RALEIGH – WRAL TV deployed a great deal more advanced technology – and people power – than the new “Storm Tracker” and its crew to the danger zone of Hurricane Dorian over the past several days.
Technology is becoming more important than ever in storm coverage, from smartphones to smart TVs, drones to ever-improving radar, apps to Internet, Wi-Fi hotspots to satellites. But making that technology work are an awful lot of reporters, photographers, engineers, technicians and many other people.
After reporting about the Storm Tracker and its onboard team over recent days, WRAL TechWire wanted to take a look at other aspects of the station’s coverage. The purpose is to discuss the growing arsenal of technology while making sure to recognize the people taking those tools where events dictated and in the interest of helping the public stay safe.
Overview
Nearly 20 different teams reported from North Carolina’s beaches to the Triangle, utilizing new tools such as drones. WRAL also continues to grow its network of cameras scattered across the region.
Inside a hurricane: WRAL crew chasing Dorian in ‘Storm Tracker’ is back on road Friday
And at the station the WRAL meteorological team utilized cutting-edge Doppler radar to provide viewers and readers with the latest news as events from tornadoes to flooding unfolded.
Yet with all the tech, WRAL’s reporters and photographers were crucial to the storm chasing efforts.
“We’re deploying 40-plus reporters and photographers to cover Dorian,” said News Director Rick Gall.
“We have more than 25 tower and weather cameras in our network,” he added. “Of course, this is separate from all the traffic cams.”
Joel Davis, WRAL’s vice president and general manager, noted that people power is crucial to coverage.
“We are already the largest team of ‘mets’ in the state, and are adding a sixth,” he explained.
The meteorology team: includes Mike Maze, Elizabeth Gardner, Kat Campbell, Aimee Wilmoth and Peta Sheerwood.
Eyes on the sky
An image from WRAL’s Dual Doppler 5000 radar from Friday morning.
Helping them gather data are “lots of new live cameras” as well as the Dual Doppler 5000 radar which Davis calls the “most important tool.”
“We’re the only station in the market with a live dual polarization radar, meaning we see information live, up to 5 minutes before some other stations,” he pointed out.
Here’s how WRAL defines the technology:
“Polarimetric, or dual polarization, technology combines conventional horizontal scanning with simultaneous vertical pulses. Using Hydrometeor Classification, the radar can specifically identify different types of precipitation using the shape, size, speed and location of particles in the storm. By providing seven different measurements of storm data, Dual Doppler 5000 sees twice as much as ordinary Doppler.”
The station’s helicopter, Sky 5, and drones already deployed in the field will add to the coverage as the storm clears out of the state.
A look at an assignment, the people
So how did the people on the ground operate?
Davis provided a breakdown on the assignments given to the teams dispatched to the field. Here’s an example:
- Crystal Coast (staying in Havelock)
- Sloane/Greg … AM/Noon (TH 3a-2p, FR 2a-2p) … Greg has a drone
- Kasey/Lauren … Evening/Late (TH 2p-2a, FR 1p -Midnight) Jamie … operates Van 1 and shoots video (TBA times)
Note that the assignment points to the multimedia capabilities of the team, from the van that housed transmission gear to a drone.
WRAL’s Adam Owens, one of many reporters sent into the field to report about Hurricane Dorian.
Management stresses that crews are to always keep in mind their personal safety, but reporting on a hurricane can literally mean dealing with 100 mile-per-hour winds, blinding rain and the risk of flash flooding. Not to mention the long hours spent in trying conditions. But report they did.
Here are the people who were on the storm front to bring the news that aired continuously on WRAL from 4:30 a.m. through today.
REPORTERS
- Bryan Mims
- Nia Harden
- Amanda Lamb
- Joe Fisher
- Monica Laliberte
- Sloane Heffernan
- Kasey Cunningham
- Scott Mason
- Kathryn Brown
- Mandy Mitchell
- Aaron Thomas
- Adam Owens
- Gilbert Baez
- Travis Fain
- Julian Grace
- Emmy Victor
- Sarah Krueger
- Laura Leslie
- Rosalia Fodera
PHOTOGRAPHERS
- Darrell Pryor
- Petrick James
- Mark Stebnicki
- Greg Clark
- John Payne
- Lauren DesArmo
- Jamie Munden
- Edward Wilson
- Robert Meikle
- Mark Olexik
- Michael Joyner
- David McCorkle
- Chad Flowers
- Bradley Simmons
- Andrew Cumbee
- Richard Adkins
- Terry Cantrell
- Luke Notestine
- Rick Armstrong
- Keith Baker
STORM TRACKER ENGINEER
- Tony Gupton
Gupton, Brown and Flowers were aboard the Storm Tracker.
That’s not all
Not included in this list are the anchors, producers, directors and staff, including WRAL.com’s online team, who worked behind the scenes to make sure all that these reporters and photographers gathered with all those new tools made it to viewers and readers. We’ll take a look at the behind-the-scenes action and the challenges anchors face in a future report.
