ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — I'm very excited to be here in the Tampa Bay area!
I was born in the Bronx, New York, where I saw all types of weather from blizzards to hurricanes. I was raised in Paramus, New Jersey, by hardworking parents Frank and Liz that instilled an insane work ethic in me. After Hurricane Irene in 2011 destroyed our home, I became so fascinated with hurricanes.
I went on to graduate from NC State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, with a bachelor of science in meteorology and atmospheric science. I had three internships, and shadowed Ginger Zee at "Good Morning America" and became a member/officer of the NCSU Broadcast Club.
I started my career in Greenville, North Carolina, and then as fate would have it — in 2020 — Fort Myers, Florida, became my home.
In Fort Myers, I learned so much in three years throughout the pandemic, Hurricane Ian. I was the only live bilingual meteorologist in Fort Myers as Ian made landfall. I was in the eye of Hurricane Ian and was on the air as our station was flooded by the storm surge. I learned how important preparation and social media were after my station was knocked off the air. We were rescued and evacuated from the station.
Ian really helped to shape me as a person and a meteorologist. The most important thing is no matter what hurricane or storm comes our way, you can trust me to be a positive and calm voice throughout the storm so you are prepared and can protect your family.
After Ian, I earned my Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seal from the American Meteorological Society. I can’t wait to explore the beaches restaurants, and sporting events Tampa has to offer. Fun fact: I can sing! I sang for the Boston Red Sox’s spring training game this year — and hopefully, I can here, too, soon!
I would love to hear from you!
Connect with Amanda: apappas@10tampabay.com | Instagram | X
