Mike Bettes

Michael Bettes (born January 9, 1972) is an American television meteorologist and storm chaser currently working for The Weather Channel in Atlanta, Georgia. He was a co-host of AMHQ: America's Morning Headquarters.[1] He currently hosts Weather Underground TV. Bettes has been an on-camera meteorologist for TWC since 2003, and is also an occasional fill-in weather anchor on The Today Show.

Mike Bettes
Bettes in 2013
Born
Michael Bettes

(1972-01-09) January 9, 1972
Tallmadge, Ohio, U.S.
Alma materOhio State University
OccupationMeteorologist
Years active1988–present
EmployerThe Weather Channel
Spouse(s)
Allison Chinchar
​
(m. 2012)​
AwardsEmmy Award

Bettes hosted Abrams & Bettes Beyond the Forecast from 2006–2009, and Your Weather Today from 2009–2012 until it was relaunched as Morning Rush which he hosted into 2014 when the program was relaunched again as America's Morning Headquarters on March 17. Bettes also formerly hosted Wake Up With Al from (2009–2014). Bettes is a field reporter for The Weather Channel and is lead field meteorologist for the annual show summarizing tornado seasons, The Great Tornado Hunt.[1]

Bettes accompanied scientists for TWC coverage of VORTEX2. He also has reported live from Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy and other tropical cyclones as well as floods and winter storms.[1]

A year after his recovery from the EF3 tornado on May 31, 2013, he and his crew returned to the Great Plains to forecast and report severe weather as part of the 2014 Tornado Track.

Education and early career

Bettes graduated with a B.S. in atmospheric sciences from Ohio State University (OSU). Prior to TWC, he worked as chief meteorologist for WLOS in Asheville, North Carolina and as weekend meteorologist at WSYX/WTTE in Columbus, Ohio and WKEF/WRGT in Dayton, Ohio.[1]

Tornado incident

Bettes was one of several storm chasers struck by an EF3 tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma, which rolled and tossed his SUV approximately 200 yards (180 m) into a field, collapsing the roof, inflicting major injuries to his crew which included breaking several bones of the driver Austin Anderson.[2] In another incident, the same tornado killed TWISTEX storm chasers Tim Samaras, his son Paul, and colleague Carl Young of South Lake Tahoe, California. Storm chaser Dan Robinson of St. Louis, Missouri escaped the tornado with a few injuries. He was a few hundred meters ahead of the TWISTEX crew.[3] Local resident Richard Charles Henderson decided to chase the storm. He was killed in the same area as the TWISTEX crew. Henderson took a picture of the twister from his cellular phone and sent it to a friend before the storm struck him.[4] University of Oklahoma student, Billy Prater, along with his father and a friend, sought refuge under an overpass (an action strongly discouraged in these situations) when the storm changed direction.[5]

Career timeline

Personal life

Bettes is married to freelancing CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar.

See also

References
  1. Mike Bettes, On-Camera Meteorologist
  2. Tornado Hunt Team Takes Direct Hit by Tornado Archived 2014-03-15 at the Wayback Machine
  3. http://www.dallasobserver.com/2013-08-29/news/the-last-ride-of-legendary-storm-chaser-tim-samaras/
  4. Clay, Nolan (June 3, 2013). "Oklahoma storms: Amateur storm chaser took photo of tornado that killed him". The Oklahoman. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  5. Stewart, Sarah (June 3, 2013). "Amateur storm chaser survives tornado under overpass". KFOR-TV. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
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