My Good Morning America/Gloria Story

This is not my first time at the rodeo. I’ve covered hurricanes or their remnants a few times here in Connecticut. My first was Hurricane Gloria in 1985.

I was thinking about Gloria while sitting across from Al Terzi earlier this afternoon. Al was our main anchor in New Haven when Gloria came.

Back then TV stations weren’t as anxious to hop on a story and beat it to death! OK. Exaggeration.

Though Gloria was coming in the afternoon we ran our regular morning programming. That included ABC’s Good Morning America.

In 1984 GMA’s weather presenter was meteorologist Dave Murray. He’s in St. Louis now.

On the morning of Gloria’s arrival a meteorologist at ABC drew a tracking chart which was then given to an artist who produced the graphic seen on-the-air. Using a paintbox type program the artist drew the projected path exactly where told.

Unfortunately, the computer used the pen’s location as the left border of the line, not the center! That pushed the storm’s path out toward Rhode Island.

All morning Dave Murray would do the forecast, including the tracking map and toss to the local weather. Then I’d come on and try and undo his tracking map! All this in a very limited time frame.

Frustrating? Yup!

Actually, I still get upset thinking about it.

5 thoughts on “My Good Morning America/Gloria Story”

  1. I was young like Geoff (in the picture) when hurricane Gloria arrived. My son was a baby, thank goodness, as we were without power for 9 days. That was tough. Hoping for a non-event or at least CL&P being able to handle this one :/

  2. Gloria was in 1985. I was a lawyer in private practice. Court in New Haven wasn’t closed until the storm was almost on us. I remember driving out Whitney Avenue with the winds whipping. My house in Hamden went 8 days without power. Unlike my present residence, we had city water and a gas hot water heater, so showers were possible. They won’t be where I live now. Already scouting barrels to fill with water to allow basic plumbing functions.

  3. I remember this so well. You predicted the storm before anyone else. I remember telling people Gloria was on it’s way and no one believed me. I kept telling them about this fellow Geoff Fox. When Gloria was here I was ready. We’re the same age..good for you for putting you photo up…I wouldn’t!

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