Personal Notes

August 30, 2005, 10:48 am
Posted by James Spann in General Thoughts
Rating: 5/5   Votes : 2
I was amazed at how many people send notes to me yesterday saying Katrina was a "bust". If you believe this was not a hurricane of historic proportion you are blind.

Perhaps it was the initial reports from some of the network people who reported from the French Quarter that everything was "fine" and there were "few problems". At this time 80 percent of New Orleans is underwater and water is rising in the downtown area right now. The death toll in Mississippi and Louisiana is rising, and I am afraid will go much, much higher. Bodies have been seen in floodwaters in New Orleans.

This was indeed the "big one".

After working with hardly any sleep for a few days, I got home early this morning sometime during the pre-dawn hours to find a huge tree down, just missing our house. No power.

This morning, I got up with my small 16" chain saw and started cutting down limbs and branches just trying to get to the big part of the tree. Within minutes, five neighbors were over with chain saws and the entire tree was cut up and cleaned up in 15 minutes. That was quite an encouragement after a very high fatigue level and getting the usual array of nasty e-mail messages from people who are mad about something we did or didn't do, like this:

"You people are real ***holes. I am trying to watch a football game and you idiots are taking up most of the screen on a bunch of worthless information.

99.99999 of the people are not effected by the bull*** information you keep diplaying over and over again.

I'm never going to watch abc 33/40 news again.

Thanks
Mark"

Mark is a very pitiful person. I hope you read J.B.'s post below... I saw the WKRG video late last night of the man and the two boys who had just saw their wife and mom swept out to sea. I sat down and cried like a baby. The human disaster on the Mississippi gulf coast and in New Orleans is beyond belief. I have no problems compared to these victims. None at all. And, my friend Mark has no problems as well. Too bad he is so self centered he doesn't understand that. If a football game is the Lord of his life in the midst of one of the greatest natural disasters in our nation's history, he needs our prayers.

The afternoon map discussion and blog update will be posted by 3:30 today... I am back at the station now doing radio work.


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Posted by  
on August 30, 2005, 10:58 am
James, you guys did the right thing. I live in Jasper and had no damage to my house or property. I kept pressing the refresh button on the weather blog every 15 min. Keep up the good work.

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Posted by  
on August 30, 2005, 6:27 pm
do you think football games are more in portant then peoples lifes in a hurricane or bad weather if so you need tothrow your tv out in the trash if that the way you feel about the abc 33/40weather team they do a good job on the weather. weather is more in portant then foot ball to me i a storm spotter we all work to gather in all bad weather it takes one bad apple to spoil it all you may think about this if you were in their shoes you would thank abc 33/40 for their work

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Posted by  
on August 30, 2005, 11:00 am
James, you are correct. We certainly appreciate your hours and hours of work to make sure we are aware of the weather around us.

It is such a blessing to know that you and the other guys in the "weather world" are watching our backs.

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Posted by  
on August 30, 2005, 11:03 am
I agree as well. Matt heard that interview this morning and I only caught part of it then, but I cried for 30 minutes when I saw/heard it again later on the Weather Channel. My heart just broke for him, and to think that some people are more worried about a doggone football game while others have just lost EVERYTHING -- God help this Mark and all the other Marks out there.

And Lord protect and keep those that were hurt and that are still in the path of this bad girl.

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Posted by  
on August 30, 2005, 11:10 am
James,

Mark is an idiot and his e-mail just validated that. Just as you say, loss of life and property continues to increase at this very moment. My family is safe and I am grateful. PTL!

We live in a country that values free speech and unfortunately the cost of that freedom is that we have to tolerate people like that. As has been said here before, if he doesn't like what happens on the TV, he should turn it off. Easy enough.

I appreciate 33/40's committment to keeping me informed about the weather. I appreciate the endless hours without sleep (especially JB !), the financial commitment and even the personal risk you guys endure for the viewers. Thanks for the good job!

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Posted by  
on August 30, 2005, 11:16 am
I lost power last night. No internet, I could not pick up weather radio last night. My only way of keeping up on the weather was my portable radio and my battery powered TV. Thanks to most of the Bham Tv stations that kept us informed. Waked up about 2:30AM this morning and listened to WWL 870AM till if faded out around 6AM. After hearing fron the folks in New Orleans, I feel fortunate only to have a few trees fall and loose power for 13 hours

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Posted by Kim  
on August 30, 2005, 11:29 am
James and all others at abc 33/40 please do not let people like Mark ruin it for the rest of us. We don't all feel tha way. I depend on you all to stay long coverage, I depend on your dedication, I appreciate everything that you do. This is going to sound stupid but I'm glad you all report stories from the damage site because we need these stories to be able to appreciate the fact that god spared us at this time. We need these stories to be able to get back to the neighborly compassion we all use to share. These stories keep us in place. We need to feel these peoples pain cause one day I sure hope if the time arrises people feel ours.
If a football game is more important to him then other peoples lives and sanity then by all means I hope his team LOST.


Kim

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Posted by  
on August 30, 2005, 11:40 am
James & crew thank you so much for ALL you
and the weather team does.

Now I would like to address mark, you need Jesus
in your heart & life my prayer is your view does
spill over to your children, what if you were watching football and then you see a body in the
flood waters and it's your child.
I am putting you on our prayer list at Church
and trust me WE WILL PRAY FOR YOU !


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Posted by  
on August 30, 2005, 11:41 am
What idiots like Mark don't realize is that ABC 33/40's coverage area is huge compared to other stations. What may not have been bad in the Birmingham metro area was catastrophic for others. For the people in Tuscaloosa and west, it was imperative that the stations cover what was going on. I would hope that ABC 33/40 and other stations in the area will continue to think human lives are more important than football. Besides, the football game was preseason and a blow-out!

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Posted by Elizabeth  
on August 30, 2005, 11:42 am
I too want to thank James and all the other dedicated workers at ABC 33/40 for their long-term coverage of the hurricane. I live in Tuscaloosa and appreciated all that James and the ABC crew did to give us the heads up. I touched base with all of my friends and family last night before the power went out here and they too were grateful for James' coverage of the hurricane. It was far from a "bust" of a hurricane. Football will always be there tomorrow, someone's life might not be.

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Posted by  
on August 30, 2005, 11:44 am
Doesn't spill over.

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Posted by Jason  
on August 30, 2005, 11:50 am
I am embarassed and ashamed that someone like mark even lives in alabama. It is beyond me that any human could feel like he does.

Mark you are a lower-class human than anybody I know or ever want to know.

Please feel free to move to Iraq or anywhere away from here.

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Posted by  
on August 30, 2005, 11:50 am
James,

Mark is the a**! People like him make me sick... My grandma, and other family lost everything in Pascagoula, MS. And I needed the information you were giving to know if my son was going to school today... keep up the good work.



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Posted by  
on August 30, 2005, 12:05 pm
James,
I am 21 years old and have been deathly afraid of stormy weather all of my life. Hurricane Opal put a 60 year old pecan tree right over my bed. When people ask about the weather i always say.." I don't know..I haven't heard what James said yet." I don't trust anyone other than you about the weather. You don't sugar coat things to make us all feel better, but at the same time you don't scare the crap out of us. You make me feel like one of your own family members during tornadic or otherwise dangerous weather because i know that you wouldn't tell us or not tell us anything that you wouldn't tell your own family. Please keep up the wonderful job you are doing of informing the public. I know that i am no where close to a meteorologist, but listening to you has taught me lots of things about mother nature and her patterns. As far as this Mark character is concerned...he may as well have been right in the path of the storm if he doesn't value human life.

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Posted by Tracy  
on August 30, 2005, 12:10 pm
I want to thank James and all the other meteorologists and staff that get us the news/weather in the area where it is happening whether it effects us or not because alot of times it might not be effecting us at that moment but could later. Also, someone could have family members that they are trying to find out about and it might just put a parent's or a child's mind at ease if they know what is going on whether good or bad at least they can see a little of what is going on. THANK YOU ALL!!!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!

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Posted by  
on August 30, 2005, 12:25 pm
Gee, I must have my priorities backwards again. I watched a significant amount of a NFL football game last night for the first time in years so I could see your weather and news coverage. I didn't even consider changing channel so I wouldn't have to watch the game.

People isolate themselves from human suffering because they can't handle the pain (too much empathy?), or because they have little or no empathy. In any of these cases, that person suffers in isolation from humanity. That is a reason to be compasionate to the one who isolates himself, as well as to the others suffering.

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Posted by  
on August 30, 2005, 12:29 pm
James and Crew....Don't let the turkeys get you down. There will always be those that are lost like this dude was....Thank you for personally being a warrior for Christ and a true professional in your field. And yes, all these folks need our prayers.

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Posted by Sherry  
on August 30, 2005, 12:38 pm
Don't let Mark get you down. Unfortunately there are a lot of "Mark's" in our world. You guys did a great job. I don't normally watch ABC on Monday nights, but did last night - because of the weather crew!

Don't let Mark get you down - just pray for him!

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Posted by  
on August 30, 2005, 12:48 pm
Hey James I live in Alabaster in Najo Pines and a big tree fell on the power lines and knocked the lights out for our whole street. Just got the power back I was worried last night when the wind got up. I will say this I looked at channel 13 because of the game I was a little mad besause that stupid game was on. Mark you NEED HELP MAN.

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Posted by Mary  
on August 30, 2005, 1:06 pm
I am saddened by a man that thinks football is more important than lives. Hurricane Katrina is the Hurricane Camille of today. I have family in Mobile and along Mobile Bay who are thankfully allright. I attended U South Ala in Mobile and have friends whose family is still in Biloxi, D'Iberville, New Orleans and the like and I am praying that they are all OK. Too many people today have lost the human compasion and I think our Football friend proved that.

May God bless Mark and those like him and give them patience and understanding during those times in which the needs of others is greater than their own.

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Posted by  
on August 30, 2005, 1:06 pm
James,

I just want to thank all of you at ABC 33/40 for the hard work you do. People tend to get so caught up in their lives that they can't see beyond their own so called suffering (if you can call Mark missing a football game suffering). My entire family grew up watching you on T.V. For many of us, you are who we trust and want to see when things get bad. Thank you soo much for your selflessness in these situations. You have a family too that you would like to be with. God bless all of our wheather people who sacrifice to keep us informed.

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Posted by mark  
on August 30, 2005, 1:13 pm
I'm another Mark and I certainly dont share his views. Everyone just needs to remember though, that some people are just so miserable and unhappy in their lives that there's no additional room to carry others in their hearts or heads in times of need.

I have watched and listened as much as possible over the last few days, leading up to landfall and after, watching with honest amazement at what has happened to our region. My prayers go to those who must carry on in Mississippi and in Louisiana.

I must confess I've not seen any of the footage of the family that lost the Mother. It sounds to be a heart breaking story. I have heard though, in countless call in shows on the radio, scores of displaced Mississipi and Louisiana natives frantically trying to find out about relatives, friends and if even there is anything for them to return home to.

HOME is for me Birmingham. I'm so proud of the 99.9% of all people in our community, (black, white, whatever), who have allowed their hearts to open and to share the pain of this with our neighbors.

Never forget that the next disaster is only days to weeks away. It could be here next time. When that happens, remember how much it meant to you to find someone offering a hand to help, a hammer to build, a warm meal or even a prayer for your losses.

Guys keep doing what you're doing.

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Posted by  
on August 30, 2005, 1:39 pm
Dear James, I have been tracking hurricanes for about 30 years now, since my Dad got me a Hurricane Tracking Chart form the Shell service station down the street from where we lived. Incidentely, the first one I tracked was Hurricane Betsy. I would wait for the updates that came to have the latest info on my chart. I rode out Camille in Mobile, and then Frederic several years later. I live in Jasper now, but I am still fascinated by the tremendous power contained in even a minimal, if there is such a thing, storm. Thanks for keeping me up to date with all of the latest information. John

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Posted by Mikey  
on August 30, 2005, 1:44 pm
Obviously, Mark is one of those sports fanatics (and there are quite a few) who sit around all weekend and weeknights watching sports because they have no other interests. Sad, really...

Besides, he needs to get the sports package with DirecTV and then he could watch football until his eyes pop out.

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Posted by  
on August 30, 2005, 1:49 pm
Actually, last night my husband was asking me why they even bothered to air the football game rather than the weather information. I told to just wait, someone was going to complain that his precious football was interrupted. Mark *is* pitiful, and I am glad this was so eloquently pointed out. I am sure his presence on ABC 33/40 will not be missed.

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Posted by  
on August 30, 2005, 1:50 pm
James, you and I both attend Hunter Street Baptist Church together. I consider you first a brother in Christ and second, a trusted weatherman who a lot of people depend on to give them the most up-to-date and continuous information on the weather. I do not hesitate to turn onto 3340 when I want and need this valuable information. I know you and your weather team are working around the clock to make sure we are totally informed as to every aspect of the weather.

Keep up the good work.

David

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Posted by  
on August 30, 2005, 1:54 pm
wow. amazing. i haven't had power until now, down since yesterday evening. i have just come in from a day of removing tree limbs, helping my neighbor who had a tree down on our fence, and taking a newborn squirell that fell out of his nest in the high winds we had last night over to oak mountain wildlife rehab. this is the first thing i have looked at, i am truly SHOCKED at how awful some people behave. there is no excuse.

james, i hope you (and your team) get some sleep tonight. you and all of your team did a fab job atkeeping us informed, and i will always be grateful to you. there is no other weather team that comes even close to being as wonderful as you all are. keep your chin up - and remember, one bad apple isn't going to spoil the whole bunch. no i am going to read the rest of what i missed on this wonderful blog!!

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Posted by Abe  
on August 30, 2005, 2:11 pm
I am in homewood and i dont have power in the Russet Wood area in hoover. I havnt had it since 11 last night and the company said it would be back on tonight around 12. Thanks to Abc 3340 for keeping us safe and posted and a well done job. Mark chracter has no heart.

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Posted by  
on August 30, 2005, 2:23 pm
James, I am a police officer who had to work last night. Believe me any one who said this was a "bust" obviously was inside their dry house last night. I don't think I've ever been as wet as I was this morning when I came home after cutting what must have been the billionth tree out the of the road.

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Posted by  
on August 30, 2005, 2:30 pm
i think we also need to thank our fellow police officers, firefighters, rescue teams, hospital staff, alabama power, volunteer storm spotters and the many other personel and volunteers who were out in this awful weather we had yesterday and all the other days to come. you guys together are wonderful. thanks for all you do!

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Posted by Teresa  
on August 30, 2005, 2:55 pm
I was watching abc3340 when James Spann was in that little box trying to describe the weather and letting the football go on in another box on the screen and I was thinking how could anybody be watching football in a time like this, I am a big football fan and watch it every time it comes on tv but not when at any moment a tornado could drop from the sky or at any moment my family could be in a direct line of winds that could take them away from me I lost power around 9:30 and as I was sitting there in the dark listening to the wind and I was chattering my teeth so hard because my whole insides were shaking from being so scared because I could not get James Spann on TV or hear his voice on the radio, I lived through April's Fury back in 1998 and I just knew at any moment that the winds was going to rip my roof off and just destroy my family, so with that in mind James Spann I really depend on you to give me the weather information because in my opinion you saved my life April 1998 because of your seroiusness of the tornadic situations that night and I was very scared without the 3340 team last night, so to you upset about the preseason sweep just think about this it could have been you that lost your life or your families life!!

May God Bless everybody in need!!!

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Posted by Craig  
on August 30, 2005, 2:51 pm
ABC 33/40 weather team,

I'm a recent Texas transplant, originally from Hueytown, AL. I spent my first 26 years there. During the storm, I got almost all of my info. from the 33/40 website and would have been glued to the tube if I had been home. I live in the DFW area now, and 33/40 has the best weather coverage anywhere, even better than here in one of the nation's largest markets. When a tragedy is unfolding like Katrina, we should never jump the gun to put any of our own wishes ahead of those actually in harm's way. I thank God for the ABC 33/40 team and their "chief," James Spann. Besides, who cares about NFL preseason games anyway? Blessings!!

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Posted by Tara  
on August 30, 2005, 3:02 pm
James, thanks so much for all invaluable information you've provided. My uncle is currently stuck in New Orleans. Initially he thought he was safe because the downtown area was intact after the storm, now he is trapped in a hotel in the French Quarter. His only updates are cell phone calls relaying the info you guys have provided about how deadly this storm really was. My heart and prayers are with all of those suffering right now, and as a FL resident who suffered through two hurricanes last year, I realize just how grave things are for many. Please don't stop trying to inform the public. Mark is a callous fool, and he can only speak from his own limited view point.

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Posted by   www
on August 30, 2005, 3:06 pm
What a joke. James I'm sorry you got an email from a total idiot. I guess preseason football games are more important than life. James your profession is a d*mned if you d*mned if you dont attitude. If you wasnt on t.v. and Mark's house was destroyed he would have been ticked off big time because you wasnt on t.v. telling him to run. Most of these people have NEVER seen devastation first hand. Being an ex powerlineman and still in the utility industry I have been the one getting drilled by a mad homeowner because I just worked a 140 hour work week and cant move fast enough, or been griped at because I miss my family on important holidays, etc. I have great respect for what you do and your passion for it. I'm glad you are thick skinned because I listen to these talk radio stations and hear them grill you, it's B.S. to me. They would be the first ones whining when their family is dead because they had no warning. I've been in sub divisions where the homeowners wasnt allowed back in yet and then seen the family crying over what is not there anymore. It's nothing to joke about. Just think of the deaths that would have happend if nobody was warned. It would have made 9/11 look like it was nothing. But I guess most people dont care about other lives unless it affects them directly. Just keep doin what you are doin James, there are many of us that respect and watch you constantly. My life and job is directly affected by your forecasts. Keep up the good work James and the whole weather dept. at 33/40! If anyone would like to discuss this further they can email me anytime. Maybe I could open your eyes to the affects of weather and/or the powerlineman/utility trade. Neither of us get any respect.

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Posted by Kim  
on August 30, 2005, 3:22 pm
James-You and your team are SO valuable to us...Mark is a sad person who really does need to find the Lord. I would feel lost if you were not on my television! Thank-you for caring enough about us to stay on the air and keep us informed. We love you guys! You risk your life for us! How selfless is that?

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Posted by Paul  
on August 30, 2005, 3:25 pm
I have to be the lone voice agreeing with Mark. Now, before you all flame me to death, hear me out:

If not watching a football game would have saved those people in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast, obviously, the football game is unimportant.

Sadly, though, what happened to the people south of us happened, and we can't do anything to bring back the ones who were lost. I was deeply saddened by their stories of personal tragedy.

At the same time, by 8:00 yesterday evening, I was quite sick of watching weather coverage. A person can only watch so much before he goes out of his mind, and there was hardly any new information being provided.

If I wanted Hurricane Katrina coverage, I could have switched to NBC13, CBS42, FOX6, CNN, The Weather Channel, MSNBC, Fox News, Headline News, etc. You get the idea -- there was no shortage of weather coverage on TV last night, to say nothing of the multitude of Internet sites covering the storm.

Yet, there was only one TV station showing a live NFL game last night. I think James Spann and his team should have taken a well-earned break for three hours during the game, with an update at halftime, and let the national ABC feed show the football game.

This doesn't mean I'm a jerk, or that I wanted the people in New Orleans to suffer. Of course I didn't. I just simply wanted to watch a game last night.

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Posted by Teresa  
on August 30, 2005, 3:33 pm
Last night around 8:00 Shelby County was getting hit pretty hard James Spann was not covering New Orleans he was covering Alabama and he wasn't on there as much as I wanted him to be because the weather was pretty ruff where I was we had special weather statements twice last night and the second time I lost power and trees were coming down so how can you sit there and say he was covering New Orleans it wasn't New Orleans it was Alabama and if you have cable you could have changed the channel. AMEN!!!

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Posted by WW  
on August 30, 2005, 4:36 pm
I, for one, will NEVER EVER forget the interview with the Gentleman who lost his wife... EVER.

As for Mark, unfortunately, far too many people in the state of Alabama elevate a child's game to much too high a level. Need I point out that the game last night was a mere pre-season game. While I would like to say its a small segment, I fear that its a much larger portion of our population. God forbid if an Alabama or Auburn game was impacted....

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Posted by jeff  
on August 30, 2005, 7:48 pm
Paul,
I will pray for you also my friend. You definetely need to get your prioirities in order. I love sports as much as the next person, but I was much more interested in the Hurricane than I was any football game. I think 33/40 did a wonderful job and hope they continue to do a wonderful job in severe weather even if it means interrupting an Alabama/Auburn game, the world series or the super bowl.

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Posted by AC  
on August 30, 2005, 8:14 pm
I wonder what the people of New Orleans and Mississippi would think of that comment today?? I live in Cullman Cty. and we just received power back a little bit ago....I cannot believe what I am seeing on TV. We lost power just after 9, and I slept on the couch for several hours, hoping the power would come back on and I could see what was going on. My small inconvenience today that required me to sit down and play with my kids more and read with my kids more was a true blessing. There are families tonight that don't have food to eat, water to drink, or even houses to live in.

James and crew, you take time away from your loved ones to give us the information that we need to keep our loved ones safe. My husband is a football fan, but he like the spilt screen and the updates that were on last night until we lost power. Thank you for all that you do...33/40 is the only one we turn to in times of inclement weather.

AC

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Posted by  
on August 31, 2005, 5:07 pm
I think Spann's predictions of Katrina's wind impact on Central Alabama were a little underestimated. I thought she would be a Dennis (at the worst) in Central Alabama.

The moment that eye wall piece was heading into Central Alabama, I would have gone to longform coverage.

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