The Oklahoman has published a story that suggests KFOR meteorologist Mike Morgan was to blame for the deaths of five Oklahoma City family members after they followed his advice about escaping an oncoming tornado.
Virginia Shrum said her brother talked about how he had hidden down in the tunnel from a tornado three years before. The survivors said they were swayed to flee the apartment by warnings from Mike Morgan, KFOR-TV chief meteorologist.
The article said 11 people hid in a long drainage tunnel behind the family’s apartment to escape the oncoming twister. They were swept from the tunnel by a flash flood.
At least 10 of the group ended up in the Oklahoma River. Killed were two of Virginia Shrum’s daughters, Destiny Love Shrum, 4, and Terra Shrum, 3; her brother, Timothy Shrum, 21; and her adopted mother’s two children, Cory Don Johnson Jr., 3, and Alexis Johnson, 5 months.
Nolan Clay, who wrote the article for The Oklahoman told TVSpy the families repeatedly blamed Morgan for what happened during the interview. He said he didn’t think he could ignore it. Clay used parts of a statement issued by KFOR in his article.
Others have criticized KFOR’s coverage. On June 3, KFOR said in a statement, “Many viewers have thanked us for providing hours of continuous coverage to keep their families safe. After every major storm, we review our coverage and the many things that make each weather event unique for the purpose of improving our coverage and our ability to forecast.”
KFOR didn’t immediately respond when TVSpy reached out for a comment. We will update when we hear back. Click here to read the article.