Narrative:

I am a cpc; in the west area; and I was training a developmental D side on sector 11 at ZZZ. WX started building at XA00 when I started my shift on the panhandle of florida. Military airspace in the gulf went active around XC00 and impacted the flight path of air carrier's rtes to the north and west from florida. Staffing was low and I was told we might not be able to train due to not having enough staffing. An A320 flight was at FL340 trying to penetrate the line of thunderstorms that stretched from the middle of the gulf to west of the tallahassee area. The airplane took off from mco and had to go northwest to the hevvn intersection and then due wbound to try to fit through a hole in the thunderstorm line south of vps. I told my front line manager about the WX. The thunderstorm was building and the hole where the planes were flying through was filling in with WX; it was reported by multiple aircraft. I told him that our tmu should make the airplanes go to the northeast around the line until they turned to the west. We had warning areas active south of the line of thunderstorms so that way was not an option. He called our tmu and the tmu supervisor came to the area and said; 'let's see how these airplanes go through the WX; and see how it goes from there.' he also said that more active airspace (florida a) was going to go active over pam airspace FL240-FL280. Our radar team looked at each other with disbelief. It was the only airspace we had that didn't have a thunderstorm in it. The A320 flew wbound looking for a hole in the WX at FL340. At vps; the track of the airplane was about 270 degree heading. It approached the line and turned right to a 030 degree heading looking for a way through the line and then reversed course. Luckily; we didn't have another airplane at FL340 in trail because it was such a rapid turn to the northeast. We are constantly working aircraft in thunderstorms with no help from tmu or management to keep the airplanes clear of WX. The WX builds; grows; and moves almost the same way every day. It always seems it is a surprise for our management team and there is never a plan how we are going to move the airplanes in a safe manner. Not having enough staffing for the area and with no help from management; it is a very long and tiring day of working airplanes. Something needs to change or some people will die.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZJX CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING LACK OF TFC MGMNT INITIATIVES DURING HVY WX DEV EVENTS; LISTING STAFFING/AIRSPACE CONCERNS AS CAUSAL.

Narrative: I AM A CPC; IN THE W AREA; AND I WAS TRAINING A DEVELOPMENTAL D SIDE ON SECTOR 11 AT ZZZ. WX STARTED BUILDING AT XA00 WHEN I STARTED MY SHIFT ON THE PANHANDLE OF FLORIDA. MIL AIRSPACE IN THE GULF WENT ACTIVE AROUND XC00 AND IMPACTED THE FLT PATH OF ACR'S RTES TO THE N AND W FROM FLORIDA. STAFFING WAS LOW AND I WAS TOLD WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO TRAIN DUE TO NOT HAVING ENOUGH STAFFING. AN A320 FLT WAS AT FL340 TRYING TO PENETRATE THE LINE OF TSTMS THAT STRETCHED FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE GULF TO W OF THE TALLAHASSEE AREA. THE AIRPLANE TOOK OFF FROM MCO AND HAD TO GO NW TO THE HEVVN INTXN AND THEN DUE WBOUND TO TRY TO FIT THROUGH A HOLE IN THE TSTM LINE S OF VPS. I TOLD MY FRONT LINE MGR ABOUT THE WX. THE TSTM WAS BUILDING AND THE HOLE WHERE THE PLANES WERE FLYING THROUGH WAS FILLING IN WITH WX; IT WAS RPTED BY MULTIPLE ACFT. I TOLD HIM THAT OUR TMU SHOULD MAKE THE AIRPLANES GO TO THE NE AROUND THE LINE UNTIL THEY TURNED TO THE W. WE HAD WARNING AREAS ACTIVE S OF THE LINE OF TSTMS SO THAT WAY WAS NOT AN OPTION. HE CALLED OUR TMU AND THE TMU SUPVR CAME TO THE AREA AND SAID; 'LET'S SEE HOW THESE AIRPLANES GO THROUGH THE WX; AND SEE HOW IT GOES FROM THERE.' HE ALSO SAID THAT MORE ACTIVE AIRSPACE (FLORIDA A) WAS GOING TO GO ACTIVE OVER PAM AIRSPACE FL240-FL280. OUR RADAR TEAM LOOKED AT EACH OTHER WITH DISBELIEF. IT WAS THE ONLY AIRSPACE WE HAD THAT DIDN'T HAVE A TSTM IN IT. THE A320 FLEW WBOUND LOOKING FOR A HOLE IN THE WX AT FL340. AT VPS; THE TRACK OF THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 270 DEG HDG. IT APCHED THE LINE AND TURNED R TO A 030 DEG HDG LOOKING FOR A WAY THROUGH THE LINE AND THEN REVERSED COURSE. LUCKILY; WE DIDN'T HAVE ANOTHER AIRPLANE AT FL340 IN TRAIL BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH A RAPID TURN TO THE NE. WE ARE CONSTANTLY WORKING ACFT IN TSTMS WITH NO HELP FROM TMU OR MGMNT TO KEEP THE AIRPLANES CLR OF WX. THE WX BUILDS; GROWS; AND MOVES ALMOST THE SAME WAY EVERY DAY. IT ALWAYS SEEMS IT IS A SURPRISE FOR OUR MGMNT TEAM AND THERE IS NEVER A PLAN HOW WE ARE GOING TO MOVE THE AIRPLANES IN A SAFE MANNER. NOT HAVING ENOUGH STAFFING FOR THE AREA AND WITH NO HELP FROM MGMNT; IT IS A VERY LONG AND TIRING DAY OF WORKING AIRPLANES. SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE OR SOME PEOPLE WILL DIE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.