Kevin Martin

Kevin Douglas Martin, also known as Raiden Storm,David Wharton, When everyone sounds like a weather forecaster, whom should you trust? The Los Angeles Times, 23 March 2023. is a self-proclaimed "senior meteorologist" and founder of several fake weather webshites such as TheWeatherSpace.com, SouthernCaliforniaWeatherAuthority.com, WeatherAlertCentral.com, and SouthernCaliforniaWeatherForce.com. Despite having no qualifications in the field and an abysmal track record, he is known for using the internet to release frequent "weather alerts" warning of impending tornadoes, hurricanes and even earthquakes. He's also approaching Steven Seagal-levels at being an internet tough guy.
Martin has made a variety of bizarre and false claims about weather related phenomena. He has claimed that the atmospheric research project HAARP "or HAARP-like projects" are responsible for "abnormal" weather patterns and natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy.Meteorologist Convinced HAARP-like Projects Are Responsible For Abnormal Weather Pattern Shift Over USA, TheWeatherSpace.com, July 15, 2013 (archived)Hurricane Sandy created with HAARP Martin's websites have featured weather radar images purporting to track and forecast HAARP activity and the spread of chemtrails. However, even the denizens of the conspiracy forum Above Top Secret became skeptical of Martin's various bombastic claims and activities.HAARP Shutdown & "Meteorologist" Kevin Martin, Above Top SecretNational Weather Service on Threats and Fraud from Kevin Martin Excerpt from Storm Chaser Movies Newsvine.com, June 3, 2011NWS Slams Fake Meteorologist Internet archive of Storm Chaser Movies, retrieved June 6, 2011 Martin does not have any formal education or qualifications in meteorology but insists he was born with miraculous "gifts" that allow him to to forecast the weather".In his own words 
After Martin began issuing dubious "official" earthquake warnings, "official" hurricane watches, and "official" tornado warnings (despite U.S. Code 18 § 2074 specifically penalising false weather reports branded "official"),http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2074 the National Weather Service Headquarters issued a press release advising the public not to confuse official NWS or NOAA warnings with Martin's made-up stuff.Public Information Statement, National Weather Service Headquarters, Fri Jun 3, 2011Quack Meteorology, Nowhurricane.com 
==Career==
Lacking any formal qualifications in meteorology, Martin considers himself a "weather savant". He has stated that he is autistic and has obsessive compulsive disorder,Patch Weather Blogger Seeks Funds to Sue Facebook for Canceling his Account Guy McCarthy, November 15, 2013 (archived) and believes that this must make him extremely talented at one thing. In reality, autistic people can be talented in multiple areas, and they generally need to practice and study just like non-autistics do. It is not clear how OCD would be related to his claims.
====Ontario Weather Service====
Sometime prior to 2006, Martin and his brother Brian launched what purported to be a weather forecasting website called the Ontario Weather Service.Named after the city of Ontario, near San Bernardino, CA. No connection with the Canadian province of Ontario. Martin listed himself as the OWS founder and "Chief Meteorologist".Ontario Weather Service, 2006 (archived) By 2007, Martin announced the OWS would "go into battle" against the National Weather Service. Martin claimed, "We will not listen to anyone that tell us not to, even if the government gets in the way. This will be the biggest story of the Meteorological History. We are AGAINST them and we are putting our foot down for the last time."OWS Vs. the National Weather Service 
The Ontario Weather Service featured a heavy focus on "chemtrails", and Martin promised tie-in merchandising:
===="Cash gifting twins"====
Between 2008 and 2009 Martin and his brother Brian advertised themselves as the "cash gifting twins".Godlike Productions message forum "No, try level 1 at $500. A dollar isn't the motive with cash gifting for serious marketers."Defending their services They generously offered to let people participate in a sure-fire method to get rich quick by using an "incredible, revolutionary, 1-up-to-infinity cash-flow system."Cash gifting manual To join the system, participants were required to send between $500 and $2,000, plus an initial membership fee, directly to the Martin brothers.#1 Online Twin Mentors! (archived)Contact information (archived)
====Southern California Weather Authority====
In January 2009, Martin launched a second weather website called the SoCalWeather.org that evolved into Southern California Weather Authority (SCWXA.org).Internet Archive cache of SCWXA.orgInternet Archive cache of SoCalWeather.com In the same year, Martin defended his SCWXA "Lead Forecaster", a teenager named Ricky Lukacs, who was charged with starting large wildfires in the Yucaipa area. Martin told authorities Lukacs was only at the scene of the fires to take photos.Acquaintance vouches for arson suspectIMRAN GHORI, The Press-Enterprise, October 02, 2009Southern California Weather Authority Staff Line-Up, December 2009 (archived) However when Lukacs was tried in juvenile court on arson charges, the boy admitted to setting the original two large wildfires, plus eight other fires.Inland Wildfires PAUL LAROCCO, The Press-Enterprise, May 21, 2010
====TheWeatherSpace.com====
By January 2010, Martin launched a third weather website, TheWeatherSpace.com, and was claiming to be its "senior meteorologist". As with OWS, SCXWA, and many before it, TheWeatherSpace.com was continually generating dubious drama and disparaging the National Weather Service.Donate to my website! Martin's concept of weather reporting apparently included UFO stories. In 2010, Martin admitted to hoaxing video and still images of a "UFO spiral" allegedly seen one night in Canada that were posted on TheWeatherSpace.com. Naming a "Kevin Adams" as owner of TheWeatherSpace.com, Martin blamed the hoax on some CGI "graphic test" files that were accidentally posted by a reporter named "Betty Morgan".Kevin Martin, Canada Spiral UFO HOAX, Featured Guest Martin then issued a conflicting story, saying he had deliberately engineered the hoax to find out "who is more gullible, Americans or Europeans".Canadian UFO Spiral Hoaxer Comes Forward - Reporter Fired, ufocasebook.com Then Martin retracted that statement, alleging that he did see a UFO and was warned to keep quiet about it.Canadian UFO Spiral - Martin Retracts Hoax Statement Undoubtedly there are some in the ufology community who feel that Martin must be telling the truth, because as everyone knows, a confusing series of lies followed by vague suggestions of intimidation are hallmarks of the trustworthy.
In February 2014, a Daily Kos weather blogger refuted Martin's warnings of a blockbuster winter storm, calling TheWeatherSpace.com an "infamous conspiracy theory website" and Martin "a fake "meteorologist" who thrives on creating hoax weather forecasts in order to drive page hits to his website for ad revenue".Rumors of a historic winter storm next week are a HOAX. Spread the word. Daily Kos, Feb 25, 2014
====URL hopping====
In Summer 2014, Martin began moving his web content to a succession of new urls in an apparent attempt to outrun Facebook complaints and subsequent shutdowns by Facebook management. Various new urls included WeatherAlertCentral.com, SouthernCaliforniaWeatherCentral.com, PublicWeatherService.com, SouthernCaliforniaWeatherService.com, AlternativeWeatherService.com, and others.
====Hurricane hoax====
In late August 2014, Martin, operating under the name Weather Alert Central.com on Facebook, produced a forecast claiming a potential Katrina scale hurricane was headed for the US Gulf Coast. The Facebook post received considerable attention and was debunked by several reputable sources.The Weather Channel warns viewers Kevin's bogus forcastCarlie Wells, Beware fake forecasts shared on social media, National Hurricane Center says Nola.comCassie Fambro, Weather hoax page sharing false hurricane forecast, calls James Spann an idiot Al.comEric Holthaus, The Nasty Rumor About a Hurricane Heading to New Orleans Slate.com The National Weather Service Hurricane Center also made a post on Facebook advising the public to "be wary of long-range projections that go beyond what science can offer".Screenshot of NWS Hurricane Center Facebook post on Wednesday, August 20, 2014 By the time the system Martin was referring to made landfall in Louisiana and Texas, it was classified as a "weak area of low pressure" which brought a handful of scattered rain showers to the area… about as far from a massive hurricane as you can get.Mark Schleifstein, Gulf low poses little threat; forecasters tracking Hurricane Cristobal, 2 future Atlantic systems. nola.com, 27 August 2014.
===Tornado hoaxes===
In 2022, Martin, operating yet another fake weather site called "Arizona Weather Force", issued several spurious tornado forecasts for Cochise County, Arizona, causing concern among local residents.Terri Jo Neff, Tornado ‘Forecast’ In Cochise County Prompts Warning About Unofficial Weather Alerts. Arizona Daily Independent, 8 August 2022. Martin's fake weather alerts continued in 2024 with more Arizona tornado alerts that a real NWS meteorologist dismissed as "fear mongering and attention-hoarding".Monica D. Spencer, ‘Weather god’ got it wrong, but severe storm risk real in Maricopa. Maricopa.com, 6 August 2024.
==Pseudoscience==
===HAARP status===
Martin once appeared on the Oklahoma City-based Southwest Radio Ministries radio program as "a Christian who is passionate about weather", saying that HAARP was able to "target Oklahoma" and create devastating tornadoes there.PREDICTING TORNADOES Guest: Kevin Martin Meteorologist — Southwest Radio Ministries He frequently warns of HAARP's alleged dangers and claims he can predict the facility's transmissions. 
Martin's websites have offered a "HAARP status" alert service to subscribers, apparently triggered when unspecified "sensor readings" indicate HAARP is supposedly beaming harmful, weather-altering energy into the skies above their geographic location.HAARP Status North America archive.today page cache of TheWeatherSpace.com Although, Martin has claimed that this alert service is not controlled by him and that they merely pay him for anonymous hosting, his website clearly stated that "HaarpStatus is owned by TheWeatherSpace.com"Haarp Status Network Pushes To Predict Tornadoes With Electromagnetic Readings archive.today page cache of TheWeatherSpace.com and TheWeatherSpace.com lists Martin as its "CEO". In addition, Martin has stated "I'm in full support of the system" and would use it to make weather predictions.HAARP Detection Network opens to the public with national purpose archive.today page cache of TheWeatherSpace.com The service claims that:
"The future of predicting what HAARP does" appeared to consist of relabeling existing weather map graphics to show supposed "current frequency readings" and the "building" or "weakening" frequency of HAARP transmissions.HAARPStatus North America TheWeatherSpace.com The site's laughably pseudoscientific explanation claimed that "sensors" at "unknown locations" can actually be used to triangulate something:
The website also posted images purporting to come from its own magnetometer "custom tuned to HAARP's frequency", however these images were largely indistinguishable from HAARP's own magnetometer images.
====He likes HAARP so much (he said) he bought the company====
On July 18, 2013, following news reports of HAARP's shutdown and possible closure due to lack of funding,http://earthsky.org/earth/crazy-weather-you-cant-blame-haarp-anymore Martin's website claimed TheWeatherSpace.com had "signed a one year contract" with HAARP, placing Martin in control of the facility.TheWeatherSpace.com Signs With HAARP Facility Under A One Year Contract archive.today page cache of TheWeatherSpace.com However within a day, news outlets clarified the details of the initial shutdown story: HAARP's shutdown was only temporary while administrative contracts were being reassigned.The Alaska Dispatch Alaska Dispatch News Martin quickly published a retraction, claiming one of his staff, "a writer", had fabricated the story.TheWeatherSpace.com Correction On HAARP Facility Being Bought Internet Archive cache of TheWeatherSpace.com, July 18, 2013 The following month, Martin admitted he did not know how HAARP worked, stating he was just a "weather guy".Martin confirming he had no knowledge of how HAARP works, credited at 13:42Screencap of Martin confessing to Facebookers about what HAARP is as of January 4, 2013.
===Chemtrail forecast===
Another feature of Martin's websites are their thoughtful "chemtrail forecasts" featuring more questionable maps, this time relabeled and doctored with colored blobs to show locations of "low", "moderate" and "high" concentrations of chemtrails.Chemtrail Forecast Internet Archive cache of TheWeatherSpace.com, July 23, 2013
Martin's "Chemtrail Forecast System" Facebook page flat out refused to answer questions regarding how alleged chemtrails were supposedly detected and imaged: "DO NOT ASK HOW: We keep out algorithms to the project. We provide the image and reserve the right to not publicly disclose our "core" of the project. Thanks." Chemtrail Forecast Systems archive of "ChemtrailForecasts" Facebook, July 31, 2013
Martin alleges that meteorologists know chemtrails exist but will not disclose details. He claims he's been denied work as a meteorologist because he mentioned chemtrails during job interviews (this could actually be true). Martin's view of what chemtrails are is rather changeable. In January 2008 he was sure harmful chemicals were being dispensed from containers placed in line with aircraft engines to fool observers into thinking they are ordinary jet contrails, and he knew this because he had a secret contact who gave him info about such things.Chemtrails according to Kevin Martin, by Kevin Martin, September 19, 2008 wariscrime.com "I've lost jobs and even been asked to leave an interview for meteorology positions due to me bringing chemtrails up. Meteorologists know these exist. We know they are increasing. But most meteorologists will not disclose any part of the program." A couple of months later, he was saying that there were no chemical dispensers, airline engine exhaust itself was poisoning people:
===Global warming denial===
Martin expounded on his theories that global warming didn't exist in 2009, saying, "Global warming is just another scam for the government to think they can control you".Meteorologist Kevin Martin Says Al Gore Is A Scammer, Global Warming Does Not Exist myFOXla.com, 15 Jul 2009 When tropical storm Humberto gained enough strength to be declared the first hurricane of the 2013 season by the National Hurricane Center of the NWS,Hurricane HUMBERTO Public Advisory 11 National Weather Service Martin's website announced it would not recognize Humberto as a hurricane because NOAA obviously pushed Humberto to hurricane status "to fulfill their global warming agenda".NOAA Pushes Humberto To Hurricane Status Without Proof To Fulfill Global Warming Agenda Internet archive of TheWeatherSpace.com, September 11, 2013
==Threats and conflicts==
In January 2015, Martin told San Diego, California TV station KGTV that he "won't ever be arrested" because "I do my threats in a way where it screws with their mind mentally"."I'm the victim, accused fake forecaster claims" KGTV, Jan 28, 2015 This idea isn't working out too well, though.
===Threats to storm chasers and meteorologists===
Martin is also quite infamous in legitimate storm chaser circles. In 2011, some storm chasers were dismayed to find their storm photos being used as graphic design elements on Martin's TheWeatherSpace.com.kevinmartinscwxa.blogspot.com, June 3,2011 Internet Archive of an Illinois Stormchaser who crossed Martin's path in 2011 When the storm chasers confronted him on Facebook, Martin launched a tirade of abuse that included his standard repertoire of threats and posturing:
One storm chaser recorded dozens of similar threats and abuse by Martin over a three year period.SoCalWeather.ORG Thievery Copyright Infringement — Brian and Kevin Martin Exposed as COWARDS Internet Archive of owsweatherjerks.blogspot.com In January 2014, after a spat with retired Oklahoma TV meteorologist Aaron Tuttle, Martin published an article on TheWeatherSpace.com claiming Tuttle was a child molester.Some nutty Facebook weatherman troll does not like Aaron Tuttle… TheLostOgle.com
===Threats to NOAA and NWS===
When the National Weather Service released a statement in 2011 disclaiming any association with Martin, his websites, or "official alerts", Martin posted a video on YouTube that depicted various NWS offices being blown up with explosives. Martin, seemingly unable to understand why that sort of thing might upset NWS employees and other federal authorities, posted a response on TheWeatherSpace.com explaining that "blowing up would be a metaphor type art for weeding out the competition, not an actual threat".National Weather Service confidential letter goes public, Kevin Martin responds Internet Archive cache of TheWeatherSpace.com, June 3, 2011
Martin first began soliciting donations for a "lawsuit fundraiser" to pursue what he referred to as "NOAA Vs Kevin Martin" (sic) in February 2013.NOAA Vs Kevin Martin Lawsuit Fundraiser Plea For Help Martin apparently posts regular rants at the Godlike Productions message forum, where users describe him as an "unstable person," and one storm chaser organization said that legal advisors had "urged that people not donate to Martin," saying, "it was most likely a scam to get money from unsuspecting victims."Fraudulent activity in the chaser community, Stormchasers News Half a year later, Martin claimed the National Weather Service's statement was causing him anxiety and heart problems and that he planned to sue NOAA and NWS as a whole for $20 million.Martin To File National Weather Service Lawsuit This Week Over False Terrorist Document Google's cache of TheWeatherSpace.com, retrieved May 14, 2014 Martin filed a frivolous lawsuit against the National Weather Service near the middle of September 2013 in which he named NWS official Laura K. Furgione as a defendant.Copy of Lawsuit filed by Martin against NWS Storm Chaser MoviesTheWeatherSpace.com Files Lawsuit Against National Weather Service Deputy Director Laura K. Furgione archive.today page cache of TheWeatherSpace.com In March 2014, the District Court of California found that Martin had failed to serve papers to the defendant(s) and that his accomplice, Chrissie Martin, had possibly committed perjury. They notified him that his pending civil action against Furgione would be dismissed unless he completed necessary legal requirements within 8 days.Kevin Douglas Martin v. Laura K. Furgione, et al, Case Number:EDCV 13-01648GAF(AN), Filed: March 13, 2014 In May 2014, Martin claimed he had withdrawn the action, due to "not wanting to deplete the government of it’s funds to save lives in weather".Kevin Martin Weather – Senior Meteorologist – TheWeatherSpace.com – SCWXA – SouthernCaliforniaWeatherAuthority.com archive.today page cache of TheWeatherSpace.com
===Threats to RationalWiki===
In August 2013, Kevin (and eventually his brother) tried to remove large chunks of this article and posted legal threats on its talk page.http://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Kevin_Martin&diff=1221495&oldid=1215638http://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Kevin_Martin&diff=next&oldid=1221495http://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Kevin_Martin&diff=next&oldid=1221496http://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Kevin_Martin&diff=next&oldid=1221499http://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk%3AHamilton&diff=1221505&oldid=1220433 When that failed, Martin sent the following message to RationalWiki's operations manager, Trent Toulouse:
Followed shortly after by:
Obviously, after years, he has failed to follow through on his threat.
===Threats to Facebook===
In October 2013, Martin criticized The Weather Channel and harassed a number of amateur weather enthusiasts on Facebook. A series of "pop up" Facebook pages (rapidly put up and taken down to avoid tracking)Archive.is archive of "Weather Police" Facebook page as well as a web site entitled "Weather Police"Weather Police Archive.is cache of WeatherPolice.com notified readers of a pseudo "legal code" regarding circumstances that would get one "arrested and convicted", such as "calling yourself a meteorologist when you have less than 10 years professional experience" and failing to explain "your reasoning or thoughts…in scientific detail".Weather enthusiasts' puzzled Youtube reactions to "Weather Police" here and here
The following month, Martin reported that his Facebook accounts had been suspended and that he was planning to visit Facebook's offices to "get answers", saying, "I spent too much money and too many years investing into the project and put my own life on hold in the process … for them to dictate my life is not only dangerous for them, but dangerous for me …".TheWeatherSpace Network Facebook Accounts Disabled – Emergency Plan In Progress "My main personal account and all the admin's accounts have been disabled by Facebook." He eventually threatened Facebook with legal action, saying "Facebook will be handed a lawsuit if the last of the talks do not work. We are sending everything we can over as we speak, including hate pages about me, hate sites, and libel…DONATE TO THE LAWSUIT …"Preparing To Sue Facebook In Wrongful Termination Of Business Account Internet archive of TheWeatherSpace.com, retrieved November 16, 2013
When Martin showed up at Facebook Headquarters in Menlo Park, California, in 2014, he was quickly removed from the building by local police. On a subsequent visit, he shouted accusations through a bullhorn from a public sidewalk located a safe distance from the facility.Dennis Mersereau [Gawker.com: archive.is, web.archive.org Weather Hoaxer Threatens Facebook After His Page Is Taken Down] The Vane, 7/15/2014
===Various threats to Google corporation and others===
Further examples of Kevin Martin talking tough can be found in these YouTube videos:
*Martin threatens to show up at Google and pound on a desk
*Martin threatens someone else with a lawsuit
*Martin threatens people going to VidCon
==External links==
*Anonymous phone prankster interviews Martin on his various claims and activities
*Dennis Mersereau, proprietor of Gawker's "The Vane" weather blog on Gawker.com has been following Martin's antics for several years. archive.is, web.archive.org
*CNN — mistaken identity 
==See also==
* Clairvoyance
* Dunning-Kruger effect
* Aspie supremacy
==Notes==
==References==
Category:California
Category:Chemophobes
Category:Fake news
Category:Global warming denialists
Category:Living people
Category:Pissed at us
Category:Pseudoscience promoters
Category:Scams