Cord Cutters + Severe Weather = Potential Problems

I cut the cord early last year and the only regret is not doing it sooner. It was and still is a game changer. There are several to choose from and you're not locked into a contract. I know many of you reading this have already done it or thinking about it. Don't let this post stop you, but there's something very important to keep in mind if you make the jump into a streaming service.

What if I told you watching local news and severe weather coverage is not LIVE if you're using a streaming service? As a meteorologist, that worries me when seconds count. I have noticed delays from 40 seconds to as much as 2 minutes. That doesn't sound like much, but it does in rapidly changing severe weather. 99.9% of the time, that 1 or 2 minutes doesn't mean much at all. But in a severe weather situation, seconds matter. A tornado can form, drop down, and lift back up within seconds. If a tornado is traveling at 60 mph, it will move 1 mile every minute. That's one of the many reasons we stay on the air tracking town by town down to the city street.

Watch this demonstration recorded by my wife during my main weather on Channel 7 News Midday on July 1st, 2020.

So what do you do? I recommend having an antenna back up to switch to when severe weather is threatening. That truly is live! What if your internet provider has an outage during severe weather? That's another great reason to have an antenna. You can buy them at any electronic store or online and they are not that expensive. It's a great investment when live needs to be live!