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Meteorologist Calmly Warns His Family of Incoming Tornado During Live Broadcast

By Margherita Cole on April 5, 2022

Balancing family and work can feel like an impossible task, but NBC forecaster Doug Kammerer was able to do both during a live TV broadcast. The Storm Team4 chief meteorologist was tasked with tracking a tornado in the D.C.-area of Maryland on Thursday night, March 31. During the recording, Kammerer realized that the storm was going to pass over his house while his children were home alone.

As you watch the video, you can see the realization set in. Kammerer zooms in on the map and has to make a decision about what to do as a parent and as a professional. Ultimately, he decides to put his family first and calls his son during the broadcast. “Kenton, you there, buddy?” Kammerer says. “Hey man, I want you to get down to the basement. We got a tornado warning. I want to make sure you and Cally get down as soon as you can.” The son—who is clearly unaware of the storm—asks if he has to go at that moment, and Kammerer repeats in a calm but serious tone that he should move to the basement with his sister.

After giving instructions, Kammerer hangs up the phone and seamlessly resumes the broadcast, adding, “I 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.” Fortunately, no one was injured due to the tornado, including the meteorologist's family. “This was a scary moment for me,” Kammerer explains. “As I was zooming in on the radar, I noticed my house is right in the path of the tornado. My kids were home alone and I knew they would not be paying attention to the warning. As I was live on air, I was debating in my head if I should call them while I was on TV and I soon realized I had to make that call. I had to protect my kids.”

Many people online have lauded Kammerer for his professional demeanor throughout the stressful situation, commenting that it was a great example of being a responsible parent.