I stumbled upon this site a week prior to April 27th which is how I learned about James Spann. I live in Smithville, MS. 27 years old. My meteorology journey began when I was 4 years old. Storm came through knocked down my big apple tree. As a 4 year old, I was amazed the wind could have that much power. I met former WTVA Chief Meteorologist Dick Rice and he helped me tremendously. I wish I could have got to see him one last time before he passed. My first interest was with hurricanes especially after witnessing the historic 2004 and 2005 seasons. I watched The Weather Channel constantly learning on my own. I won't go into much about my story involving April 27th and Smithville. My story is featured in my friend Kim Cross's book What Stands In A Storm and on Storm Stories. I was 16 at the time. Would turn 17 the next day as my birthday is on April 28th. That day gave me a whole new perspective of storms and was the final piece of puzzle that solidified my meteorology career. I do have a speech impediment due to Cerebral Palsy but I don't let it stop me. I'm very involved now on social media. I've been honored to meet some great people like James Spann, Jim Cantore, Aubrey Urbanowicz, Rick Smith, Patrick Marsh, Janice Huff, Sean Casey, Jim Edds, and many others. I try to put the best information out there without the hype unless necessary.
