Kevin Martin - Message From the Deputy Director of the NWS.

Department of Commerce Security officials have advised the National Weather Service to disassociate the organization and immediately cease any professional contacts with Mr. Kevin Martin and his web pages and social media applications. Mr, Martin has never been employed by NWS or associates with NWS in any official capacity; he operates or is associated with various web pages under various names including the Southern California Weather Authority, Tornado Risk Analysis Model (TRAM), and Weather Space.

Effective Immediately

• Access from National Weather Service computer systems to the online accounts owned or operated by Mr. Martin is Prohibited. Mr. Martin in the past has captured IP addresses and reposted them on his web page.
• NWS personnel are NOT to contact or engage in discussions, either by mail, phone, or in person with Mr. Martin while on duty.

What to do if contacted by Mr. Martin:

• Notify your chain of command and forward Mr. Martin's message to the NWS Communications Office.

The reason for the prohibited access involves both physical security for the NWS and our employees, and public safety considerations. Mr. Martin's previous web postings have been interpreted by federal authorities as threatening. In addition, in recent months Mr. Martin has begun issuing severe weather watches that appear to mimic the visual  and linguistic branding used by the National Weather Service; although there are disclaimers posted on his web pages there is continued public confusion over whether Mr. Martin's products are those of the National Weather Service.

NWS is taking other actions to clearly disassociate itself from Mr. Martin and his projects and products. Following the guidance in this message will help clearly establish the boundaries between Mr. Martin's work and that of the National Weather Service.

Official NWS Statement Regarding the Fraudulent Weather Poser Kevin Martin.

NOUS41 KWBC 031401

PNSWSH

 

Public Information Statement, External Statement

National Weather Service Headquarters Washington DC

1000 AM EDT Fri Jun 3, 2011

 

TO:      Subscribers:

         -Family of Services

         -NOAA Weather Wire Service

         -Emergency Managers Weather Information Network

         -NOAAPORT

         -Other NWS Partners, Users, and Employees

 

FROM:    Office of Communications

         National Weather Service

 

SUBJECT: Clarification on Sources of Weather Information  

 

NWS, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has no association with the Southern California Weather Authority or with Mr. Kevin Martin or any other staff of the Southern California Weather Authority.  Weather forecast and warning products developed and distributed by Mr. Martin or the Southern California Weather Authority may have formatting or contain content that could visually be confused with that of the National Weather Service.  Regardless of formatting or content, Mr. Martin’s weather products have no connection with nor are they the products of the National Weather Service.

 

NWS is the sole official voice of the U.S. Government for warnings of hazardous weather, including tornadoes, hurricanes, winter storms, floods and others.  NWS encourages the media and others to distribute NWS warnings and other hazardous weather products widely to aid public safety. 

 

NWS also respects the rights of individuals, companies, and other organizations to produce weather information of their own and to use NWS information to help them do so, including those who choose to produce weather information regarding weather hazards; however, it is important to distinguish official products that are produced and issued by the National Weather Service from weather information produced by others that is NOT produced by NWS.  It is especially important to avoid any confusion between NWS warnings and those that might be produced by others. 

 

For more information regarding terms of use of NWS information, see http://www.weather.gov/disclaimer.php

 

If you have comments or questions regarding this public information statement, please contact:

 

  NWS Communications Office

  nws.communications.office@noaa.gov

 

 

National public information statements are online:

 

  http://www.weather.gov/os/notif.htm