John Morales, one of South Florida’s most veteran meteorologists, displayed a deep emotional response while reporting on Hurricane Milton for WTVJ/NBC6 in Miami on Monday. The broadcast featured a split-screen displaying an ominous image of Hurricane Milton, a Category 5 storm, threatening Florida’s west coast, which was still recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene on September 26.
Emotional Reporting
As Morales described the storm’s rapid intensification, his voice cracked with emotion. “It’s just an incredible, incredible, incredible hurricane,” he said, closing his eyes in disbelief. He struggled to maintain his composure while reporting, stating, “It has dropped…” before pausing, “… it has dropped 50 millibars in 10 hours.”
“I apologize,” he added, his voice trembling. “This is just horrific.”
Watch:
NBC6’s @JohnMoralesTV is the longest tenured TV meteorologist in south Florida. When he gets this serious, this emotional, on the air, viewers pay attention: pic.twitter.com/iiECZ8KaHx
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) October 7, 2024
Why Morales Shed Tears?
Morales later shared the broadcast clip on X (formerly known as Twitter), where it garnered 1.7 million views. He explained his tearful reaction stemmed from the shock of the storm’s rapid intensification, frustration over society’s inadequate response to climate change, and deep empathy for those in the storm’s path. “It claims lives,” Morales said. “It also wrecks lives. You have to feel sorry for the folks that are in this hurricane’s path.”
Changing Perspective on Weather Forecasting
Over his 40-year career, Morales has prided himself on being a calm, rational voice delivering weather updates without alarm. However, he expressed concern: “As the temperature of the planet increases, my confidence in forecasting storm intensity is decreasing.” In a 2023 essay, he admitted, “I am afraid of rapid intensification cycles happening at the drop of a hat.”
Despite his warnings about Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic potential, critics labeled him a “climate militant.” Morales responded, “But it wasn’t an exaggeration. Perhaps those who have known me as the just-the-facts non-alarmist meteorologist can’t get used to the new me.”
Many South Floridians evacuating the Tampa Bay region expressed gratitude for Morales’s straightforward weather forecasting approach. He is part of a growing number of Florida meteorologists, including Jeff Berardelli and Steve MacLaughlin, who openly address the reality of climate change. Morales emphasizes, “The climate crisis is here. It’s not a future problem; it’s a today problem, and it merits all of our attention.”
