Tupelo Meteorologist With Tornado Approaching: "Basement NOW!"

Matt Laubhan, chief meteorologist at WTVA in Tupelo, is a viral video star a day after the region was hit hard by tornadoes.

As the severe weather approached the station, an anxious Laubhan kept viewers informed. "This could be deadly," he said.

Seconds later, he instructed his WTVA colleagues to seek a safer place. "Basement now!" Laubhan yelled. "Let's go...now!"

(Laubhan speaks with B&C about his unexpected turn as a viral video star here.)

GulfLive.com has the video, and a separate video featuring storm coverage.

WTVA is the NBC affiliate in DMA No. 133 and, by BIA/Kelsey's revenue tally, the market leader.

At least 30 have been killed as a result of the tornadoes, reports WTVA.com.

Laubhan's clip is a top story on The Weather Channel site, and can be found on the WPIX New York site, that of the Daily Mirror (U.K.), Buzzfeed, and many, many others.

The switchboard phone is not ringing at WTVA.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.