Amarillo, TX, NBC affiliate KAMR found itself in the center of the severe storms sweeping through Texas last night. The area was hit with winds up to 70 MPH, baseball sized hail and, according to KAMR chief meteorologist John Harris, tornadoes touching down in Amarillo.
Last night at around 11:45 p.m. reports of a tornado developing near the station sent the anchors and crew scrambling for shelter while they were still on the air. NBC’s “Today” show aired what looked like cell phone video of the KAMR weather team broadcasting from the station bathroom. The station was also broadcasting on FOX affiliate KCIT at the time. That video leaves out the one scene setter viewers at home could hear during the broadcast, the sound of hail hitting the building.
Earlier in the evening, high winds battered the station. The station posted video to its facebook page of the outside wind shaking the studio lights inside while Harris was doing his forecast during the station’s 6:00 p.m. news. “You can even smell the dirt in the studio,” said anchor Jackie Kingston. “You can smell how dirty it is outside.”