Weatherman Breaks On-Air to Protect His Family Amid Severe Weather Report

NBC-affiliated local station KTTC had Chief Meteorologist Nick Jansen’s back on Monday, July 28, when he took a moment to make sure his family was safe during a broadcast warning those in the area of Rochester, Minnesota, about severe storms.

Jansen has been been in his position with the station since 2019 and loves his job. But when he decided to send his wife a quick text during his three hours on-air to tell her to take their baby to the basement, an annoyed viewer decided to message him.

Not only did KTTC stand by their weatherman, so did many viewers who appreciate Jansen’s dedication to his job and those relying on him for storm coverage.

Jansen’s Emotional Post Sparks Conversation About Balancing Work & Family

“I don’t usually post things like this, but after nearly 3 hours of storm coverage Monday night, I wanted to share a quick thought,” Jansen wrote on Facebook on July 30. “I received an email telling me how unprofessional I was during my coverage. The quote that really struck me: “That he has to call his wife to make sure she takes the baby to safety? Maybe some people think it’s noble or cute. I don’t”. – I posted the video of the act attached.”

“I take my job and your safety very seriously,” he continued. “But I’m also a husband and a father. In the middle of severe weather, I decided to take a brief moment to make sure my wife and child were safely in the basement. That’s not me being unprofessional, it’s me being human. I am a husband and a father FIRST.”

“Let’s all try to show each other a little more understanding and respect in life,” he added. He finished with a heart emoji.

Jansen’s post quickly went viral. It received more than 19,000 comments and more than 290,000 ‘likes.’ The video showing the incident was viewed 15 million times.

KTTC Publicly Backed Nick Jansen & the Weather Team

When all the support for him began coming in, Nick Jansen was overwhelmed. “Thank you so much for all the love and support,” he commented on Facebook. “I’ve been trying to keep up with responding to as many of you as possible. I appreciate all the love!”

KTTC also made it clear they were entirely behind Jansen. Vice President and General Manager Stephanie Hedrick wrote in a statement that “the KTTC team is proud of Nick and the work he and the First Alert weather team did Monday night and the work they continue to do to keep our communities safe.”

“That includes their own families,” she added. “KTTC knows that when our meteorologists, anchors and reporters are delivering the news, they are also talking to their own families- informing them and helping to keep them safe.”