Meteorologist Heather Haley to return to University of Tennessee to teach, report for WUOT
Meteorologist and Knoxville native Heather Haley is moving from television to radio - and teaching - as she returns to her alma mater the University of Tennessee at Knoxville to serve in two new roles.
Haley has been the chief meteorologist - the first woman in the Knoxville area to do so - and an anchor for WVLT-TV, winning an Emmy Award for her work. But come August and the start of the new semester, she will teach as an assistant professor of practice in UT's School of Journalism and Media, and report as a meteorologist and climate reporter for WUOT 91.9 FM, a public radio station licensed to the university, the College of Communication and Information announced on June 9.
She graduated from UT in 2005, interning at WVLT as a student. Additionally, she's served as a member of the school's alumni advisory council and helped to create the Broadcast Meteorology minor in the school.
At WUOT, she'll continue to provide information on the weather and the climate in the East Tennessee area, a vital role in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
'It's like I'm hitting reset, I'm really excited. I keep hearing from the staff and faculty how much they love having students here every day, it's electric," Haley said in a news release from UT's College of Communication and Information. "I'm looking forward to that positivity and environment, just being in the lives of students and helping them grow from semester to semester and having it come to fruition with graduation."
Keenan Thomas reports for the Knox News business growth and development team. You can reach him by email at keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com.
Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Meteorologist Heather Haley returning to University of Tennessee, WUOT
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Meteorologist Heather Haley to return to University of Tennessee to teach, report for WUOT
Meteorologist and Knoxville native Heather Haley is moving from television to radio - and teaching - as she returns to her alma mater the University of Tennessee at Knoxville to serve in two new roles. Haley has been the chief meteorologist - the first woman in the Knoxville area to do so - and an anchor for WVLT-TV, winning an Emmy Award for her work. But come August and the start of the new semester, she will teach as an assistant professor of practice in UT's School of Journalism and Media, and report as a meteorologist and climate reporter for WUOT 91.9 FM, a public radio station licensed to the university, the College of Communication and Information announced on June 9. She graduated from UT in 2005, interning at WVLT as a student. Additionally, she's served as a member of the school's alumni advisory council and helped to create the Broadcast Meteorology minor in the school. At WUOT, she'll continue to provide information on the weather and the climate in the East Tennessee area, a vital role in the wake of Hurricane Helene. 'It's like I'm hitting reset, I'm really excited. I keep hearing from the staff and faculty how much they love having students here every day, it's electric," Haley said in a news release from UT's College of Communication and Information. "I'm looking forward to that positivity and environment, just being in the lives of students and helping them grow from semester to semester and having it come to fruition with graduation." Keenan Thomas reports for the Knox News business growth and development team. You can reach him by email at Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks at This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Meteorologist Heather Haley returning to University of Tennessee, WUOT
Yahoo
6 hours ago
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Meteorologist Heather Haley to return to University of Tennessee to teach, report for WUOT
Meteorologist and Knoxville native Heather Haley is moving from television to radio - and teaching - as she returns to her alma mater the University of Tennessee at Knoxville to serve in two new roles. Haley has been the chief meteorologist - the first woman in the Knoxville area to do so - and an anchor for WVLT-TV, winning an Emmy Award for her work. But come August and the start of the new semester, she will teach as an assistant professor of practice in UT's School of Journalism and Media, and report as a meteorologist and climate reporter for WUOT 91.9 FM, a public radio station licensed to the university, the College of Communication and Information announced on June 9. She graduated from UT in 2005, interning at WVLT as a student. Additionally, she's served as a member of the school's alumni advisory council and helped to create the Broadcast Meteorology minor in the school. At WUOT, she'll continue to provide information on the weather and the climate in the East Tennessee area, a vital role in the wake of Hurricane Helene. 'It's like I'm hitting reset, I'm really excited. I keep hearing from the staff and faculty how much they love having students here every day, it's electric," Haley said in a news release from UT's College of Communication and Information. "I'm looking forward to that positivity and environment, just being in the lives of students and helping them grow from semester to semester and having it come to fruition with graduation." Keenan Thomas reports for the Knox News business growth and development team. You can reach him by email at Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks at This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Meteorologist Heather Haley returning to University of Tennessee, WUOT
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"Property owners, insurers and local governments should plan for at least one major landfall and the possibility of back-to-back billion-dollar events." Why It Matters This year's hurricane season, which officially began on June 1 and will continue until November 30, is expected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to have a 60-percent chance of being above-normal, with 13-19 projected storms, six to 10 hurricanes and three to five major hurricanes. A series of devastating storms such as the ones suggested by NOAA could cause major damage in the most at-risk states, including Florida and Texas, where homeowners are already facing rising home insurance premiums as a result of more frequent and more severe extreme weather events. What To Know Forecasters are expecting a slightly less active hurricane season this year than in 2024, when Hurricanes Helene and Milton, as well as five others and eight tropical storms, hit the U.S. But "it only takes one landfalling hurricane to cause significant damage to homes," Julia Talieson, data journalist at Insurify, told Newsweek. "Hurricanes bring strong winds, unrelenting rain, and steep storm surges that can wreak devastation on coastal and inland homes. Major hurricanes can tear away roofs, cause catastrophic flooding, fling debris through windows and doors, and damage home utilities," she said. Hurricanes Helene and Milton together caused more than $100 billion in damages last year, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. "Just one strong storm can cause significant structural and financial damage," Talieson said. According to Cotality's analysis of nationwide data, there are more than 33.1 million homes nationally facing moderate or greater risk from hurricane-force winds and more than 6.4 million homes, ranging from Texas to Maine, currently facing a moderate or greater risk of sustaining damage from storm-surge flooding this year. It would cost an estimated $11.7 trillion to rebuild the homes damaged or destroyed by hurricane-force winds and about $2.2 trillion to rebuild those damaged or destroyed by storm surge. These are "significantly high" numbers, according to Larsen. They are likely so high because more Americans are living in harm's way today than ever before, Mark Friedlander of the Insurance Information Institute told Newsweek. "The fastest-growing states in the country are the two states most prone to landfalling hurricanes—Florida and Texas," he said. "Despite the hazards and cost of living associated with living along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, Americans want to be close to the beach." This choice, however, is becoming increasingly costly for homeowners—especially considering that only few of them currently have flood coverage. Should this year's hurricane season be above-normal, as NOAA researchers believe to be likely, homeowners in at-risk states may be in a very fragile position. "All it takes is one landfalling hurricane to make it a bad season for families and communities," Mark Friedlander of the Insurance Information Institute told Newsweek. "After five U.S. landfalling hurricanes last year, all residents in Atlantic and Gulf Coast states should prepare now." 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With budget cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) introduced by the government, "there is no guarantee emergency grants will be available for storm victims who don't have adequate insurance coverage this season," Friedlander said. "It's essential for consumers to own their risk and make sure they are financially protected from storms by purchasing adequate levels of property insurance and flood insurance." An employee of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Hurricane Center at a news conference in Miami on May 30, 2025. An employee of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Hurricane Center at a news conference in Miami on May 30, 2025. CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images Wind-related hurricane damage is a different story. "Most homeowners are probably covered against wind-related hurricane damage because standard HO-3 policies include wind protection," Talieson said. 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The situation is particularly risky for homeowners who have reduced their coverage by increasing their deductibles or forgoing optional protections, she added. "If a homeowner has a 5-percent or 10-percent hurricane deductible with $400,000 dwelling coverage, that means they must pay $20,000 or $40,000 out of pocket before insurance kicks in," Talieson said. "At this point, most wouldn't consider going through insurance unless their home was completely destroyed. And, since home insurance doesn't cover flood damage, going without flood insurance could leave homeowners even more vulnerable." With climate change making extreme weather events more unpredictable and more destructive, and President Donald Trump's administration's cutting FEMA's budget, Timothy Davidson, a professor at the School of Social Work at Tulane University, told Newsweek that homeowners should veer toward being overly cautious this year. "With FEMA in flux and response systems stretched extremely thin, individuals need to take preparedness into their own hands immediately," Davidson said. "Secure your home, stock essentials—more than you think you need—have backup power if possible, and make an evacuation plan NOW. If a major storm is forecast and you have the means, don't wait—leave early." In a crisis, he said, "self-reliance and community coordination will matter more than ever, connect with your neighbors, church groups and so on. With the FEMA staffing cuts, limited ability for coordination and collaboration with historic FEMA partners, and the current general state of limbo with disaster response…there is real potential for a Katrina level catastrophe or worse, and that is not an exaggeration," he added. "Don't count on aid coming. If it does, it will be very delayed and will likely be minimal at best. Prepare, prepare, prepare!"
