The news never stops, and neither does being a parent. NBC4 Washington chief meteorologist Doug Kammerer had a scary moment on the air last week, when he realized that the tornado he was tracking on the radar was headed straight for his house. His reaction has gone viral, as he did what any good parent would do and prioritized his children — without missing a beat on his weather report.
In the video, Doug Kammerer appeared to be texting on his phone or dialing as he zoomed in on the weather map to show the names of the streets being threatened by a tornado. After noting that “this is gonna go right over my house,” he got on the phone with his son to tell him and his sister to head to the basement immediately. Check out the viral moment 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/xZZrDOWCC6April 1, 2022
Talk about juggling work life and home life! I’m sure his blood ran cold when he saw that his neighborhood was in the tornado’s path, and he didn’t hesitate to get on the phone with his kids during the live broadcast. You could hear the urgency in Doug Kammerer’s voice but also that he was trying to stay as calm as possible.
An unintentional benefit to the meteorologist’s quick thinking was that his warning didn’t just serve his own children. He really was instructing anyone in the tornado’s path on what to do: Get in the basement and stay there for 10 to 15 minutes. He also used the opportunity to remind viewers that just because they saw the tornado warnings on their TV or phone, that didn’t mean everybody did — especially kids who may have been otherwise distracted, as Doug said he knew his kids were:
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.
It’s easy to see why this clip went viral: Doug Kammerer’s quick actions and the flawless way he was able to dispense life-saving information while prioritizing the safety of his own children was really a beautiful thing to see. He responded to some of the Twitter comments as the video started to make the rounds and confirmed that despite his fairly calm exterior, he was “freaking out”:
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.
The kids’ mom was also not home when the storm hit, which Doug Kammerer confirmed in another post. So while it would be scary enough to see that a tornado was headed toward your house, for that to happen while the kids were home alone has got to be the worst feeling. Lots of people commended the meteorologist on social media for the way he handled the situation, and for maintaining his composure:
That was seriously impressive. You did an amazing job keeping calm in the moment, while also taking care of your loved ones and your audience. Awesome.
His ability to multitask and prioritize his family was also brought up by a number of commenters:
Excellent, excellent multi tasking. Work is very important but keeping the family safe is job #1 of a working Dad.
Of course it’s all in a day’s work when it comes to being a working parent. You’re supposed to put your kids first, obviously, but it’s pretty unique to be in a position for that to be tested on live TV in the middle of a weather emergency. We’re happy that it all turned out okay, as Doug Kammerer confirmed that everyone was safe and thanked his new fans for their concern.
Be sure to check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see when new and returning shows are premiering.
