NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) -- Today we're bidding a fond farewell to one of our most beloved colleagues.
13News Now meteorologist Craig Moeller is leaving Hampton Roads after nearly 20 years, to become Chief Meteorologist of our sister station KSDK in St. Louis, Missouri.
It'll be a homecoming for Craig, who grew up watching the NBC affiliate and later went on to attend the University of Missouri.
"To have grown up watching KSDK and now being invited to lead their weather team, it just feels like such an amazing opportunity," Craig said. "It’s the only job in the country that could have pulled me away from Hampton Roads, and I’m so fortunate that our company has afforded me this opportunity."
Craig has been part of the 13News Now Weather Team for 19 years. He describes his time in Hampton Roads as a lifetime of amazing experiences, years and years of community events, news big and small, and most importantly the gratitude for viewers welcoming him into their homes and lives.
"Craig brings such enthusiasm, passion, and energy to both Daybreak and our newsroom as a whole. He’s got a zeal for forecasting the weather that is great to watch. There’s nothing fake about Craig—he’s exactly how he appears on TV. He’s fun, he’s caring, and he’s completely devoted to his co-workers and the viewers of Hampton Roads. He’ll be sorely missed, but I’m thrilled he has this amazing opportunity to stay within our company and return to his hometown as Chief Meteorologist at KSDK,” said 13News Now News Director Doug Wieder.
“How many jobs do you get up at 2:45 am and you can’t wait to get into work and spend time with your coworkers? I’ve enjoyed it that much. The Daybreak team, the Weather Team, and the entire 13News Now team have all been family to me. It’s so genuine, we’re working alongside passionate professionals that we’ve built real friendships with. I will certainly miss my 13 Family, but I’m coming back for vacation!” Craig said.
13News Now will say goodbye to Craig on July 22. Watch 13News Now at Daybreak for what is sure to be an entertaining sendoff!
Covering big weather events in Hampton Roads
It could be quite the endeavor to detail all of Craig’s accomplishments over the nearly two decades working at 13News Now, but we did want to touch on some of the highlights during his time working for the residents of Hampton Roads.
Since 1997, Craig has delivered crucial, live-saving information to viewers who were eager for information of the one thing that affects most people across our area: the weather.
Shortly after arriving at 13News Now in 1997, Craig was put to the test, forecasting Hurricane Bonnie in 1998.
Making landfall in North Carolina as a Category 2 or weak Category 3 storm, Bonnie dumped heavy rain on the region, packed 104 mile-per-hour winds and knocked out power to some 320,000 customers in our area.
With 19 years under his belt here, Craig’s been here long enough to see another "Bonnie" pass through in 2015, albeit a much weaker version this time around.
But what sets Craig apart is his eagerness to step out of the comforts of the studio and into the elements to face Mother Nature's wrath.
In 2012, Craig reported live from the coast on what would become the deadliest and most destructive hurricane of the 2012 season, the hurricane that we all know as “Superstorm Sandy.”
More recently though, during Daybreak, Craig predicted that storms moving into our area on Feb. 24, 2016 would spawn tornadoes and threatened residents of our community.
With no sleep, he hopped into the mobile weather lab to report for our evening newscast and tracked the system that would eventually cut through the town of Waverly, killing three people.
For Craig, he forecasts in an effort to save lives and he will now use those skills to help guide the residents of his hometown of Saint Louis, MO as Chief Meteorologist at 13News Now’s TEGNA sister station, KSDK, Newschannel 5.
