From The Mailbag...

September 25, 2006, 4:36 pm

Posted by James Spann in General Thoughts
Rating: 2/5 Votes : 1

From the mailbag...

You never know what to expect in the ole e-mail inbox after a severe weather event. Here is one from Friday night, while Blount County was under a tornado warning, from someone named Niki:

�I just wanted to let you know... that your weather coverage stinks. How many times do you have to say the same dang thing over and freaking over. Ya have been on TV the entire afternoon. I understand your policy or whatever you wanna call it. I think it sad and pathetic how much ya keep talking about freaking high school football. If you are so worried about this tornado then WHY must you worry about HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.... almost makes me embarassed to even live in this area where high school football take priority over a storm. While I miss Grey's anatomy you are sure to point out that you will be through for friday night freaking blitz are you serious!?!?!?!?! Get to the freaking point I MEAN HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO some people do not understand what you are saying you are talking a science people do not understand. Just tell them to get in a safe place and tell them where to go.. you do not have to explain TORNADOS in this much freaking detail. Can't you come up with another way to do this. I HATE LOCAL CABLE and I am so sick of looking at your bald weather man talk about the same thing over and over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GET OFF MY TV�

But, not everyone hates us.... this note came in from a viewer named Kerry:

�I am a first grade teacher, and I have been watching you for many years now. I just wanted to thank you for the love and concern that you have for children. I listened to your words just a few minutes ago as a tornado was passing in the Cullman area. I could feel the concern in your voice as you were giving instructions to children that might be at home alone. God has truly blessed you with the wonderful gift of forecasting His amazing weather.�

Hey, gotta love e-mail. Like Forest Gump's box of chocolates... you never know what you're going to get! Our policy remains unchanged; any county that goes under a tornado warning in our DMA will put us in long form coverage. With most folks getting over 300 channels now thanks to cable and satellite, we figure the weather coverage haters can find something else to watch. Ratings continue to show a huge audience for emergency weather coverage, and we take our responsibility very seriously....

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Posted by Anna
on September 25, 2006, 5:08 pm

I for one was grateful as my husband and his carpool were on the interstate around Blount County and pulled off after I called and he SAW two tornadoes......guess having the choice to change the channel doesn't occur to some. Oh well...can't please them all!

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Posted by www
on September 25, 2006, 5:21 pm

Was wondering if about the hate mail. you guys amaze me when you do wall to wall. I learn so much. Thanks for keeping up safe, and for being a wonderful teacher!!

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Posted by www
on September 25, 2006, 5:56 pm

James,

I hope you are keeping the E-mail, one day you could get rich writing a book, unless you are like JB and keep putting it off for ever! :0

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Posted by John T.
on September 25, 2006, 6:41 pm

James I'll say it for you . There are way to many IDIOTS that just don't have a brain , or the good common since that GOD game us . " Niki , you are pathetic ! Get a heart and learn how to use it .

Yes , of course , I had to chime in . A life threatening situation and some "nut" is worried about regular programming . Your time could be coming ..

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Posted by Don
on September 25, 2006, 6:43 pm

poor girl, she must have nothing better to do. keep up the good work abc 3340.

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Posted by
on September 25, 2006, 7:38 pm

I don't agree with the hate mail. I was listening to WKLD out of Oneonta, and they were appearing to focus on the Oneonta game or some other Blount County game.

Be thankful that it was Oneonta at Corner, not Corner at Oneonta. What high school stadiums should have is someone watching 33/40 or having a radar program on a laptop with a cell card

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Posted by
on September 25, 2006, 7:57 pm

All I can say is the whole group at 3340 probably saved a lot of peoples lives Friday night just because of the wall to wall coverage. Yall are doing an great job teaching us and also keeping people safe! God Bless everyone one of you in the weather office!!!!! KUDOS TO YALL!!!!!!!!!!

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Posted by
on September 25, 2006, 8:13 pm

James and 33/40 Weather crew--you guys do a FANTASTIC job covering weather every single time something "pops up". A few months ago, there was a bad storm about to hit Trussville and if it were not for the stress in your voice, my family would not have gone to our place of safety. We only lost a tree in the front yard, but we were safe thanks to you guys. Kerri, from Blountsville, needs to understand that everybody at ABC 33/40 has put in 100% to cover severe weather. And if all you guys are at the station, she needs to understand that you are away from your families during severe weather. ABC 33/40 does everything possible to keep everyone safe. And as I recall last Friday, the 33/40 crew actually spotted the wall cloud forming before the National Weather Service ever issued a warning--all of you were great!! And I would not watch another station at all during bad weather!!!!!!!! And God Bless!

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Posted by
on September 25, 2006, 10:12 pm

The hate mail is always laughable, and I'm glad that the wall-to-wall coverage policy isn't shaken by it a bit.

Grey's Anatomy = a good show.

But...come on.

Severe weather is threatening to life and property. Grey's Anatomy is fiction. It always sickens me when someone's sitting comfortably on their couch watching TV and griping about the program interrupting while, elsewhere, someone's life/property is in danger from a storm and in need of the very information people like Niki gripe about. Can people get any more callous?

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Posted by John T.
on September 25, 2006, 10:54 pm

Kevin , perfectly said in all ways .

Can already tell that the fall & winter season is going to be fun with all the "haters" and their poetic writings . LOL ( come on folks , some just need to go ahead and start looking in the mirror )

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Posted by www
on September 25, 2006, 11:02 pm

James you guys do a great job and I am glad you guys don't let the emails get to you and can kind of laugh it off. Keep up the good work and I don't understand I love the blitz???? What is her problem

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Posted by
on September 25, 2006, 11:05 pm

Sooner or later the long form coverage haters will change their tune. That moment will come when they look out of their window one afternoon, see a tornado heading towards them, and find themselves wishing they hadn't changed the channel.

With severe weather, it's not a matter of if you will be impacted by it, it's a matter of when.

While e-mail warnings and weather radio are great tools, I honestly think that weather-related deaths would be much, much higher if local media stopped providing long form severe weather coverage.

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Posted by Bill
on September 26, 2006, 6:40 am

You can tell by reading Niki's e-mail that she really does need to listen to James. Maybe she will learn something. From looking at her message, she could use a little education.

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Posted by
on September 26, 2006, 6:55 am

Well, I wholeheartly agree with her, long range weather coverage is just unnecessary... LOL JUST KIDDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Posted by
on September 26, 2006, 7:45 am

After re-reading Niki's comments, I think her problem was that instead of airing Grey's Anatomy after the 10pm news, they were going to air the Friday Night Blitz. News for you: www.tvshowsondvd.com

I was watching 33/40's coverage, and I had a laptop with the live radar on it. I could tell that storm in Blount County was producing a tornado. My first thought was "Hope Oneonta's not playing at home tonight."

If you have a friend who's a coach, or cheerleading sponsor, maybe this event, should prompt you to ask them what their severe weather plan is. I certainly plan to do so.

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Posted by
on September 26, 2006, 9:01 am

Another tip for the Grey's Anatomy fan who hates long-form coverage...iTunes. I watched last week's episode that way. Best of both worlds if you ask me.

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Posted by Jamey
on September 26, 2006, 9:24 am

Thanks for the wall-to-wall coverage ... I need to know where the storm is even if it isn't over me. I have other family memebers and friends in other locations in Alabama; I need to know about them too. Please, keep doing what your doing ... I can't wait for the class for skywatchers.

Thanks again for the great job your doing !!!
Jamey

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Posted by
on September 26, 2006, 9:55 am

I had just got to my home in Indian Springs when my cell phone received a text message from ABC 33/40's E-warn for a Tornado Warning. I knew the weather was bad but I didn't know it was that bad. I immediately turned on the TV to see James in front of a great SkyCam shot of the storm. Even though the storm was already past my location, it was comforting to know the great people at 33/40 where there to warn us. Thanks 33/40.

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Posted by
on September 26, 2006, 11:25 am

Geez!! Well, I hope a tornado never KILLS this idiot's 8 year old child or puts him through a wall and PARALYZES him at age 30, permanently changing life as he knows it like it did my husband the night of April 8, 1998.

James and team -- please always continue doing exactly what you are doing exactly like you've been doing. If this guy doesn't want to see your little bald head, he can change the channel or MOVE ELSEWHERE!! I, for one, am ashamed that he lives in our area.

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Posted by
on September 26, 2006, 3:50 pm

If that HATER woulda watched Grey's Anatomy on THURSDAY instead of FRIDAY then she would've been able to see it on it's regular night!! Some people are just so darn ignorant!! God Bless you guys for all your hard work in keeping all of us safe!!

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Posted by
on September 26, 2006, 11:32 pm

.....Once upon a time, I was pretty young, and convinced of my immortality. I was plenty OUTRAGED when they (the tv stations) interrupted Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, or Star Trek for pesky storm alerts. When finickey Alabama Power shut down in fear of the breeze, I loved to run outside and feel the wind, and enjoy the lightning during these events. I suspect that Niki is similarly ticked.

.....I've done a lot of stupid weather stuff, including dancing around on the roof of the Parliament House at midnight, during a tornado warning in 1989, while attending Constellation. Mmm. Crazy winds! Someone up there was looking out for me. At least I wasn't driving...

.....As an adult, I've used Mr. Spann and his profession's descendents as a guide to keep my family and myself safe. Thanks. To me, these guys are as good a public servant as has ever existed! Keep it up! We selfish viewers have tons of outlets, synopses, and sources to keep up with our fiction after the storm is over!

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Posted by
on October 10, 2006, 11:23 pm