PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A special honor was held today at the Palm Beach County Commission meeting for WPTV's beloved Chief Meteorologist Steve Weagle.
Palm Beach County commissioners awarded him with a proclamation declaring Dec. 12 as Steve Weagle Day.
"It is a little overwhelming. It's nice to be recognized for all the years here in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast," said Weagle. "You know everyone can do partly sunny every day but there's a special bond with hurricane coverage, because people still come up and say, 'You got me through the storm,' and that's a bond that can never be taken away. So, thank you very much."
During the county commission meeting on Tuesday, Palm Beach County Mayor Sara Baxter presented Weagle with the proclamation as a thank you to the chief meteorologist for his 27 years of keeping the community safe through storms.
Along side Weagle was Mary Blakeney, the director for Palm Beach County Emergency Management. Weagle has worked closely with her for decades, through countless hurricanes and weather emergencies.
"I think he is definitely the calm during the storm and he's been a great partner in preparedness during his entire career," said Blakeney. "A lot of times we're educating people about preparedness but you (Steve) get to go into what, 100,000 homes, into their bedrooms, and living rooms and give the preparedness message. We don't have that reach, which is important."
Friday, Dec. 12 will be Weagle's last day on-air, marking the end to 27 years here at WPTV.
"Many memories there, many memories of late nights and hurricanes and days and hurricanes —especially hurricane Francis, where we started to lose the roof of the building," recalled Weagle. "I remember everyone, I remember what I was doing. It's a little scary that I remember all that, but it just kind of gets etched in your memory. It's tough to forget."
And you can be apart of the celebration.
Join us as we bid farewell to Weagle on Monday, Dec. 8 at Philly Down South in Stuart and Wednesday, Dec. 10 at Old Key Lime House in Lantana. Both events start at 4:30 p.m. and you'll get a chance to personally thank Weagle for nearly three decades of service.
"I'm excited to start a new chapter in my life," Weagle said. "I had a chance to cover some pretty significant weather here. It's been a dream come true, but now onto a new adventure."
