GAUGHAN. NEWS WITH SKY 4 NEWS. 4 JAX CONTINUES. ♪
>> NOW TO THE LOCAL WEATHERMAN
AS WE CONTINUE TO MARK THE 2
100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CITY
OF JACKSONVILLE. WE’RE LOOKING
BACK AT ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT
EVENT IN OUR CITY’S HISTORY.
HURRICANE DORA. IT IS THE ONLY
RECORDED STORM TO EVER
DIRECTLY HIT NORTHEAST
FLORIDA.
>> JENNIFER WAUGH SAT DOWN
WITH LEGENDARY METEOROLOGIST
GEORGE WHO WAS THE ONLY
METEOROLOGIST TO FORECAST THE
DOOR WOULD HIT OUR AREA SO
GEORGE IS SO INCREDIBLE.
TARGET, JOY. IT WAS EARLY IN
THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 10TH
1964. GEORGE HAD ONLY BEEN
WORKING FOR OUR STATION FOR 2
YEARS. THE STORM FORMED OFF
THE COAST OF AFRICA AND IN
LESS THAN 2 WEEKS BE LINED ITS
WAY TO NORTHEAST FLORIDA. NOW,
IN HIS OWN WORDS, GEORGE
EXPLAINS HOW HE KNEW DOOR WAS
MORE OF A THREAT THAN ANY
OTHER METEOROLOGIST REALIZED.
>> IN THE 19 SIXTIES
METEOROLOGIST GEORGE WINNER
LING USED MARKERS TO DRAW HIS
FORECAST WHEN HE FIRST STARTED
WORKING AT CHANNEL 4 AND PAINT
TO HELP OUR TV AUDIENCE
VISUALIZE CLOUDY SKIES. HE
RELIED ON TELE TIGHTS FROM THE
NATIONAL WEATHER BUREAU AND
WEATHER EQUIPMENT THAT YOU
DESCRIBED NOW AS WELL. PRETTY
RUDIMENTARY AT BEST. EVEN
STILL IN 1964, IT WAS THE
BASICS THAT HELPED HIM
FORECAST. HURRICANE DOORS
DIRECT HIT NEAR SAINT
AUGUSTINE.
>> I HAD A BAROMETER THERE. IN
FACT, I HAD TO WEATHER
INSTRUMENTS IN THE STUDIO. I
COULD SEE THE WINDS DIRECTIONS
AND WATCH THE WINDS FROM THE
NORTHEAST AND NEW THIS STORM
AND THE SOUTH OF JACKSONVILLE.
WELL, THE TROUBLE IS WEATHER
BUREAU BACK THEN KEPT SAYING
DON’T LISTEN TO ANYBODY ELSE’S
REPORT ON THE HURRICANE. AND I
GOT A PHONE CALL FROM SOMEBODY
FROM THE NAVAL AIR STATION AND
THEY SAID I WAS CORRECT. SAID
IT WAS NOT DOWN WHERE WEATHER
BUREAU SCENTED BY PASSION AND
AUGUSTINE.
>> THEY HAD FORECASTED THAT IT
WAS GOING TO COME UP TOWARD
THE CAROLINAS AND AND MISS
NORTHEAST FLORIDA.
>> WHAT MADE YOU HOW DID YOU
KNOW?
>> WELL, WAS GOING I DID THE
SCHOOL. AND THE ONLY WAY YOU
CAN TELL WITHIN. HURRICANE AND
THAT STEERING IT, IT IS THE
BAROMETRIC PRESSURE. THEIR
TIME MEN TRAPPED. IT. IT WILL
GO DOWN A LITTLE BIT LOWER
LOWER. YOU GOT DOWN TO 29
POINT ’06. THAT’S FRIEND
HURRICANE IS THE CLOSEST TO
US. THAT WAS AT SAINT
AUGUSTINE.
>> HURRICANE DORA ROARED
ASHORE AT CATEGORY 2 STRENGTH,
PACKING WINDS OF 110 MILES PER
HOUR. A 10 FOOT STORM SURGE
PUMMELED ATLANTIC BEACH AND
SOUTH ALONG OUR COAST. 3 HOMES
WERE SWEPT AWAY. NEARLY 4,000
OTHERS WERE DAMAGED. MORE THAN
150,000 DUVAL COUNTY, HOMES
AND BUSINESSES LOST POWER FOR
DAYS INLAND. NEARLY 24 INCHES
OF RAIN FELL NEAR MAYO CLINIC
IN JUST 24 HOURS. THE SAINT
JOHNS RIVER SWELLED TO 6 FEET
ABOVE NORMAL HIGH TIDE
SWAMPING DOWNTOWN IN ORTEGA IN
SAINT JOHNS COUNTY. 14 HOMES
WERE DESTROYED BY EROSION.
FLOOD WATERS WERE DESCRIBED AS
HIP DEEP IN SOME PARTS OF
SAINT AUGUSTINE, PRESIDENT
LYNDON B JOHNSON TOWARD
NORTHEAST FLORIDA ON
SEPTEMBER. 11TH 1964, PLEDGING
MORE THAN 8 MILLION DOLLARS IN
FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE.
>> THIS IS LIVE OAK 1964. WE
KNOW WHAT THAT STORM
DESTROYED.
>> WERE RAY SAYS THEY HAD THAT
20 AN SOME 58 YEARS LATER,
GEORGE WINNER LING STILL
REMEMBERS IT AS IF IT WAS
YESTERDAY AND THE WORK HE DID
TO WARN AS MANY VIEWERS AND
LISTENERS AS POSSIBLE. DO YOU
THINK BACK AT HOW YOU VERY
LIKELY SAVE MAYBE PEOPLE’S
PROPERTY AND
>> I THINK THEY REALIZE I WAS
TAKING IT SERIOUSLY THAT THAT
THINGS COULD START FALLING ON
YOUR HOUSE YOURSELF.
>> THAT WAS JUST THE BEGINNING
OF GEORGIA’S DEDICATION. TO
OUR VIEWERS, HE WENT ON TO
SPEND NEARLY 50 YEARS SERVING
AS CHANNEL 4 S CHIEF
METEOROLOGIST.
>> CHAN GEORGE. HE LOOKS LIKE
HE’S DOING HE IS GEORGE
RETIRED ABOUT 13 YEARS AGO, AS
YOU KNOW, FROM THE STATION.
>> HE STILL WATCHES THE NEWS
EVERY DAY AND JUST MARVELS AT
THE HIGH-TECH. THAT, JOHN AND
RICHARD AND AND MARK AND
DANIELLE HUGHES. ABSOLUTELY.
EVERY SINGLE DAY TO FORECAST
STORMS AND HURRICANES ONLY I’M
JUST CURIOUS HOW OLD IS GEORGE
NOW? HE’S 90 YEARS OLD. AND
YOU KNOW? HIT. SO HE MOVED TO
JACKSON 1941. AND HE JUST HAS
THESE GREAT STORIES ABOUT
GROWING UP HERE. SO I WANT TO
REALLY ENCOURAGE OUR VIEWERS
TO WATCH TOMORROW MORNING
BECAUSE GEORGE IS GOING TO
TAKE US BACK IN TIME. HIS
FONDEST MEMORIES OF PARTS OF
JACKSONVILLE AS WE PREPARE TO
CELEBRATE OUR CITY’S
BICENTENNIAL. SO LOOK FOR THAT
STORY AT 7.40, TOMORROW
MORNING. AND IF YOU HAVEN’T
SEEN THE DOCUMENTARY, THE WJXT
IS DON’T HURRICANE DORA. IT IS
FASCINATING. SO MANY
INTERESTING STORIES AND
INSIGHT FROM GEORGE. YOU CAN
WATCH DORA DIRECT HIT ON
DEMAND BY GOING TO THE NEWS. 4
JAX PLUS APP ON YOUR ROKU FIRE
STICK APPLE TV OR SMART TV.
>> LOOK FOR THE WJXT ORIGINALS
CHANNEL INSIDE THE APP AND
LOOK FORWARD OR A DIRECT HIT.
WHAT A PRIVILEGE AND HONOR CAN
I JUST SAY TO HAVE WORKED WITH
GEORGE IN THE MID 90’S. IT WAS
SO AMAZING JUST TO BE IN THE
SAME ROOM AS HE WAS A LEGEND.
ABSOLUTE WAS BUSTED. THE SAME
THING I CAME IN 2009 HE HAD
LEFT BEFORE. THEN.
>> BUT LEGENDARY EVERYBODY
KNEW HIS NAME. AND YOU THINK
OF OF ALL THE YEARS OF SERVICE
TO TO THE PEOPLE OF
JACKSONVILLE. YEAH, JOHN.
>>JOHN GAUGHAN: YEAH. AND FOR
MYSELF, I CAME HERE IN 92 AND
IN 93 WE HAD THIS THING CALLED
THE STORM OF THE CENTURY. IT
WAS MARCH IN GEORGIA NOW ARE
INSIDE THE STATION AND THAT
CORNER THERE AND THE WINDS ARE
75 MILES AN HOUR. THEY HAD TO
CANCEL THE GATE RIVER RUN. SAM
COOKE FORCES UP THERE ON THE
TOP OF OUR BRIDGE, GETTING
BLOWN ABOUT 50, 60, 70 MILE AN
HOUR WINDS AND EVEN SOME SNOW
BEING REPORTED ACROSS PARTS OF
NORTH FLORIDA. SO THAT WAS ONE
CRAZY EVENT. AND I WAS LUCKY
ENOUGH TO BE THERE WITH GEORGE
FOR THAT. IT WAS REALLY QUITE
IMPRESSIVE. WE LOVE YOU,
GEORGE, AND WE’RE GLAD YOU’RE
KICKING IT AND STILL BRINGING
US BACK THOSE MEMORIES OF
DORA, WHICH IS REALLY
IMPORTANT TALE FOR ALL OF US
BECAUSE
>> HISTORY MAY REPEAT ONE DAY
WE MAY GET A DIRECT HIT AGAIN.
AND NOW LOOK AT ALL THESE COOL
TOYS. YOU HOME LIKE 4 D RADAR
HE’S FREED UP BECAUSE THERE’S
ANOTHER LEGENDARY
METEOROLOGIST BACK ON THE WEST
COAST AND HE DID A LOT WITH
HIS RADAR.
>>JOHN GAUGHAN: AND, YOU KNOW,
WE KEEP TRYING TO TWEAK IT AND
MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
YOU KNOW, EXACT HER ACT 40
PICKS UP TORNADOES FASTER THAN
ANYTHING THAT I’VE EVER SEEN.
AND IT’S A REAL WARNING FOR
EVERYBODY TO BE ALERT AND MAKE
SURE WE CAN STAY AHEAD OF THE