A US weather reporter has stopped his evening broadcast to phone his children after realising the family home was in the path of a coming tornado.
Last Thursday night, NBC Washington’s Doug Kammerer was reporting live when he became aware that the tornado was bearing down on the family home in the Washington DC area.
As Kammerer zoomed in on the map to show viewers where the tornado would strike, he dialled his son’s phone.
Fortunately his son answered the call and Kammerer told him to “get down in the basement… as soon as you can”.
Turning his attention back to the camera after hanging up, Kammerer said: “Gotta warn my kids, because I know what my kids are doing right now, they’re probably online gaming and they’re not seeing this.
“So we have a tornado warning, hopefully they saw it on their phones. Many of us got it on our phones,” he said.
It was later revealed that the tornado warning had been a false alarm.
Watch the action below:
#Working4You When a tornado warning sounded last night, Storm Team4 Chief Meteorologist @dougkammerer was working to keep you informed and safe — just like his own family. https://t.co/1iV3XQHB0q pic.twitter.com/xZZrDOWCC6
— NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington) April 1, 2022
Viewers declared Kammerer’s actions a “masterclass” in live TV broadcasting.
“A good weatherman… a good father showing us all how to keep calm and do both his jobs at the same time,” one person tweeted.
Kammerer later took to social media to explain his on-air response.
“Yes, had to warn my family! Kids were home alone and I knew they were not watching me on TV! They are safe. Thank you! Scary moment for me though, I was freaking out inside a bit.”
