Eric Blake
@ericblake12.bsky.social
Senior Hurricane Specialist, NHC- posts are my own.
Reposted by Eric Blake
From a crewmember on yesterday's Teal 74 mission into now-Category 5 Hurricane #Melissa. As clear of an eye as you will see in the Atlantic basin.
October 27, 2025 at 4:11 PM
From a crewmember on yesterday's Teal 74 mission into now-Category 5 Hurricane #Melissa. As clear of an eye as you will see in the Atlantic basin.
Reposted by Eric Blake
I wanted to get a video of this ghost crab but every time I got close to their hole they scuttled back in, so I tried getting clever with it. I made a little sandcastle and shoved my phone into it, hit record, and walked away. Crab was VERY suspicious of this addition to their environment.
September 19, 2025 at 12:30 PM
I wanted to get a video of this ghost crab but every time I got close to their hole they scuttled back in, so I tried getting clever with it. I made a little sandcastle and shoved my phone into it, hit record, and walked away. Crab was VERY suspicious of this addition to their environment.
Katrina 20 years later - my only saved picture from the event was of the great Max Mayfield and Billy Wagner looking serious/concerned, with me working radar (left) at landfall (thinking it would be close to a disaster but hopeful). Later that morning we found out it wasn’t close at all 😢
August 29, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Katrina 20 years later - my only saved picture from the event was of the great Max Mayfield and Billy Wagner looking serious/concerned, with me working radar (left) at landfall (thinking it would be close to a disaster but hopeful). Later that morning we found out it wasn’t close at all 😢
Reposted by Eric Blake
Breathtaking video from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron of the stadium effect inside the eye of Hurricane Erin from last night’s pass
These observations are crucial for improving forecasts and keeping people safe
These observations are crucial for improving forecasts and keeping people safe
August 16, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Breathtaking video from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron of the stadium effect inside the eye of Hurricane Erin from last night’s pass
These observations are crucial for improving forecasts and keeping people safe
These observations are crucial for improving forecasts and keeping people safe
Reposted by Eric Blake
Unbelievable footage from NOAA’s Hurricane Hunters inside the eye of Hurricane Erin.
Simply incredible.
Simply incredible.
August 16, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Unbelievable footage from NOAA’s Hurricane Hunters inside the eye of Hurricane Erin.
Simply incredible.
Simply incredible.
Just an incredible explosive RI event with #Erin overnight. The pressure has fallen roughly 75 mb in 24 hours and has gone from a TS to category 4 during that time . 💣
August 16, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Just an incredible explosive RI event with #Erin overnight. The pressure has fallen roughly 75 mb in 24 hours and has gone from a TS to category 4 during that time . 💣
Reposted by Eric Blake
I got permission to share this, and I'm extremely grateful for that.
The Onion got this letter from one of our subscribers in Alaska. She works with dementia patients and decided to leave a copy in the car for each one.
This email made my year. Read it and you'll see what I mean. People are good.
The Onion got this letter from one of our subscribers in Alaska. She works with dementia patients and decided to leave a copy in the car for each one.
This email made my year. Read it and you'll see what I mean. People are good.
July 1, 2025 at 6:46 PM
I got permission to share this, and I'm extremely grateful for that.
The Onion got this letter from one of our subscribers in Alaska. She works with dementia patients and decided to leave a copy in the car for each one.
This email made my year. Read it and you'll see what I mean. People are good.
The Onion got this letter from one of our subscribers in Alaska. She works with dementia patients and decided to leave a copy in the car for each one.
This email made my year. Read it and you'll see what I mean. People are good.
Reposted by Eric Blake
I sought comment from NOAA and the Department of Defense on this and received this reply today from NOAA's spokesperson. They suggest we use the surviving ATMS microwave that degrades significantly at the edges. You can see how much worse off we'd be with Erick last week if we only had ATMS.
June 27, 2025 at 8:55 PM
I sought comment from NOAA and the Department of Defense on this and received this reply today from NOAA's spokesperson. They suggest we use the surviving ATMS microwave that degrades significantly at the edges. You can see how much worse off we'd be with Erick last week if we only had ATMS.
Reposted by Eric Blake
A comparison of what we see from geostationary infrared imagery vs. what we get when passive microwave imagery like what SSMIS provides is available.
This is Hurricane Otis in 2023 as it was gearing up for extremely rapid intensification prior to impacting Acapulco as a category 5 storm.
This is Hurricane Otis in 2023 as it was gearing up for extremely rapid intensification prior to impacting Acapulco as a category 5 storm.
June 27, 2025 at 5:48 PM
A comparison of what we see from geostationary infrared imagery vs. what we get when passive microwave imagery like what SSMIS provides is available.
This is Hurricane Otis in 2023 as it was gearing up for extremely rapid intensification prior to impacting Acapulco as a category 5 storm.
This is Hurricane Otis in 2023 as it was gearing up for extremely rapid intensification prior to impacting Acapulco as a category 5 storm.
Reposted by Eric Blake
I did a handful of interviews yesterday on the imminent shutdown of SSMIS data flow and the expected consequences for hurricane forecasting at NHC. I've tried to collect and polish up my thoughts on the topic, attached...
June 27, 2025 at 5:53 PM
I did a handful of interviews yesterday on the imminent shutdown of SSMIS data flow and the expected consequences for hurricane forecasting at NHC. I've tried to collect and polish up my thoughts on the topic, attached...
Reposted by Eric Blake
Not going to lie, I cried a bit when I got the email that SSMIS was being discontinued. I developed D-MINT with a toddler in tow, showing her pretty pictures of hurricanes so she knew what Mommy did while she's playing with friends at school. This one hurts.
A huge blow was dealt to hurricane forecasters this week as a critical tool was abruptly terminated by the Department of Defense and NOAA. The immediate discontinuation of data from three weather satellites will severely impact hurricane forecasts this season and beyond. More ⬇️
Critical Hurricane Forecast Tool Abruptly Terminated
U.S. Department of Defense announced Tuesday it would no longer process and deliver data essential to most hurricane forecasts
michaelrlowry.substack.com
June 26, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Not going to lie, I cried a bit when I got the email that SSMIS was being discontinued. I developed D-MINT with a toddler in tow, showing her pretty pictures of hurricanes so she knew what Mommy did while she's playing with friends at school. This one hurts.
Reposted by Eric Blake
Please enjoy this ridiculously cute butterfly, which was about the size of my pinkie fingernail. It's in the butterfly family called metalmarks (Riodinidae). Males, like these, have reduced front legs and perch using only the rear 4 (females can use all 6). Sarota acantus; Costa Rica 🐙🌿 #insects
June 3, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Please enjoy this ridiculously cute butterfly, which was about the size of my pinkie fingernail. It's in the butterfly family called metalmarks (Riodinidae). Males, like these, have reduced front legs and perch using only the rear 4 (females can use all 6). Sarota acantus; Costa Rica 🐙🌿 #insects
Reposted by Eric Blake
This is a seismic gut punch to the weather enterprise.
It is impossible to overstate how important @unidata.bsky.social is in implementing many datasets/libraries (LDM, netCDF, THREDDS, metPy) we currently use in meteorological research & operations.
www.unidata.ucar.edu/blogs/news/e...
It is impossible to overstate how important @unidata.bsky.social is in implementing many datasets/libraries (LDM, netCDF, THREDDS, metPy) we currently use in meteorological research & operations.
www.unidata.ucar.edu/blogs/news/e...
NSF Unidata Pause in Most Operations
www.unidata.ucar.edu
May 9, 2025 at 3:50 PM
This is a seismic gut punch to the weather enterprise.
It is impossible to overstate how important @unidata.bsky.social is in implementing many datasets/libraries (LDM, netCDF, THREDDS, metPy) we currently use in meteorological research & operations.
www.unidata.ucar.edu/blogs/news/e...
It is impossible to overstate how important @unidata.bsky.social is in implementing many datasets/libraries (LDM, netCDF, THREDDS, metPy) we currently use in meteorological research & operations.
www.unidata.ucar.edu/blogs/news/e...
Reposted by Eric Blake
A 40 second video I took on my iPhone of a large dusty tornado near Rudolph Iowa. I didn’t think iPhones could really help night mode on normal video but this took the cake. #tornado
April 18, 2025 at 6:44 AM
A 40 second video I took on my iPhone of a large dusty tornado near Rudolph Iowa. I didn’t think iPhones could really help night mode on normal video but this took the cake. #tornado
Reposted by Eric Blake
Story and interview on Miami's Channel 10 this afternoon on the NOAA cuts...
www.local10.com/news/local/2...
www.local10.com/news/local/2...
DOGE cuts could lead to ‘very big error’ in ‘crucial’ hurricane forecasts, expert says
Local 10 is examining a potential public safety alert regarding how DOGE staffing cuts to NOAA and the National Weather Service may already be impacting the ability of federal meteorologists to accura...
www.local10.com
April 17, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Story and interview on Miami's Channel 10 this afternoon on the NOAA cuts...
www.local10.com/news/local/2...
www.local10.com/news/local/2...
Reposted by Eric Blake
Thanks to @edwardsanthonyb.bsky.social and SFChronicle for sharing the full NOAA FY26 budget passback. After a detailed reading, think it is important for people to really understand just what massive changes are planned for US weather forecasting and research.
open.substack.com/pub/balanced...
open.substack.com/pub/balanced...
BalancedWx Special: Perspective on the NOAA budget passback
A proposed sea change to the US meteorological science enterprise
open.substack.com
April 17, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Thanks to @edwardsanthonyb.bsky.social and SFChronicle for sharing the full NOAA FY26 budget passback. After a detailed reading, think it is important for people to really understand just what massive changes are planned for US weather forecasting and research.
open.substack.com/pub/balanced...
open.substack.com/pub/balanced...
Reposted by Eric Blake
120 light years from Earth, there's a planet that may be covered in a living ocean. Here's my story on a tantalizing hint of life beyond the Solar System. Gift link: nyti.ms/3GbrEaZ 🧪
Astronomers Detect a Signature of Life on a Distant Planet (Gift Article)
Further studies are needed to determine whether K2-18b, which orbits a star 120 light-years away, is inhabited, or even habitable.
nyti.ms
April 16, 2025 at 11:05 PM
120 light years from Earth, there's a planet that may be covered in a living ocean. Here's my story on a tantalizing hint of life beyond the Solar System. Gift link: nyti.ms/3GbrEaZ 🧪
Reposted by Eric Blake
Weather Service Prepares for ‘Degraded Operations’ Amid Trump Cuts. Gift link: nyti.ms/42MeGJD
Weather Service Prepares for ‘Degraded Operations’ Amid Trump Cuts (Gift Article)
An internal document describes how severe shortages of meteorologists and other staff members could affect forecasts and other operations.
nyti.ms
April 16, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Weather Service Prepares for ‘Degraded Operations’ Amid Trump Cuts. Gift link: nyti.ms/42MeGJD
Reposted by Eric Blake
The economic value of hurricane forecasts
www.nber.org/papers/w3254...
www.nber.org/papers/w3254...
The Social Value of Hurricane Forecasts
Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...
www.nber.org
April 16, 2025 at 3:34 PM
The economic value of hurricane forecasts
www.nber.org/papers/w3254...
www.nber.org/papers/w3254...
Reposted by Eric Blake
New — Here is a running list of Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) offices that have either been fully eliminated or gutted into non-functionality as a result of today's mass firings (provided to me directly by a CDC staffer):
April 1, 2025 at 3:25 PM
New — Here is a running list of Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) offices that have either been fully eliminated or gutted into non-functionality as a result of today's mass firings (provided to me directly by a CDC staffer):
Conan is great at the Oscars - a welcome distraction from the world 👏
March 3, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Conan is great at the Oscars - a welcome distraction from the world 👏
Reposted by Eric Blake
NOAA Cuts Leave Wind Chimes As Sole Predictor Of Approaching Hurricanes
NOAA Cuts Leave Wind Chimes As Sole Predictor Of Approaching Hurricanes
SILVER SPRING, MD—As mass firings of career experts and scientists continued to roil the federal government, officials confirmed Friday that cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration...
theonion.com
February 28, 2025 at 8:01 PM
NOAA Cuts Leave Wind Chimes As Sole Predictor Of Approaching Hurricanes
Reposted by Eric Blake
Reposted by Eric Blake
As the weather community experiences tremendous challenges, I couldn't chose a better cause to promote. Please consider showing your support for Andy Hazelton as he and his family explore next steps following federal employment layoffs this week.
gofund.me/8020498c
gofund.me/8020498c
Donate to Weathering the Storm: Support for Andy Hazelton, organized by Lisa Bucci
We need your help! Andy is the guy in the office who loves his job and cowo… Lisa Bucci needs your support for Weathering the Storm: Support for Andy Hazelton
gofund.me
March 1, 2025 at 12:56 AM
As the weather community experiences tremendous challenges, I couldn't chose a better cause to promote. Please consider showing your support for Andy Hazelton as he and his family explore next steps following federal employment layoffs this week.
gofund.me/8020498c
gofund.me/8020498c