WJXT Jacksonville Boosts Digital for Hurricane Coverage

As Hurricane Matthew barrels toward Florida, WJXT, Graham Media’s independent station in Jacksonville, is banking on digital platforms that provide real-time, crowd-sourced information to help viewers through the storm.

The WJXT Hurricane Tracker provides minute-by-minute updates on the storm’s progress, as well as breaking news from station meteorologists and the National Hurricane Center, said Catherine Badalamente, Graham’s VP of digital media.  

Breaking news alerts, evacuation routes, phone charging information and live video are also available on the app – one of the many tools Florida TV stations are leveraging in their storm coverage.

Graham has also boosted the ability of StormPins, the crowd-sourced weather app, so viewers can “pin” real-time information about everything from where gas is available, which stores have emergency supplies and the sites of problems like downed power lines and flooding, Badalamente said.

WKMG, Graham’s CBS affiliate in Orlando, and WPLG, the Miami Berkshire Hathaway station Graham operates, are also using the weather apps.