How Hurricane Katrina shaped local meteorologists’ careers, 20 years later

A flattened playground set the course for a young Henry Blakes’ career.

When Hurricane Andrew’s screeching winds tore through Louisiana in 1992, the storm uprooted a large oak tree and crushed the playset at the then-third grader’s Winbourne Elementary School. He was devastated. But he was also fascinated.

“I remember going to the grocery store and getting supplies,” says Blakes, now 42. “But I didn’t know anything about the mechanics of the weather.”

He studied physics and mass communications at Southern University, landing a dream internship with WAFB meteorologists Steve Caparotta and Jay Grymes. Soon after graduating in 2005, back-to-back hurricanes Katrina and Rita led him to Jackson State University for a degree in meteorology.

A 13-year stint in North Dakota as a KFYR-TV meteorologist later taught him how other states respond to extreme weather, as he covered severe floods, droughts and “so much snow.”

Last summer, he finally returned to the station that started it all for him: WAFB. Of course, it would only take a few weeks to encounter tropical weather once more. By mid-September, Hurricane Francine had washed onshore.

“We lost power for a day after Hurricane Katrina. When it came back on, our hearts dropped when we saw what had happened in New Orleans. Watching those broadcasts, I knew it was what I would have to do someday. Instead of staying at home, the weather teams were at work making sure the viewers were safe. It gave me additional respect for them. People come up to us and thank us for any help we’ve given.”

Quotes have been edited for clarity and brevity.

While most people evacuate when strong weather comes their way, Balin Rogers embraces it—or rather, chases it.

The WBRZ meteorologist says running after storms is one of his favorite hobbies, inspired by watching The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore growing up.

Now 24, Rogers even takes PTO from his weather forecasting job to storm chase every year. His most recent adventure? A seven-day trip to Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico in June to see tornadoes. Last hurricane season, he chased three hurricanes, too, mostly while riding out Hurricane Francine in Morgan City for work.

Through seeing the devastation that storms bring, he hopes his work as a local meteorologist can help protect and warn those in their path.

As Hurricane Katrina’s 20th anniversary passes, Rogers recalls the infamous storm being perhaps his first account of storm chasing while living in Denham Springs. Yes, even at 4 years old, Rogers was watching how the weather played out. Talk about a lifelong passion.

“My earliest weather memory is Hurricane Katrina and the power turning out. The entire storm, little me was looking through the window, watching the rain, the wind and the trees coming down. I was fascinated by the power of nature and hurricanes. That kick-started the passion. From that point on, I wanted to see storms and watch The Weather Channel all the time. That drove me to eventually seek out a meteorology degree. Hurricane Katrina is where the fire started.”

This article was originally published in the September 2025 issue of 225 magazine.