More than two decades ago, a National Weather Service forecaster issued a warning about Hurricane Katrina that was so dire and unprecedented that its legitimacy was initially questioned. The bulletin, issued on August 28, 2005, by meteorologist Robert Ricks, used chilling and graphic language to highlight the potential impacts of the approaching storm.

The message, which was shared widely by national news outlets, contained specific predictions that proved to be hauntingly accurate. Ricks warned that "most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks—perhaps longer," that "high-rise office and apartment buildings will sway dangerously," and that "water shortages will make human suffering incredible by modern standards." He also cautioned that "persons, pets, and livestock exposed to the winds will face certain death if struck."

This powerful and emotional language was a departure from typical weather bulletins. Since Katrina and this message, meteorologists have heavily integrated with social scientists to craft messages that focus more on people, property, and impacts as opposed to strictly weather phenomena. 

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