Viewers Voice: Kudos and complaints for our tornado coverage

Our coverage of the tornados in Pulaski County dominated the comments we got this week. Some emailed thanks, like Wilma Nixon of Draper, who wrote this kind note after meeting Storm Team Ten Meteorologist Jeff Haniewich the day after the storms: “I just wanted to tell you that we sincerely are very grateful for your words of encouragement and for your sincere offer to return to help clean up. You are amazing and a very caring person, not just someone reporting the news. I could tell by your voice and the look in your eyes that this touched you personally as it did us. Again thank you.”

Our 10 On Your Side Helpline and supply drive which raised tens of thousands of dollars and collected much needed supplies for the victims of the tornados touched many viewers including Bill Bower. He wrote this on our Facebook wall: “Very nice to know and see for ourselves first hand that not only do you say it, but prove it with heartfelt action with your motto 10 On Your Side. God bless each and every one.”

Others didn't think our coverage went far enough.

JD Smith of Galax called to say, “We have been under a tornado watch for 45 minutes, but it has only be in the last 10 minutes that we have received any news on the television about that watch. Other stations have covered it for the last 45 minutes but we have not gotten a thing and I'm wondering why you are so late.”

While another viewer left this message: “We were calling actually wanting to know about what was going on and y'all haven't said nothing on your channel and it's done been over a couple of hours since the situation happened. We would all appreciate if something would be said about it.”

WSLS responds: Thanks for all the comments, both good and bad. As for the complaints about our coverage, our Storm Team was on the air early and often during the storms interrupting programming to keep people informed about the track, timing and severity of the storms. In fact, Jeff was here through the early morning hours until all the warnings were cancelled, providing constant updates on the air and on our website. And, we followed up that coverage with a week's worth of stories about the damage, the volunteer efforts to help the victims, the police efforts to protect the victims, and our own drives to help collect supplies and money to help the victims.

Others expressed their frustration with our leaders and their lack of personal attention.

One viewer said, “I am very, very upset the way the governor and the congressman, Griffith, have not even shown up. If he has I have not heard about it throughout all of the disaster. We're small town people, and he didn't care enough to just drop in until Saturday.”

While Madeline Hudson added, “It is a terrible shame that our governor couldn't even come to visit the tornado site before Saturday at 11:30 in Pulaski County. I think it is a terrible shame. That just made me lose a lot of respect for what we have going.”