DAYTON, Ohio – A meteorologist at a TV station in Dayton fired back at viewers complaining about interruptions to “The Bachelorette” during Monday’s dangerous tornadoes.
WRGT meteorologist Jamie Simpson was reporting on the warnings live on television and Facebook around 9:30 p.m. There were tornado watches and warnings in place at the time.
Several Facebook followers complained in comments on the Facebook live post. There were more than 1,600 comments on the post.
One follower said: “No reason to take over regular programming. You can pop on and off with updates SMH.”
Related: Thousands still under threat as tornadoes, flooding slam Midwest and Plains
Another said: “OKAY BUT CAN YOU GIVE ME UPDATES ON THE BACHELORETTE WHILE YOU’RE OVERTHROWING MY TV.”
Simpson said while on-air:
“Viewers are complaining already, ‘Just go back to the show.’ No. We’re not going back to the show folks,” Simpson said on air. “This is a dangerous situation, OK? Think about if it was your neighborhood. I’m sick and tired of people complaining about this. Our job here is to keep people safe and that’s what we’re going to do. Some of you complain that it’s all about my ego — stop. OK, just stop right now. It’s not. I’m done with you people. I really am. This is pathetic.”
He later apologized.
“Alright. I’m sorry, I did that,” he said. “It just really bothers me that we have people that don’t care about other people’s safety around here. That’s just ridiculous.”
Even the “Bachelorette” herself weighed in.
The National Weather Service confirms EF3 tornadoes touched down outside of Dayton in Trotwood, and also in Beavercreek in Greene County with winds up to 140 mph.
One person was killed in Celina, dozens of others injured in the twisters, among 52 tornadoes that may have touched down Monday across eight states as waves of severe weather swept across the nation’s mid-section.
Watch the entire stream below:
