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Article: Bogus tips vex meteorologists: 50 phony sightings of storms reported.
- Article from:
- Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL)
- Article date:
- June 12, 2007
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 Chicago Tribune. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Alexa Aguilar
Jun. 12--Forecasters in Illinois and Wisconsin spent days checking out phony weather reports this spring after a weather-savvy person submitted more than 50 fake sightings to a National Weather Service Web site that meteorologists use to track severe weather. Over a six-week period this spring, someone filed reports, sometimes several in one day, describing felled trees, hail and tornadoes that never occurred.
Weather officials, while quick to say they would never issue a weather warning solely on an anonymous report, likened the false reports to pulling a fire alarm or calling 911 as a prank.
"Any erosion of confidence in ...