Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 5
Distraction
ATC Issue All Types; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert
ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings
Major thunderstorms with tornado warnings and high winds with wind shear again come through Houston; Texas; with major airlines landing and taking off from HOU.  Tower crew is having to listen to the ASOS on the telephone; distracting the controllers from their jobs because the wind indicators are down still. Low level wind shear and wind shifts accompany the extreme weather over the weekend and the wind indicators are still down. Fix the wind indicators and have a better system in place; and why isn't there someone working on this issue over the weekend until it's fixed.  This is a safety of flight issue.
A Houston Controller reports of having to listen to the ASOS on the telephone because the wind indicators are out of service. The Controller reports this is a distraction. There was severe weather in the area.