Well here were go…the 2008 Hurricane Season is here and the big question is are you ready? We ask the same questions each and every year, but the majority of the answers we here are no…most folks are not ready for what the next six months may bring. Live 5 News is helping you get prepared! The 2008 Hurricane Survival Guide is ready to make it to your home! Make sure you stop by your local Piggly Wiggly, SCE&G or the Live 5 Studios for your free copy. Inside you will find the most up to date information on what to do when a storm approaches. New maps show evacuation routes and new safety information for all our coastal counties.

You are not prepared for hurricane season without it…

After severe storms raked the plains and western states on Friday and Saturday, we were hoping that Sunday would have been break from the storms but it was not. The map below shows the storm reports from Sunday.

A total of 507 severe weather events is substantial…and I have the feeling that this four day Memorial Day weekend will be one of the most damaging on the books. Lets just be thankful that all the nasty weather stayed away from us!

We will take a look at the 2008 NOAA Hurricane Forecast later today…the numbers point toward a near to above average season. I will have them posted later this morning.

Enjoy your Memorial Day here across the Lowcountry!

Chad Watson
Live 5 Meteorologist

Wow…what a weekend of wild weather across the country this Memorial Day Weekend. It has been interesting to watch it from afar, and not have to deal with it for once at home in the Lowcountry. I have been traveling this weekend, so I have watched the wild weather on the road.

The video coming out of NEWS 9, KWTV, in Oklahoma City yesterday was amazing. Many of the national news channels actually carried live pictures from the stations helicopter, tracking the storms, for hours. Must not have been much national news yesterday…but who can not stop watching tornadoes as they form and touch down LIVE on tv. It’s the ultimate in reality television. Gary England is the Chief Meteorologist at News 9 and is one of the legends in the weather busines. He was the first meteorologist to use radar on television back in the day before doppler radar had ever been invented.

Here are a few pics from KWTV from yesterdays storms:

The first image was broadcast live as the tornado totally destroyed a huge pig farm. There were injuries reported but we are hearing that unbelievably not many of the pigs perished in the destruction. The second photo was from News 9 StormTrackers in the field, streaming back live images over the internet to the TV station. Cool pics from one of the best severe weather TV stations in the country! Good job Gary!

Luckily for us the weather as we head into the last week of May looks calm. We are now in the home stretch before hurricane season arrives and we are putting the final touches on our hurricane special “The Plan - Hurricane Season 2008″ as we speak. It will air later this week. Be sure and watch for the times you can catch this years special.

Well see you on Monday Morning!

Chad Watson
Live 5 Meteorologist

Its great to have a few days of nice weather after the storms that we had earlier this week. Just looking over the storm reports from the other night shows only one confirmed tornado so far which was up in Bamberg County. It was an EF-1 according to the survey from the NWS in Columbia. The hail was the main problem on Tuesday night, with baseball size stones doing major damage as noted in their report. It is very uncommon for the hail to be that big down here along the coast, but as I always say…”when the ingredients are all right, the cake will be the best”. Thats what happened with all the warm, unstable air…colder and drier air aloft and daytime heating at its peak. The great thing is the forecast shows no more of that mess ahead for the Memorial Day weekend.

We could not have picked a “better time” to launch our new website than right in the middle of the severe weather. The good news is that the launch was fairly quick and most folks we have talked to said they really like the new look and layout. The weather section is, of course, the “coolest” with the interactive radar, SuperDoppler 5000 and all the weather imagery…plus you get instant weather alerts there and on the home page as soon as they are issued. We are going to be adding our “2008 Hurricane Center” to Tracking the Tropics in the next few days. That page will be the best one we have had yet…with interactive storm tracking, live feeds from the National Hurricane Center advisories and a lot more.

Don’t forget the the official NOAA 2008 Hurricane Forecast comes out today. We will have the latest numbers at noon on the big broadcast and more here on the website so check back with us later today for more!

Chad Watson
Live 5 Meteorologist

Well, I am sure you have noticed by now that the website here at Live 5 News looks a lot different! We are now on our new home on the web, thanks to our new company, Raycom Media and World Now. Here on our new site you will be able to get the news you want easier, faster and better than before. On our weather page you have one click access to the current radar, satellite, current conditions and personalized forecasts. Our new “Interactive Radar” allows you to control the views, pan, zoom and overlays…so “You Track Storms”, an exclusive feature you will only find here at Live 5 Weather. During severe weather or breaking news you will be able to watch our coverage live from your T.V or your computer thanks to our dedicated online streaming system. Our “Tracking The Tropics” page will be your one stop shop for everything hurricane this 2008 Tropical Season…we are putting the finishing touched now on our all new “Interactive Hurricane Tracker”.

The blog here will be our place to talk about whats going on with the weather behind the scenes. Here we can get into more detail about what you can expect…time that we just don’t have on the news in the morning and at night. We can post updates here all day long and you can log on to get the latest breaking weather information 24/7 from your desktop at home, school or at work. Be sure and bookmark the blog and check it out daily!

We want to hear what you think about our new website. We know it will take some getting used to, for you and for us, but we know that its going to be a great new platform to get you the news and weather information you want…when you want it!

Thanks for stopping by and check back often!

Chad Watson
Live 5 Meteorologist