Early History
The first official tornado forecast (and tornado warning) was made by United States Air Force Capt. (later Col.) Robert C. Miller and Major Ernest Fawbush, on March 25, 1948. The USAF pioneered tornado forecasting and tornado warnings, mainly due to the Weather Bureau's strong discouragement/ban on the use of the word "tornado" in forecasts or statements, fearing that it would cause the public to panic if they predicted tornadoes. In 1950, the Weather Bureau revoked their ban on the word "tornado", thus allowing public tornado warnings.
Despite the U.S. Weather Bureau's lifting of their ban on tornado warnings, the Federal Communications Commission continued to ban television and radio from broadcasting tornado warnings on-air due to possibly inciting panic in the public. Broadcast media did not follow until 1954, when meteorologist Harry Volkman broadcast the first televised tornado warning over WKY-TV (now KFOR-TV) in Oklahoma City, due to his belief that the banning of tornado warnings over broadcast media cost lives; the FCC eventually lifted its ban on broadcasting tornado warnings.
Read more about this topic: Tornado Warning
Famous quotes containing the words early and/or history:
“Even today . . . experts, usually male, tell women how to be mothers and warn them that they should not have children if they have any intention of leaving their side in their early years. . . . Children don’t need parents’ full-time attendance or attention at any stage of their development. Many people will help take care of their needs, depending on who their parents are and how they chose to fulfill their roles.”
—Stella Chess (20th century)
“America is, therefore the land of the future, where, in the ages that lie before us, the burden of the World’s history shall reveal itself. It is a land of desire for all those who are weary of the historical lumber-room of Old Europe.”
—Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831)