Brian James shared his severe weather knowledge with Frisco STYLE readers in the April issue of the magazine. He is a broadcast meteorologist and the senior weather producer at NBC 5. His on-air responsibilities include Saturday and Sunday morning newscasts, while his off-air duties involve coordinating severe weather coverage, creating new and interesting weather graphics, working on special projects and posting content on a variety of social media platforms. Before his current role at NBC 5, he was a storm chaser and witnessed more than 70 tornadoes.
“The most important thing readers need to do is be weather aware. By that, I mean people need to be cognizant of their surroundings so if/when severe weather moves into the area, they have already thought about what to do and where to go. A little planning and having some forethought prior to severe weather taking place can go a long way toward making it through the storm safely,” he shares.
After the Dec. 26, 2016, storms, Mr. James said it became clear that there needs to be a better way to inform people traveling in cars about the threat of severe weather. “Nine people lost their lives when the tornado crossed over I-20. Others who were injured said they never even knew the storm was coming,” he adds. Many people do not listen to traditional radio like they used to, so they often do not hear life-saving information. “Alerts are being sent to cell phones, but we discourage people from having their phones near them when they drive. A middle ground needs to be reached so people get the warning they need in order to act in a timely fashion,” Mr. James says.
