COVER STORY
Kweilyn Murphy
'Prepared To
Weather Any Storm'
By Dean M. Shapiro
A native of the greater Pittsburgh area who arrived in New Orleans from
a TV station in Greenville, North Carolina, WDSU News This Morning
meteorologist Kweilyn Murphy has not experienced a major hurricane in
the six years she has lived and worked here. However, if one makes landfall
nearby, she is ready for it or anything else that can happen, weather-wise.
“Thankfully we haven’t had too much devastation since I’ve been here,”
Kweilyn began. “But any type of tornadic weather or flooding can be very
stressful,” she quickly added. “It’s my job to stay on top of these conditions
and keep people informed.”
With her bright, cheery personality, her expertise and her polished delivery,
Kweilyn is a hit with local viewers who see her on weekdays on the
Channel 6 Morning News and throughout the morning with Today Show
cut-in updates, plus another hour during the noon newscast. Outgoing and
instantly recognizable from her frequent TV appearances, she is pleasantly
greeted by people she has never met in the supermarket, on the street or
wherever she might happen to be when she’s off-air and out in public.
And New Orleans is a hit for her, as well. “I have nothing but love for
this city and its people,” she proudly stated. “Being from up North, we’re
always on the move. New Orleans lets me step outside of that and see even
small things from a different perspective. So I think it is one of the best
cities on the planet, despite our share of problems.”
For added emphasis, Kweilyn noted that her six-year sojourn to New
Orleans is the longest she has lived in any one place since leaving home to
attend Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Recently renewing her contract
with WDSU, she noted, “says a lot about how I feel about New Orleans. It
really means so much to me. I’m glad to be here and happy that the people
have embraced me as they have.”
Kweilyn’s interest in meteorology and her decision to pursue it as a career
came about largely by default. As a junior in college majoring in English and
broadcast journalism, she enrolled in a TV news class in which the students
would take on rotating roles of producer, reporter and anchor. “Nobody in
the class had the background for weather and nobody ever wanted to do
it. So I said, ‘I’ll do it,’ and I did,” she explained.
That experience spurred her desire to learn more about the technical
and scientific aspects of weather and climate. However, a few more years
would pass before she could reach that goal.
After graduation Kweilyn returned to Pittsburgh and gained TV experience
with WQED, the city’s PBS affiliate. While there she worked with
PHOTO COURTESY OF WDSU TV
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