TV News
Investigation
TV Ahead of Weather Service
Predicting Charley's Path
Hurricane Charley had been predicted to hit Tampa Bay. Two million people in low-lying
areas were evacuated in anticipation of what looked to be the worst storm to hit there in
decades.
However, at the last moment, Charley took an unexpected turn and intensified. It came
ashore near Fort Myers as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, leaving 27 people dead and
billions of dollars of damage in its wake.
The coverage was explained to us by those who directed it:
- Elliott Wiser, VP/GM of BayNews 9.
- Ed Trauschke, News Director,WESH-TV, Orlando.
- Forrest Carr, News Director of WFLA-TV, Tampa.
- Bill Berra, News Director of WFTS-TV.
- Bob Jordan, News Director, WFTV-TV, Orlando.
- John Emmert, News Director of WINK-TV.
- Lane Michaelson, Vice President/News Director of WTSP-TV, St, Petersburg.
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TV meteorologists saw it moving
Meteorologists at broadcast and cable news operations in Florida saw the change in
Hurricane Charley's track several hours before the National Hurricane Center modified its
forecast.
It was good news for Tampa/St. Pete, and bad for Fort Myers. For newspeople in the Fort
Myers market, the change was not all that much of a surprise.
Subscribers, please continue in
our online story database. Thank you.
After Charley, there was Frances.
Here's how they covered that storm.
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Subscribers Only
In Our Story Archives
 The Killer Storm:
Covering Hurricane Hugo
Newspeople had to survive, salvage their equipment as best they could, and provide the
vital weather and recovery information their audience needed. archives/8940.htm
Hurricane
Floyd:
Challenges Afterward
At one point, Hurricane Floyd was 600 miles wide. This massive storm dumped record amounts
of rain. Flooding afterwards was extensive. Crews had to be airlifted into
some areas where they met people with boats. archives/9938.htm
Hurricane
Isabel: Expanded Coverage,
Simulcasts, Call-ins, Fundraisers
When Isabel came ashore on the Outer Banks in 2003, it was only a Category 2 hurricane,
but the large storm still did extensive damage and left millions of people without power.
The storm surge pushed up nine feet of water in areas along the Atlantic and Chesapeake
Bay. Baltimore officials say some areas got the kind of surge experts predicted they'd get
in a Category 4 or 5 storm that was a direct hit.
Here is how broadcasters prepared for and recovered from Isabel.archives/0339.htm
Preparing for Gilbert:
Hurricane on the Texas Gulf Coast
Planning ahead is the key to the entire coverage. Everything from stockpiles
of extra water to secure microwave locations must be set in advance.
Gilbert was an extraordinarily powerful storm that hit in 1988.
archives/8839.htm
TV's Early Warning of Tornado Saved Many
Lives
In 1999 in Oklahoma, 43 people died and more than 1,500 homes were destroyed. The
toll would've been much higher without TV's warnings. archives/9919.htm
Earthquake of '89:
TV Provides Vital Details
It was the biggest earthquake to hit California since 1906. A double-decker freeway
collapsed upon itself. A roaring fire covered a city block. A section of the Bay
Bridge collapsed. archives/8943.htm
Emergency Preparedness: Make Sure Systems Don't Fail
Here is how broadcasters prepared for the big earthquake in San Francisco, and what
they learned when the building shook and the power went off. archives/9844.htm
Seattle Earthquake:
TV Newsrooms Were Ready
A mid-morning earthquake surprised the Seattle area. The shaking was captured on
videotape several places as photographers or fixed cameras were rolling when it began.
Station executives had planned for such an emergency, and the planning worked well.
archives/0110.htm
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