SYLACAUGA, Ala. – Legendary meteorologist James Spann makes the weather interesting and entertaining, as well as quite informative. And on Friday, July 19th he brought his “show” to Sylacauga’s J. Craig Smith Community Center.
It was a part of the ongoing Summer Camp program for nearly 100 children from the Sylacauga Parks & Recreation Department, that also attracted a large number of visitors from the community.
The long-time ABC 33/40 icon is “old school” media – seeing his work as a public responsibility to inform. In his case, Spann takes it to a whole other level, at his best when urgency is required. One of the recurring themes that resonates from his public presentations is, “Don’t fear the weather. Stay informed and prepared so that there is nothing to fear.”
What is it about the weather that creates that sense of public responsibility, that sense of urgency for James Spann?
“When I was just a kid, I was a ham radio enthusiast,” explained Spann, “And that meant being a part of a group of people that served as community weather spotters during weather emergencies. I saw things that no kid should have to see.”
That created his desire to inform, his drive to protect and prepare the public as an expert, his intense sense of responsibility. As he pointed out during his presentation, predicting the future isn’t easy. Doing his best to provide that anyway is quite important to James Spann. It’s who he is, it’s what he does. He is most certainly one of the best in the business. Ever.
