Keeping with the weather guys theme here, another article in the Sun-Sentinel this one interviewing the men themselves and letting them talk about trust, remaining calm among other things
Sunsentinel.com
Honesty their best policy
Honesty their best policy
By Kathleen Kernicky
Staff Writer
Posted October 2 2004
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The West Coast has earthquakes. The Midwest has tornadoes. Florida has hurricanes, one of the few natural disasters that come with advance warning.
That’s both a blessing and a burden for meteorologists. The preparation and safety of millions of residents weigh heavily on their shoulders, especially during a season marked by four hurricane strikes.
“These are stressful times for people and they’re making decisions that are based on what they’re hearing from these handful of people,” says Bryan Norcross, director of meteorology at WFOR-Ch.4. “I take that very seriously and I think the other folks do, too.”
Bill Kamal, chief meteorologist at WSVN-Ch. 7, joined the station after working in Washington, D.C., and other cities.
“There aren’t many cities where people’s lives are on the line,” Kamal says. ” In my mind, I become the parent for basically 4.5 million people. I want them to look to me for advice when it’s a life-threatening situation.”
Before and during a storm, the meteorologist’s words, tone and demeanor can make a pivotal difference. And when a storm directly hits, they become the voice and the lifeline for frightened residents.
“I am aware that the words that I choose to use, how I use them, what emphasis I have, may make a tremendous difference,” says Don Noe, chief meteorologist at WPLG-Ch. 10. “People hear things differently …Nerves are frazzled.”
Noe, among others, was praised by readers for his calm, reassuring approach.
“Having lived down here for 25 years and been through several hurricanes and having a personal experience with Hurricane Andrew, I don’t feel as if a hurricane needs to be sensationalized or hyped. They are what they are. What I try to do is tell people, `This is the situation.’ It may well be a better scenario. And usually it turns out that way. I always temper that with, `You can’t just ignore this. This is a real and present danger.'”
South Florida meteorologists say they never lose sight of knowing viewers’ safety may rest in their hands.
“My goal is to do whatever it takes to help people,” says Roland Steadham, chief meteorologist at WTVJ-Ch. 6. “I feel the burden and the weight of people wanting to know what’s going to happen. Sometimes the information is good, sometimes it’s bad. I’m always going to be honest.”
Viewers often take their cue from who they’re watching.
“When I start to worry, they start to worry. And I don’t worry unless I have to,” says John Morales, chief meteorologist at Telemundo 51. Morales, who also worked at the National Weather Service, was one of the first Spanish-language broadcast meteorologists in South Florida when he arrived in 1991.
A year later, Hurricane Andrew struck Miami-Dade. He became a beacon for thousands of residents who spoke only Spanish.
“Down in Homestead, where Andrew struck, imagine all the migrant workers there who don’t speak English. They relied on us,” says Morales. “I always show the National Hurricane Center forecast. But I also give my professional opinion as to where inside the cone this thing is going to go. That adds a little more stress to the matter.”
The closer and harder a hurricane strikes, the deeper the connection. Just ask Norcross, who remains a hero to many South Floridians 12 years after Andrew.
“It became apparent as I met people who went through Andrew, that this was going to be one of the memorable events of their lives,” Norcross says. “When people are terrified and listening to the radio in the darkness, they tend to identify with that voice they’re hearing.”
Today, “I know now how little I knew then,” says Norcross, who says Andrew set a new course for hurricane preparation in South Florida. “We know so much more about hurricanes now and how they affect us. How they affect families. How they affect structures. Every aspect of the problem is much better known now than then.”
But, “the problems are bigger now. There are more people in the city, more people in high-rises along the coast. … The lesson in all of this for individuals and the community at large, is to make a plan and to make hurricane season as unstressful as possible.”
Noe says the coverage of four hurricanes in six weeks has made people better informed.
“People are very much aware now of what hurricanes can do and the basic science of meteorology,” says Noe, who was averaging 50 to 60 emails per day during the storms. “They’re saying, `I know more about hurricanes now and I understand what you’re talking about.’ And they’re asking questions, `Can you further explain that?’ I think that’s marvelous, particularly for newcomers who weren’t here for Andrew.”
While meteorologists study the science of hurricanes, no one wants to see one hit.
When Hurricane Jeanne came ashore near Stuart, the same spot as Frances, “I was gesticulating with my hands, saying, `I just can’t believe this,'” Morales says. “We will not likely see anything like this again in our lifetime, in terms of four storms hitting within a six-week period. There’s been nothing like this in modern history.”
Steadham says he started to worry last May, the fourth driest on record, an ominous sign of high pressure formation. He repeats a weather adage: May is dry, then we cry.
“As a meteorologist, you have to sit and watch with wonder and amazement. By the same token, I hate what hurricanes do.”
Says Kamal: “The reason I got into the business is that I have this complete respect for nature. I’m awestruck by the power. But, no, I don’t love this. Because my life is on the line, too. Being a scientist and appreciating the physical process, there is a sense of dread there.
“I don’t want to be the captain on the Titanic.”
