Does the government lie? Sure. Should you dodge hurricanes when they tell you? Yes.

Matt Drudge and NOAA get into feud over hurricane data.

Does our government lie? Yes. Do government agencies get things wrong? All the time. Will a hurricane kill you? You bet. Here's a brief story about how different people can be wrong, and right at the same time.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - A row has developed between Matt Drudge of Drudge Report fame and The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration over hurricane Matthew.

As Matthew passed over Nassau in the Bahamas, NOAA data indicated wind gusts reached 165 MPH. However, stations on the ground in Nassau did not report such excessive winds. Certainly it was very windy on Nassau, to the point of danger. But the two reports did not match.

This discrepancy caused Drudge to react with skepticism. It has caused people to accuse NOAA of exaggerating the data to make people fear global warming even more.

What gives?

Winds in Nassau, according to official reports, reached a maximum sustained 140 MPH. NOAA observations showed gusts reached 165 MPH, which is reasonably possible in such conditions. Both measurements seem reliable. An aircraft recorded the higher gusts. 

There is no reason to doubt these measurements are wrong or have been exaggerated to promote any agenda. Matthew is a dangerous storm, and it may have already killed about 300 people. All NOAA measurements, with the exception of Nassau, seem to be in agreement with independent measurements elsewhere. Therefore, it seems likely the individual measurement that drew Drudge's interest could be the source of the error. Equipment sometimes breaks.

While NOAA may be innocent however, it does not mean Drudge is wrong about the whole issue.

Our government lies. It lies by omission, and it tells deliberate lies. It lies to promote agendas, to raise up political candidates, and to keep itself out of trouble. There is no better time for skepticism than when the government speaks.

Is NOAA trying to oversell global warming? It's unlikely they need to. Matt Drudge is a skeptic, as are many others, but virtually all qualified climate scientists, the military, and even the Catholic Church agree that something bad is happening.

Finally, what about NOAA having a monopoly on the data? This isn't entirely factual. Private weather monitors are widespread these days. The Europeans have satellites which can record weather data as well. Other scientists can examine the data and could find anomalies in reporting, if any existed. It makes sense for NOAA to gather the data and provide the reporting. A severe weather situation is no time to be territorial. A single, decisive organization is needed to manage the crisis. This is what NOAA does.

Regardless of who you believe or disbelieve in this case, hurricanes are major storms. They're dangerous. Matthew may not have lived up to its hype in Florida, but it wasn't merely a good breeze either. It was a dangerous event with the possibility of moving into Florida and causing destruction.

You don't have to believe the government to understand that it's ridiculous to stand in front of a hurricane. Governments and people have agendas, hurricanes don't care.

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