One of the side effects of Facebook is that while you’re happy to see friends toasting birthdays at the Ritz, or lounging at the beach, you’re sad to see some friends having to cope with natural disasters like the flooding that’s going on in certain parts of our country. Bob Walters is the news director […]
One of the side effects of Facebook is that while you’re happy to see friends toasting birthdays at the Ritz, or lounging at the beach, you’re sad to see some friends having to cope with natural disasters like the flooding that’s going on in certain parts of our country.
Bob Walters is the news director at Gray-owned KNOE, the CBS affiliate in Monroe, La., where more than 24 inches of rain have fallen since last week.
Walters is a Facebook friend of mine and he and his station have been posting videos, pictures and updates about the storm.
The area has taken the worst of a major storm that has dumped rain all across the southern Gulf coast states of Texas, Louisiana and parts of Mississippi.
I thought I’d share some of KNOE’s coverage plus some pictures and other material from other sources.
I spoke with Walters late yesterday afternoon, and although it appears the rain has stopped and some of the water is going down, the area is still dealing with the aftereffects.
Thousands have been evacuated, schools are closed, as are some roads and bridges, and many people are suffering.
Walters was insistent to make sure to thank his team for their dedicated coverage, with the storm coming on the heels of the February ratings period and an election last Saturday. In one incident, a boat carrying three members of a news crew capsized, yet the crew kept on working in their wet clothes.
He said he is down some folks since some recently got married and are on their honeymoons.
“This is a right-out-of-college market, and this is the biggest story they’ve ever covered. Some of them can’t go home, their houses or apartments are evacuated, but that hasn’t stopped their willingness to work.”
Walters says Gray’s sister stations have offered to help and the company and his GM has been very supportive in terms of coverage.
“We’ve covered every press conference live, and have done cut-ins every hour.”
Walters says he and his team were at one employees house yesterday trying to help them cleanup their house.
He says the station used the power of social media to keep viewers up to date with all the information, including his video of a house boat stuck in a river under a bridge which has had 88,000 viewers so far.
“We’re just trying to do what’s right, so we can all feel proud of what we’re doing.”
A house boat traveling down the Ouachita River is stuck under the railroad bridge, that sits between the Endom and Louisville bridge. Police have closed down the Louisville Bridge until further notice.
Posted by KNOE 8 News on Saturday, March 12, 2016
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