithms predicting where a tornado may be forming.

And Doppler Radar is 20 years old! Just imagine what we'll see 20 years from now.

While every generation of technology brings new promise and new capabilities, there is one element that will never become obsolete: the human element. What is being reported by real people experiencing the severe weather right now? Meteorologists call this "ground truth" and it is absolutely essential to the public warning process.

Someday, weather prediction technology may be perfected. But until then, we need human eyes and human minds observing, reporting, and contributing to every community's safety.

Regards,

Rory Groves

Founder & CEO

P.S. Those tornado-prediction algorithms I referred to are known as Tornado Vortex Signatures and may be plotted in Weather Defender using the "Storm Attributes" layer.

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Also in this update:

Layer Insight

Storm Reports provide "ground truth" during severe weather outbreaks.

Local Storm Reports -- reported by trained storm spotters and disseminated by the National Weather Service -- provide verification for what is actually happening during severe weather outbreaks.

2009 Spotter Training

Weather Spotter training, conducted by the National Weather Service, is underway in most states.

If you have not participated before, or if its been a few years and you would like a refresher, Spotter Training classes are an excellent way to get free training and meet the weather service professionals in your community.

Check your local weather service office for training times and locations.

Community Spotlight

Ryan Westlie

Caldwell County, Kentucky

Username: rwestlie

Silver Defender, Level 2

Occupation: Lead Computer Technician, Caldwell County Board of Education

The employees of Caldwell County Schools are responsible for the education and welfare of the kids that attend our district. When severe weather breaks we have to be able to make timely decisions for their safety.

The full Community Update is sent out every other week to all members of the Weather Defender Community. If you would like to join, click here to get started.