WASHINGTON — Doug Kammerer may be chief meteorologist for NBC4 Washington, but the father of two proved Thursday night that his job as a dad will always come first.
Kammerer was on air tracking a powerful storm for viewers when he realized a newly issued tornado warning was bringing a funnel cloud directly over his Maryland home, according to “Today.”
“As a matter of fact, I’m tracking this so closely now, this is going to go right over my house,” he said, while simultaneously showing viewers a map of cross streets in the tornado’s path and calling his kids on a cellphone.
“Kenton, you there buddy? 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,” Kammerer said while the storm-tracking broadcast continued.
“Right now?” Kenton could be heard responding to his dad.
“Get down there right now,” Kammerer responded, adding emphatically, “Get in the bedroom down there, and wait 10-15 minutes, okay? Do it now.”
When Kammerer resumed his broadcast, he explained that he had to physically warn his children about the severe weather threat because they were most likely playing online video games and completely unaware of the threat, NBC News reported.
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“This was a scary moment for me,” Kammerer told “Today” on Friday.
“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,” he said, adding, “Thank goodness no one was injured as a result of that tornado. We are all safe.”
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