TEAM.
TEAM. BACK TO YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>>> KHOU CHIEF METEOROLOGIST
DAVID PAUL IS MY SPECIAL CO-
HOST TODAY.
HOST TODAY. WE WERE IN HURRICANE SEASON.
IT'S HARD TO PREDICT WHAT'S
GOING TO HAPPEN.
A RECORD TORNADO SEASON AND
FLOODING IN THE MIDWEST PROVE
HOW THINGS CAN CHANGE FROM
SEASON TO SEASON.
IS THIS ARMAGEDDON.
ALL THOSE TORNADOES.
>> IT'S BEEN AMAZING.
REMEMBER THE LAST FIVE YEARS IN
A ROW THE U.S. HAS HAD
UNUSUALLY FEW.
UNUSUALLY FEW. MAYBE ONLY ONE OR TWO IN SOME
YEARS.
YEARS.
YEARS. JUST SHOWS YOU MOTHER NATURE
CAN SWING THAT PENDULUM FROM
NOTHING TO SOMETHING QUICKLY.
>> DO WE KNOW WHY?
>> IT'S BEEN A WEATHER PATTERN.
WE'VE HAD AN ACTIVE JET STREAM.
OH, THERE'S ALSO A WEAK EL
NINO.
NINO.
NINO. SOMETIMES THAT ENERGIZES THE
SOUTHERN BRANCH OF THE JET
STREAM.
STREAM.
STREAM. WHEN THAT OVERHEAD IS ACTIVE
THAT CAN HELP TO LIFT AND CAUSE
THESE THUNDERSTORMS THAT
NORMALLY WOULD BE STRONG STORMS
TO SOMETIMES TURN TORNADIC.
>> IT CAN HAPPEN LIKE THAT.
WE LOOKED AND THOUGHT, WHEN YOU
SEE PICTURES OF IT ALL THE
TIME.
TIME.
TIME. WE
TIME. WE THOUGHT IS THAT REALLY WHAT
WE'RE SEEING?
WE'RE SEEING? THEN MY PHOTOGRAPHER AND I WERE
LIKE NO, GO IN THE DITCH, GO
UNDER THE BRIDGE.
WE FORGOT WHAT WE WERE SUPPOSED
TO DO.
TO DO.
TO DO. THE WHOLE THING JUST PASSED
OVER US.
OVER US.
OVER US. IT WAS CRAZY.
>> YOU WERE LUCKY.
THAT TORNADO WAS SO STRONG AT
ONE POINT IT LITERALLY SUCKED
THE ASPHALT OFF OF THE HIGHWAY.
>> THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING
AT RIGHT HERE.
THAT WAS THAT TORNADO.
THERE'S ONE IN '97.
THRE'S ONE IN '87.
THAT'S THE ONE I WAS IN.
WHEN YOU HAVE HURRICANES
OFTENTIMES THAT AIR IS SO
UNSTABLE AT THE END, BACK END
OF THE HURRICANE TORNADOES CAN
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN. >> IT'S A BIG SOMEONING
ROTATING MASS.
ROTATING MASS. AS THAT SPIN BEGINS TO HIT THE
TREES AND THE HOUSES AND THE
SUFF WE WALK AROUND HERE IT
CREATES FRICTION.
CREATES FRICTION. IT CAN SPIN OFF THESE LITTLE
SPINNERS.
SPINNERS.
SPINNERS. THAT'S THE SECONDARY THREAT
WITH A HURRICANE.
>> WE TOUCHED ON THE OUTLOOK
FOR THIS YEAR'S HURRICANE
SEASON.
SEASON.
SEASON. WE SAY IT DOESN'T REALLY IT
MATTER BECAUSE IT ONLY TAKES
ONE.
ONE.
ONE. WHAT
ONE. WHAT IS THE OUTLOOK THIS YEAR?
>> WE'RE THINKING IT WILL BE A
LITTLE ABOVE NORMAL.
SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES ARE
NEAR NORMAL.
NEAR NORMAL. MAYBE A LITTLE ABOVE NORMAL IN
SOME PLACES.
SOME PLACES. WE HAVE A WEAK EL NINO.
SOMETIMES WILL LOWER THE NUMBER
OF STORMS.
OF STORMS. IT RIPS THEM APART.
IT JUST LOOKS LIKE BASED ON
OTHER STATISTICS THIS SEASON
WILL BE AT LEAST NORMAL.
WHICH MEANS 10 TO 12 NAMED
SYSTEMS.
SYSTEMS.
SYSTEMS. SOME FORECASTS CALL FORKED A
MANY AS 14 NAMED SYSTEMS.
MAYBE TWO OR THREE.
MAYBE ABOVE THAT.
IF THEY ALL HAPPEN OUT IN THE
OPEN ATLANTIC, FOR US THEY MAY
AS WELL NOT BE HAPPENING AT
ALL.
ALL.
ALL. JUST
ALL. JUST ONE OF THEM TO TAKE A
TRACK INTO SOUTHEAST TEXAS
MAKES IT A VERY BUSY SEASON.
>> EVERY STORM TEACHES US A
LESSON.
LESSON.
LESSON. YOU AND I RODE OUT A FEW STORMS
TOGETHER ON THE MORNING NEWS.
KATRINA, WE LOOKED AT
INFRASTRUCTURE.
INFRASTRUCTURE. >> KATRINA WAS INTERESTING.
THAT SEASON, KATRINA DESTROYED
THE LEVIES.
THE LEVIES. THEN JUST A MONTH LATER RITA ON
THE HEELS OF KATRINA THREATENED
WE HERE IN HOUSTON.
THAT STORM SUSTAINED AT 175.
THE FORECAST TAKING IT INTO
HOUSTON.
HOUSTON.
HOUSTON. IT WAS A SCARY MOMENT.
>> THERE WAS A MOMENT WHERE
THINGS TURNED.
THINGS TURNED. I WALKED INTO THE WEATHER
OFFICE AND SAID LOOK AT ME.
>> THIS IS WHAT DE BO ARE USED
TO DO TO ME.
>> IF MY HUSBAND AND CHILD ARE
AT THIS ADDRESS WOULD YOU TELL
THEM TO LEAVE.
AT THAT MOMENT YOU SAID THINGS
ARE CHANGING.
ARE CHANGING. NO.
NO.
NO. AND
NO. AND WHAT RITA TAUGHT US IS WHO
SHOULD REALLY LEAVE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE TRAFFIC
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. PEOPLE DIED ON THE HIGHWAYS.
WE FREAKED OUT BECAUSE WE SAW
WHAT HAPPENED WITH KATRINA.
HAD THAT STORM HIT HOUSTON,
EVACUATION WOULD HAVE BEEN
SOMETHING THAT.
SOMETHING THAT. >> IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE WHAT
HOUSTON WOULD HAVE GONE
THROUGH, HOUSTON WOULD LOOK
LIKE TODAY IF RITA HAD HIT US.
WE MIGHT BE A VERY DIFFERENT
CITY BECAUSE TO HAVE A CAT 4 OR
5 HIT HOUSTON WITH THE MANY
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE
AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE
IT WOULD TAKE YEARS TO RECOVER
FROM SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
LUCKILY FOR US IT MADE A TURN
AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA,
CAMERON PARISH LAKE CHARLES.
THAT'S THE TYPE OF STORM THAT
GIVES ME NIGHTMARES.
THAT'S THE TYPE OF STORM YOU
ALL NEED TO THINK ABOUT
PREPARING FOR.
PREPARING FOR. JUST AT LEAST THE MINIMUM HAVE
SOME FOOD THAT YOU CAN LIVE ON.
>> A PRIVATE PLANE THAT CAN
TAKE OFF AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE.
>> A HELICOPTER.
>> YOUR HOME IN ASPEN OR HAWAII
YOU CAN JUST GET TO.
>> THAT'S A GREAT POINT.
IF YOU CAN YOU WANT TO STAY
WHERE YOU ARE.
SO WE HERE INLAND, SO IN RITA
EVERYBODY INLAND TRIED TO
EVACUATE.
EVACUATE.
EVACUATE. WE DIDN'T NEED TO DO THAT.
>> TO OPEN UP THE OTHER LANES
AND THE WHOLE BIT.
HURRICANE IKE CHANGED THE WAY
YOU CATEGORIZE STORMS.
IT WAS MUCH MORE OF A WIND
EVENT CLOSER INLAND THAN A RAIN
EVENT.
EVENT.
EVENT. >>
EVENT. >> IKE WAS WEIRD.
IKE WAS A CATEGORY 4 MAJOR
HURRICANE IN THE CARIBBEAN.
AS IT CAME INTO THE GULF IT
WENT OVER CUBA.
SO THAT SPREAD THE CIRCULATION
OUT AND WEAKENED THE MAXIMUM
SUSTAINED WINDS WITHIN THE
STORM.
STORM.
STORM. BUT THE WIND FIELD HAD SPREAD
OUT LIKE AN ICE SKATER OPENING
UP HER ARMS AND SPREADING OUT
HER WINGS.
HER WINGS. >> THIS IS IKE BEHIND US NOW.
>> SHE SLOWS DOWN BUT THE
BROADER CIRCUMLATION GRABBED
MORE WATER.
MORE WATER. IT CHANGED THE WAY WE FORECAST
HURRICANES.
HURRICANES. WE CAN NO LONGER SAY A CAT 2
WILL HAVE THIS STORM SURGE.
THAT CAT 2 IN IKE HAD A CAT 4
SURGE.
SURGE.
SURGE. >>
SURGE. >> TROPICAL STORM ALLISON.
CAME IN AND WE WERE OKAY, THE
RAIN'S GONE.
RAIN'S GONE. SHE CAME BACK AND SAID I LIKE
HOUSTON.
HOUSTON.
HOUSTON. I THINK I'M GOING TO STAY HERE
A WHILE.
A WHILE.
A WHILE. SO CASE IN POINT, JUST BECAUSE
IT WAS A TROPICAL STORM DIDN'T
MEAN IT COULDN'T CAUSE MAJOR
DAMAGE.
DAMAGE.
DAMAGE. >> THE NIGHT ALLISON FLOODED US
IT WASN'T EVEN A TROPICAL
STORM.
STORM.
STORM. I
STORM. I LEARNED ALL ABOUT NOT HAVING
FLOOD INSURANCE.
FLOOD INSURANCE. THAT WAS A FEW LESSONS I
LEARNED AS WELL.
>> OF COURSE HURRICANE HARVEY.
LESSONS THAT WE LEARNED THERE.
IF YOU GOT THROUGH THE STORM
ITSELF, WE STILL HAD AS
INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES THE BACK
END WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE GOT
IT.
IT.
IT. >>
IT. >> WE
IT. >> WE OFTEN THINK WE WENT
THROUGH HURRICANE HARVEY.
WE DID NOT GO THROUGH THE
HURRICANE PART OF HARVEY.
WE NEVER HAD A WIND GUST OVER
30 MILES AN HOUR.
THEY HAD WINDS GUSTING TO 140
IN CORPUS CHRISTI AND MUSTANG
ISLAND.
ISLAND.
ISLAND. OF COURSE WE WERE ON THE DIRTY
SIDE OF THAT HURRICANE WHICH
MEANS ALL THAT MOISTURE FROM
THE GULF OF MEXICO GOT PULLED
IN BECAUSE IT MOVED SO SLOW.
STORM SPEED IS SO IMPORTANT.
SLOWER THE STORM THE GREATER
THE RAINFALL POTENTIAL.
DR. FRANK GAVE ME A LESSON.
YOU TAKE THE SPEED OF THE
STORM.
STORM.
STORM. STORM MOVING AT 10 MILES PER
HOUR.
HOUR.
HOUR. YOU
HOUR. YOU DIVIDE THAT INTO 100.
THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO
PRODUCE 10 INCHES OF RAIN.
HOW MANY TIMES DOES 5 GO INTO
100?
100?
100? 20.
20.
20. THAT'S WHN THE ALARM BELLS
START TO GO OFF.
WITH HARVEY AT MANY POINTS
HARVEY WASN'T MOVING AT ALL.
>> WE WERE ON THE AIR 24/7.
THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE EVERY
NOW AND THEN WE'LL GET THE
CALLS OR FACEBOOK MESSAGE,
ENOUGH ALREADY.
ENOUGH ALREADY. I WANT MY PRICE IS RIGHT.
WHATEVER.
WHATEVER.
WHATEVER. SO THERE IS A WEATHER MAN IN
DAYTON, OHIO.
DAYTON, OHIO. WHO SAY WHAT I THINK EVERY
METEOROLOGIST HAS FELT AT SOME
POINT.
POINT.
POINT. >>
POINT. >> JUST CHECKING SOCIAL MEDIA.
WE HAVE VIEWERS COMPLAINING
ALREADY.
ALREADY.
ALREADY. JUST GO BACK TO THE SHOW.
NO WE'RE NOT GOING BACK TO THE
SHOW.
SHOW.
SHOW. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION.
>> WELL.
>> WELL.
>> WELL. >> AND THEN OF COURSE HE WAS,
THERE WAS TORNADOES COMING
THROUGH.
THROUGH.
THROUGH. H'S TRYING TO WARN PEOPLE.
>> THERE ARE TIMES WHEN KHOU
AND ALL ITS SOCIAL MEDIA AND
DIGITAL PLATFORMS WILL CHANGE
FROM A TELEVISION OUTLET, FROM
A MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT OUTLET TO
A, TO A SERVICE TO THE
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. THEY HAD CHANGED FROM
TELEVISION PROGRAMMING TO IN
SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY FOR AN
EMERGENCY SITUATION.
EMERGENCY SITUATION. WHEN WE GET THESE HURRICANES OR
TORNADOES WE BREAK IN AND STOP
PROGRAMMING.
PROGRAMMING. THAT'S WHEN WE JUST ALL HAVE TO
KIND OF CHANGE AND UNDERSTAND
THAT WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER
SOMETIMES.
SOMETIMES. >> ONE THING WE HAVE IS SEVERE
WEATHER GUIDES YOU ALL HAVE
RIGHT HERE.
RIGHT HERE. >> IF YOU'RE NEW TO THE AREA.
WHAT ARE THE THINGS I NEED TO
THINK ABOUT.
THINK ABOUT. IF I'M ON THE COAST, WHAT ARE
THE AVAILABLE EVACUATION
ROUTES.
ROUTES.
ROUTES. THEY'RE ALL IN THE GUIDE.
IN ADDITION TO GREAT RESOURCES.
IF THE POWER GOES OUTS DO I
LIGHT CANDLES, USE FLASH
FLIGHTS.
FLIGHTS.
FLIGHTS. >> IF YOU HAVE A FLASHLIGHT,
HOW OLD ARE THOSE BATTERIES?
BY THE TIME I NEED IT YOU'RE
LIKE CLICKING IT, CLICK IT
AGAIN.
AGAIN.
AGAIN. >>
AGAIN. >> WHAT WILL THIS WILL DO IS
YOU WILL NOW HAVE AT LEAST A
SMALL KIT WITH FOOD,
FLASHLIGHTS, WATER.
FLASHLIGHTS, WATER. SO THAT IF WE GET A BIG
EMERGENCY AND IT DOESN'T HAVE
TO BE A HURRICANE.
YOU AND YOUR FAMILY DON'T HAVE
TO GO ANYWHERE.
>> IKE PEOPLE EXPECTED MAYBE A
COUPLE OF DAYS WITHOUT POWER.
PEOPLE WENT WEEKS WITHOUT
POWER.
POWER.
POWER. PEOPLE WERE GOING DOWN,
STANDING IN LINE.
FOR WATER.
FOR WATER. SO GET ALL THAT STUFF.
STOCK IT UP AND HAVE IT READY
TO GO.
TO GO.
TO GO. LATER ON WE'LL HAVE THE HIGH-
TECH TEXAN WILL SHOW US KEY
THINGS WE CAN HAVE TO GET US
THROUGH THE DARK DAYS.
>> YOU CAN PICK UP A COPY OF
THE KHOU SEVERE WEATHER GUIDE
AT PARTICIPATING FLOORS FOR
LIVING.
LIVING.
LIVING. YOU CAN MEET DAVID PAUL AND ALL
OF OUR METEOROLOGISTS THIS
WEEKEND AT THE EXTREME WEATHER