Minnesota meteorologist and dad Nick Jansen reported to work at KTTC on July 28 to cover the weather. It was a busy night as severe thunderstorms rolled through Rochester. Jansen and other members of the weather team worked in tandem that night to ensure that everyone in the area stayed safe. While live on the air, he sent a text message to his wife to make sure she and their baby were OK. A viewer apparently didn’t like that and sent Jansen an email he’ll probably never forget.
“I don’t usually post things like this, but after nearly 3 hours of storm coverage Monday night, I wanted to share a quick thought. I received an email telling me how unprofessional I was during my coverage. The quote that really struck me: ‘That he has to call his wife to make sure she takes the baby to safety? Maybe some people think it’s noble or cute. I don’t.’ I posted the video of the act attached,” he shared on Facebook.
Jansen added that while his career is important to him, it will never rival his greatest responsibility.
“I take my job and your safety very seriously. But I’m also a husband and a father. In the middle of severe weather, I decided to take a brief moment to make sure my wife and child were safely in the basement,” he wrote. “That’s not me being unprofessional, it’s me being human. I am a husband and a father FIRST. Let’s all try to show each other a little more understanding and respect in life.”
Jansen’s video went viral with 6.5 million views and more than 12,000 comments. People overwhelmingly lauded the father for putting his family first.
“You took 5 seconds while someone else was talking to check on your family during severe weather. Trolls will troll. Carry on brother,” a supporter shared.
“Family first. Good for you! You’re a good man. I’ve done the same thing. And good on you for calling it out,” a fellow meteorologist commented. “People have got to understand saying this stuff isn’t appropriate. You’re a human being with a family.”
“That was seconds and when I was watching it was helpful to know that if you told your wife to wake the baby and seek shelter then it must be serious and it made me feel validated and not so bad for waking my baby and doing the same,” a parent wrote. “Keep on keeping on!”
The kind words validated what Jansen felt in his heart.
“Thank you so much for all the love and support. I’ve been trying to keep up with responding to as many of you as possible,” Jansen wrote. “I appreciate all the love!”
