Meteorologist gives kids a perspective on weather

A WRDW-TV meteorologist proved to be a big hit at Greendale Elementary School during a recent visit - so much so that she had to extend her stay.

The fourth-graders in teacher Holly Whitson's class peppered Vicki Graf with questions about virtually every form of weather - hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, hail and much more.

Graf showed the children videos of hurricane winds and snow drifts that covered cars. The kids were fascinated by waterspouts and large hail hitting the ground and a nearby body of water.

The material Graf presented, said Whitson, "matches many of our S.C. science standards for weather. The kids really enjoyed listening to and seeing someone from TV."

According to her biography, Graf previously worked as the chief meteorologist at WDHN in Dothan, Ala., where she covered tropical storm Fay and flooding in the spring of 2009. She joined the WRDW staff last June.

Graf described how hurricanes in America can actually start thousands of miles away as little waves on the coast of Africa, then move across the Atlantic.

"Hurricane winds can batter the shore for hours," Graf told the children. "During a hurricane, there might be crazy people out there surfing, but you must always stay indoors to stay safe when a hurricane approaches. We do film hurricanes, but that's done by trained professionals."

Weather radios are the best way for families to be aware of approaching storms or other bad weather, Graf said. The radios can run on batteries if the power goes out.

The work hours of meteorologists can be very long, she said. One of her colleagues comes in at 3 a.m. and gets off work at 1 p.m. During a hurricane, Graf remained on duty for 40 hours before she could finally get some sleep.

"But I enjoy my job every day," she said. "I like what I do and get a lot of satisfaction knowing I can help people be safe."

Whitson said she appreciates opportunities to bring people from the CSRA into her classroom.

"(The students) listen and see me every day," she said. "It was nice for them to learn about the material that I am teaching from a different perspective."

Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.