Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Crouch.
Hi Kevin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
When I was a child, I was terrified of severe weather. I was fascinated by weather , but knew just enough to be afraid of it. I eventually overcame this fear by learning more about how weather works – and how to be prepared for it. The more I learned, the more confident I became, and I became so fascinated by how weather works that I couldn’t help but admire it, even though I did maintain a healthy respect for its destructive power. Over time I paid more attention to TV meteorologists and storm chasers and gained a better understanding of how weather is forecasted, communicated, and monitored. I also noticed that many of the Dallas/Fort Worth media market meteorologists were focused on the immediate metroplex counties – Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, and Denton – and seemed to give less coverage to peripheral counties south if I-20, like Ellis County. Friends and family became aware that I regularly monitored local weather conditions, so they would text or call me to get information when storms loomed in our area. I started a Twitter page with a name I had come up with as a child for my own fantasy weather “channel”, Ellis County Weather, in October 2015. That way, I could type the information once rather than keeping up with multiple conversations. In December 2015, a tornado started near Midlothian and traveled toward Ovilla and Glenn Heights. That Twitter page became the center of many local citizens’ attention as they sought information about that storm, and ECW was put in the spotlight. Two months later I started the Facebook page that now has over 34,000 followers in and around Ellis County. ECW is now a company and I do this work full-time, funded primarily by sponsors and subscribers who generously support this operation. I provide daily forecast information and live coverage of severe weather events – both of which receive positive response from the community.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
There have definitely been challenges along the way. For one, building this brand while working other full-time jobs and being a husband & father was challenging for sure. Weather happens on its own schedule, so it became more and more difficult to cover weather events while meeting those commitments as well. I’m fortunate that ECW became successful enough as a business that I could do this full-time and that I have a supportive family who is flexible when I need to commit myself to this endeavor – even when it means working in the middle of the night! I must admit the coffee industry has benefitted greatly from this work.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Ellis County Weather provides forecast information and weather coverage for Ellis County, Texas, and surrounding areas. ECW is based primarily on social media sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram but has an official website as well. When severe weather is imminent, I will broadcast live across Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter to cover the storms as they move through. This way, viewers are kept informed about warnings, storm features (hail, tornadoes, etc.), and storm arrival locations/times. When storms are in the area but not severe, I post periodic updates to make sure followers are up to date on that as well. I try to be a well-rounded source of weather-related information, from questions about interesting clouds to school delays and closures in inclement weather days. This also includes visits to local schools and community meetings, where I enjoy sharing weather information with those who seek to learn more. I also try to highlight local events like the Texas Country Reporter Festival, for which I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Bob & Kelly Phillips!
What do you think about luck?
I’m not honestly sure how much luck has factored in. It seems as though every step forward I have made has been the result of hard work and dedication. Now, good timing has definitely been a factor! Sometimes I don’t even know how well I’ve timed things until I see how it worked out. If anything, I was lucky my wife chose to spend her life with me, giving me a supportive partner who has taken every leap of faith with me and been my biggest supporter every step of the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.EllisCountyWeather.com
- Instagram: @elliscoweather
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/elliscoweather
- Twitter: www.Twitter.com/elliscoweather
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/EllisCountyWeather
