Weather service fights apathy with fear-mongering

​A combination of increasingly complacent citizens and unclear terminology has prompted weather services in Kansas and Missouri to test the scare-the-bejesus-out-of-'em method for severe weather warnings. Too many people have been apathetic to the current warning system, so starting Monday, ho-hum terms like "tornado watch" and "thunderstorm warning" will be enlivened with evocative language such as "mass devastation," "catastrophic," and "unsurvivable." If the tests prove effective, the system could be rolled out to the entire country. In addition to saving lives, the new system also stands to reinvigorate the careers of meteorologists who lack an outlet for their dramatic flair.