December 26 2015 North Texas Tornado Outbreak

On December 26 2016, a classic recipe for tornadoes began forming over North Texas, fueled by conditions rarely seen in winter. Over the course of the day, the system spawned a dozen tornadoes. Along with the many wounded, 13 people were killed. The Sunnyvale/Garland/Rowlett EF 4 was the strongest and most deadly December tornado ever recorded in Dallas County. I will discuss the meteorological conditions that contributed to 70 degree dew points in December, how on-air staff reacted as the event evolved, and how the necessary information was communicated to viewers on a day when most were not thinking about the potential tornado threat. I will also talk about how social media is changing how we communicate