This weatherman became a hero for his calm, collected, and educational overview of the hurricanes about to hit.
With Hurricane Irma striking Florida right after Hurricane Harvey caused severe damage to Houston, it is safe to say that the entire country is on edge.
Media outlets have been sensationalizing everything that’s happening involving these hurricanes and what they mean for the United States. In that realm of fear, meteorologist Alan Sealls appeared as the voice of calm everyone needed.
On Wednesday, Sept. 6, a few days before Irma made landfall in Florida, Sealls reported on the weather as usual, but this evening’s report went viral.
Viewers loved this Mobile, Alabama, meteorologist’s calm demeanor and way of explaining the hurricanes in terms we can understand, without bringing about excessive fear.
Throughout the entire video, he is straightforward about the information, starting off by describing Hurricane Irma as a:
“Category 5 storm that has moved across the extreme northern islands of the Caribbean, now about to pass north of Puerto Rico.”
Sealls explained exactly what all of the satellite imagery means, pointing out the red circle by the middle:
“That’s the eye wall. That’s where you find the winds of 185 mph, but notice it has a second eye wall where you still will find intense winds likely over 100 miles an hour. In between not quite as windy. But there are other bands not quite as strong but still, it’s those bands of a hurricane where you find the most intense winds.”
At this point, it is easy to wonder why Sealls went viral; after all, don’t all meteorologists explain what the satellite imagery of Hurricane Irma means?
The difference is Sealls’ thorough yet simple approach of explaining each different meteorological model of what Hurricane Irma was doing. He even let viewers know that:
“The models don’t control the weather. It’s the attempt to keep up with what’s going on, calculate it, and regenerate another projection. So all these [the models] may change bit by bit, but the majority of them take a turn when it gets close to south Florida.”
It’s a good thing Sealls prepared us with information about the projection, given the changes to Irma’s projected path and how it went up the other side of the peninsula, surprising homeowners. Sealls made it clear that:
“The storm itself has not really changed what it’s doing. What has changed is our day to day assessment and projection. So whatever this says, doesn’t control the storm. […] Just keep in mind, this can change. It will change a bit. Wherever you are, if you’re in that cone, you have got to have a plan right now.”
After describing Hurricane Irma, Sealls continued to talk about Hurricanes Jose and Katia. Viewers in the areas impacted by Irma and around the country appreciated Sealls’ informative explanations that didn’t incite panic or take advantage of people’s fears.
Alan Sealls became so popular that he ended up setting up a Reddit AMA to talk to fans.
The AMA on Reddit, on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 2 p.m. CST was on /r/iama and came at the request of fans. Reddit moderators and the Washington Post helped Sealls set it up and it was exactly what fans were looking for.
After all, many had already begun referring to Sealls as the “Best Weatherman Ever.” So many gave Sealls this title, in fact, that the station, WKRG, gave him a physical trophy bearing that phrase, complete with an exclamation point. Clearly, he deserves the position of chief meteorologist.
Sealls has continued to post his meteorological reports of the hurricanes on his official Facebook page, so you can follow the storm’s progression with ease.
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