7:30 a.m.
I receive a call at home from CNN's southeast bureau chief. She tells me about the tornadoes in central Florida, and asks me to book myself on a 10 a.m. flight to Orlando with CNN Weather Anchor Rob Marciano. I'm a field producer, and Marciano and I have covered countless hurricanes, floods, snowstorms and other severe weather events. I've been through Katrina, Wilma and other storms, and have seen entire communities flattened. So I have an idea of what to expect today, and it's going to be a heart-breaking assignment. An unknown number of people in Lake County, Florida, were killed. It's horrible, and hopefully our coverage today will inspire our audience to reach out and help those in need. I shower, dress and pack lightly. My wife loads our toddler in the car, and whisks me off to the Atlanta airport.
12:30 p.m.
We're on the ground in Orlando, entering coordinates into the GPS for Lady Lake, Florida. I'm in the back seat, Marciano is riding shotgun, and site manager Tristan is driving. Our camera crew, with 18 cases of gear loaded into an SUV, is in tow. We're an hour from Lady Lake. Awful reports on local radio -- 14 deaths reported, and we fear the toll will grow higher. Lake County was hit hardest. The radio host is interviewing callers who braved the storm last night. Florida's governor is en route as well. He has declared a state of emergency. Our satellite truck is in Lady Lake. I will drop off Rob to do liveshots, and then take the crew to shoot search and rescue operations.
