Tired in Tornado Alley

A congressional tour of the National Weather Service Quad Cities forecasting office revealed a skeleton crew trying to keep its crucial work going.

DAVENPORT, Iowa — The message at the Quad Cities National Weather Service, which keeps an eye on the flood-prone Mississippi River and the heart of Tornado Alley, is that everything is fine.

Yes, two of the office’s three top positions are vacant. No, the office doesn’t have a hydrologist, despite its proximity to the mighty Mississippi, which flooded Davenport for 96 days in 2019. And, sure, the staff is down by about 42% from its typical 24 to 14, according to former employees familiar with the office.

Those left are putting on a brave face.

“We feel good to meet the mission,” said Matt Friedlein, who is normally the office’s science and operations officer but has been filling in as the acting meteorologist-in-charge.

The mission here is crucial. This is tornado country, where the warnings that come from this office can be matters of life and death. On Tuesday, eight tornadoes roared through the region, downing trees, derailing rail cars and snapping utility poles.