Dennis Mersereau

Hi! I'm <a href="http://www.twitter.com/wxdam" target="_blank">Dennis Mersereau </a>and I write about the weather. I plan to start writing regularly for my site<a href="http://www.damweather.com" target="_blank"> DAMWeather</a>, and I'd appreciate your help in bringing solid, engaging weather coverage back to the internet without any of the hype of those big weather outlets that think of you as just another click. 
 
Why Subscribe to a Weather Blog? 
 
The state of weather journalism is gloomy. Most folks get their weather forecasts from an app that just shows you the high, the low, and some cutesy clip art. That doesn't cut it. 
 
A few miles can mean the difference between heavy snow and a cold rain. A tiny wobble in a hurricane's path can spare one town and devastate another. A thunderstorm can turn severe in the blink of an eye. There's so much more to the weather than meets the eye, and it takes an experienced voice to cut through the noise and help you truly understand what's ahead. 
 
Most news websites try to grab your attention by making every storm sound like it's roaming the streets looking for its next victim. THE POLAR VORTEX IS COMING! Are you ready for the bomb cyclone!? Tornadoes soon, click to find out where! 
 
It's ridiculous how those big publications treat us like children. It's not fair to us as consumers or human beings. Heck, many news editors don't even want to touch the weather anymore, punting any weather news to reporters who don't know sleet from hail. I'd love your help in delivering the best weather coverage around. This 
Patreon campaign can help me deliver engaging, no-hype weather coverage 
without bending to the whims 
of clicks in the never-ending pursuit of evaporating advertising 
revenue. The money I raise from this campaign will serve as a source of income to
 cover the time and effort it takes to craft great weather coverage. Reader-funded journalism benefits everyone. If you choose to support my 
efforts, I'll be eternally grateful and you won't be disappointed. The 
more money I can raise here, the more coverage I'll be able to provide. 
 
What I've Done <img src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vCa8WxLgYks/W0E-ng2_q1I/AAAAAAAAB68/t-z2jKg1PlwFQed3v_d1sVzvz8qfM9HPACLcBGAs/s640/11902568_10204729046334019_6955730450929701633_n.jpg"> 
I know a thing or two about how everyone appreciates good weather. I've
spent the past eight years breaking down all sorts of atmospheric temper
tantrums to help my readers understand the weather and prepare for what's to come.
 
 
I delivered engaging, no-hype weather information to hundreds of thousands
 of readers a month at Gawker's 
<a href="http://www.thevane.gawker.com" target="_blank">The Vane</a>. I've brought complex storm 
systems down to earth for audiences at Popular Science, 
Mental Floss, the Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang, and 
<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dennismersereau" target="_blank">Forbes</a>, where I currently contribute a few articles each month. 
 
I teamed up with Outdoor Life magazine in 2015 to write a 
book, 
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Weather-Outdoor-Life-Surviving/dp/1616289538" target="_blank">The Extreme Weather Survival Manual</a>, to help readers understand the weather and survive in the worst conditions nature can throw at us. The book, published by Weldon Owen, has sold more than 12,000 copies around the world. 
 
A New Kind Of Weather Journalism 
 
I approach writing about the weather as a service. I'm not here to talk at you. I'm here to have a discussion with you. <a href="http://www.damweather.com/p/email-me.html" target="_blank">I want to hear from you</a>. I also want to entertain you. Serious weather deserves to be taken seriously, but good, effective weather coverage involves a friendly voice and some humor rather than that stuffy voice we see so much of on news websites. 
 
Don't get me wrong—I love the folks who work for the big weather outlets, but I'm not afraid to hold their feet to the fire when they mess up. I won't shy away from criticism of <a href="http://mentalfloss.com/article/74744/why-it-controversial-name-winter-storms" target="_blank">naming winter storms</a>, airing <a href="http://thevane.gawker.com/weather-channel-ends-its-rumspringa-decides-it-wants-t-1729587260" target="_blank">silly reality shows</a>, or even the rare occasion when forecasters have <a href="http://thevane.gawker.com/without-warning-a-possible-tornado-destroyed-a-walmart-1722642947" target="_blank">a dangerous miss</a>. And I won't stop debunking those silly conspiracy theories that damage public trust in scientists. 
 
What I Plan To Do 
 
<img src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xqv2zIuHvOE/WdhjVaRvFII/AAAAAAAAA4Q/3OQLB1KLRE00XlEgahlRc0Bo2t5v3LoBwCLcBGAs/s1600/17972134_1297684210320118_6479264592944776699_o.jpg"> 
 
I plan to write about the weather at least a few times per week—more often as active weather warrants—much as I did on my previous blogs. I want to talk about big storms and explain why the weather is acting funky. I want create great maps and make fun of the big weather outlets when they deserve it. I'd like to be able to build the site up to the point where I can publish multiple articles a day and become a landing point for people who want to check in on weather news and analysis. 
 
My plans hinge on the success of this campaign and interest from my readers. 
 
About Me 
 
<img src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ylV_PpX1Pbg/W0E-PZi72VI/AAAAAAAAB6w/53oGpnwy394sP4DmkdVF2iE0mwhxLofWgCLcBGAs/s640/555088_4509026571735_608492550_n.jpg"> 
 My blog is called <a href="http://www.damweather.com">DAMWeather</a>, a play on my initials and my Twitter handle (<a href="http://www.twitter.com/wxdam">@wxdam</a>). 
I
 grew up in Woodbridge, Virginia, and currently live in Reidsville, North Carolina. I graduated from the 
University of South Alabama in 2014 with a degree in political science 
and a minor in meteorology. I started writing about the weather at a 
political website (of all places!) in 2009 and it grew into an unusual 
but rewarding freelancing career that's taken me from one big publication to the next.
 
 
I taught myself how to use GIS software from scratch in 2014. I'm proud of the 
weather maps I create to accompany my writing. It brings an aesthetic and 
informative quality that copying and pasting from other 
websites just can't match.
 
 
I appeared on <a href="https://weather.com/tv/shows/wx-geeks/video/surviving-weather-disasters">The Weather Channel's WxGeeks </a>in October 2015 to discuss my book, and I've appeared as a guest on episodes of the podcasts <a href="http://weatherbrains.com/weatherbrains/?p=5249">WeatherBrains </a>and <a href="http://www.theweatherjunkies.com/single-post/2018/02/22/The-Harassment-Facing-Meteorologists">In The Elements</a>. 
 
Writing Samples 
 
Gawker's The Vane: 
<ul>
	<li><a href="http://thevane.gawker.com/boston-plans-to-dump-snow-in-harbor-to-protest-oppressi-1684717420" target="_blank">Boston Plans to Dump Snow in Harbor to Protest Oppressive Canadian Rule</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://thevane.gawker.com/at-200-mph-hurricane-patricia-is-now-the-strongest-tro-1738224692" target="_blank">Hurricane Patricia Is Now the Strongest Tropical Cyclone Ever Recorded</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://thevane.gawker.com/july-10-1926-the-day-nature-blew-up-a-town-in-new-jer-1602586498" target="_blank">July 10, 1926: The Day Nature Blew up a Town in New Jersey</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://thevane.gawker.com/do-you-have-what-it-takes-to-predict-the-future-the-re-1723297960">Do You Have What It Takes to Predict The Future? The Reality of Becoming a Meteorologist</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://thevane.gawker.com/the-mechanics-behind-lake-effect-snow-natures-greatest-1659711094" target="_blank">Lake Effect Snow: How Nature's Greatest Snow Machine Works</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://thevane.gawker.com/heres-an-in-depth-look-at-the-tornado-that-destroyed-fa-1697075704" target="_blank">Here's an In-Depth Look at the Tornado That Destroyed Fairdale, Illinois</a></li>
</ul>
 
Mental Floss: 
<ul>
	<li><a href="http://mentalfloss.com/article/72292/seattle-just-had-its-darkest-day-nine-years" target="_blank">Seattle Just Had Its Darkest Day in Nine Years</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://mentalfloss.com/article/78931/why-does-it-seem-tornadoes-target-mobile-homes" target="_blank">Why Does It Seem Like Tornadoes Target Mobile Homes?</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://mentalfloss.com/article/78624/few-people-die-lightning-strikes-these-days-why" target="_blank">Few People Die From Lightning Strikes These Days. Why?</a></li>
</ul>
 
Forbes: 
<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dennismersereau/2017/05/05/lightning-is-no-match-for-this-system-that-can-predict-bolts-before-they-strike/#469f4fd25f04" target="_blank">Lightning Is No Match For This System That Can Predict Bolts Before They Strike</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dennismersereau/2018/01/04/the-bomb-cyclone-is-the-latest-abuse-of-science-for-clicks/#51dfae47121e" target="_blank">The 'Bomb Cyclone' Is The Latest Abuse Of Science For Clicks</a></li>
</ul>
 
Washington Post: 
<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/07/22/u-s-radars-have-come-a-long-way-but-gaps-in-coverage-remain-big-a-risk" target="_blank">U.S. radars have come a long way, but gaps in coverage remain a big risk</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2014/04/18/snow-days-on-the-rise-a-detailed-look-at-every-major-d-c-area-school-district" target="_blank">Snow days on the rise? A detailed look at every major D.C. area school district</a></li>
</ul>
 
Popular Science: 
<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.popsci.com/how-hurricane-forms" target="_blank">The anatomy of a hurricane, from its eye to its swirling winds</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.popsci.com/hurricane-irma-united-states" target="_blank">Hurricane Irma threatens the United States with power rarely seen</a></li>
</ul>
 
Dennis on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/wxdam" target="_blank">Twitter </a>| <a href="http://www.facebook.com/wxdudedk" target="_blank">Facebook</a> 
DAMWeather on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/dam_weather" target="_blank">Twitter </a>| <a href="http://www.facebook.com/DAMWX" target="_blank">Facebook</a> 
 
You can email me anytime and about anything through <a href="http://www.damweather.com/p/email-me.html" target="_blank">the contact form </a>on DAMWeather.

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