Hurricane Matthew may be gone, but like a bad house guest, the mess he left behind is still being cleaned up. Many areas are still flooded and hundreds of thousands are still without power. In Jacksonville, Fla., like in many of the markets where Matthew came ashore, the news is still filled with stories of […]
Hurricane Matthew may be gone, but like a bad house guest, the mess he left behind is still being cleaned up. Many areas are still flooded and hundreds of thousands are still without power.
In Jacksonville, Fla., like in many of the markets where Matthew came ashore, the news is still filled with stories of damage and recovery, and in some cases, stories of evacuations.
At around 2 o’clock in the afternoon last Thursday, long-time WJXT news anchor Tom Wills addressed the viewers with a heartfelt, emotional plea to evacuate. WJXT is an independent TV station in Jacksonville owned by Graham Media.
Forty-year news veterans aren’t supposed to allow themselves to get emotional on camera, but for just over two-minutes, Wills did.
According to an article in Tuesday’s daily newspaper, Jacksonville Daily Record, Wills was handed a bulletin from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration when he arrived for work.
“If a direct landfall occurs, this will be unlike any hurricane in modern era,” it read.
Kathryn Bonfield, WJXT’s news director, had seen the update, too. She felt that Wills’ needed to share it with viewers.
“I thought the situation had gotten to a point where Tom Wills could appeal to our viewers in the way that only Tom Wills can do it,” she told the Daily Record.
Bob Ellis, WJXT’s general manager, told the paper that the newsroom went silent as Wills began his plea.
“Lots and lots and lots of people evacuated because of what he said,” said Ellis. “It was a moment that this television station will be proud of for years to come.”
To read an article about Wills’ plea in the Tampa Bay Times, click here.
NOTE: Sherry Carpenter, WJXT’s creative services director, sent these promos along to share. She said the station had an ice truck and phone charging equipment in the hardest hit areas within 24 hours.
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