Caroline Carithers, Meteorologist, WKRG News 5

As a third grader, Caroline Carithers experienced an event that changed her life and set her on a career path she envisioned as a young girl. 

That event was Hurricane Katrina. Watching the storm leave its path of destruction from August 23 until it made landfall on August 31 in New Orleans, the nation was tuned in as Katrina traveled through the Bahamas, South and Central Florida, before it turned north in the Gulf of Mexico with its sights set on the Gulf Coast. 

The storm reached wind speeds of 175 mph and took 1,392 lives, with a damage assessment of $125 billion. In the aftermath, the whole city of New Orleans was left underwater and abandoned. The impact was felt through the Scenic 98 Coastal area with a storm surge that shuttered the Grand Hotel in Point Clear for over a year.

This event left an undeniable impression on Caroline. Katrina was the twelfth tropical cyclone, the fifth hurricane, and the third major hurricane of the active 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. The weather was front and center that summer. Caroline’s family moved to Baldwin County from her birthplace in Grand Rapids, Michigan, shortly after Katrina hit.

“I have found that there is normally a specific event that triggers an interest in weather. For me, it was Katrina. I saw the aftermath after moving to the coast and watched the news coverage where meteorologists were helping people navigate through the immediate chaos and cleanup. This went on for a long time, and I was struck by how the media helped guide and answer critical questions for everyone living along the coast to help them get back on their feet.”

Caroline’s family landed in Baldwin County after vacationing there with her grandparents. “We live where people vacation,” she says. She attended Spanish Fort Elementary and Spanish Fort Middle School. During this time, Caroline’s love for the weather grew. She began putting emergency plans together for the family and constantly checking the weather. 

She and her family toured WKRG when Caroline was in fifth grade. She loved the weather team there and was enamored with the whole experience. She graduated high school from Bayside Academy in 2015. Her mother taught (and still teaches) English at Bayside, and Caroline enjoyed her time there. 

With college choices to consider, Caroline originally wanted to go out of state. Her mother encouraged her to visit the University of South Alabama, and she was impressed by their Meteorology curriculum in the Earth Sciences department. She also loved the family feel that South Alabama had. The decision was made, and she got very involved in all aspects of student life at South Alabama.

During her junior and senior years at South Alabama, Caroline was selected to receive the Hollings Scholarship from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. As a part of this program, she participated in a research experiment at the National Weather Center in Norman, Oklahoma. This project included working with broadcast meteorologists nationwide as they tested different severe weather products. The goal was to improve how broadcasters relay severe weather information, watches, and warnings, using probabilistic information. She traveled to NOAA Headquarters in Washington, DC, several times to present this research.

“I then interned at WKRG in college, and that really solidified that not only did I want to be a meteorologist, but I wanted to be a meteorologist at WKRG News 5. I took classes at South from John Nodar.” Her most vivid memory is of John encouraging her to break out of her shell. “I am a bit of a perfectionist, so I was so worried about what I was saying and did not realize I sounded very monotone. He said, ‘You can mess up, but people must like you. He was right!”

Caroline credits many meteorologists with her career path. Out of the many, John has been a tremendous mentor for many years, and she says he is an incredible teacher. “He sees the potential in everyone and brings out the best in people.” 

Ed Bloodsworth has also played a large role in Caroline’s career since shortly after she started at WKRG. “He really took the time to help me improve and get comfortable quickly. He taught and continues to teach me how to be the best I can be every day. An amazing chief, boss, and person.”

During college, in 2019, Caroline worked for Weathervision, a private weather broadcasting company that distributed reports to stations nationwide. Then she was encouraged to apply for a weekend morning and weekday reporting position at WKRG.

She applied as soon as she could. “As a part of the interview process, I had to do a story by the end of the day, demonstrating my on-air ability. It was finals week, and I was also a resident advisor and was really busy, so I decided to do a report on what it's like being a resident advisor during finals week. It worked.” 

Caroline met Collin Carithers her second semester freshman year at South. They were lab partners in a Physics I class. They dated in college for three and a half years. On November 30, their senior year, he proposed at Bellingrath Gardens, and they married in July in Michigan. “I knew what was going on,” she says. “Collin is not super subtle, but it was very sweet! He surprised me with my friends and family at a restaurant afterward!”

Caroline and Collin, who is a mechanical engineer, live on a farm in Mobile County. “I’ve always wanted to have horses,” she says. “We board family friends’ horses, and I ride daily.” She grew up riding and showing English Hunter/Jumpers.

They are both into horses, and Collin is a member of the Auxiliary Mounted Unit of the Mobile Police Department, riding one patrol a month for events like Mardi Gras and football games. Caroline was also a competitive swimmer from age 4 through 18. When asked what her best event was, she says, “Backstroke.”  She also played basketball and soccer in high school.

I asked what she and Collin do in their free time. “Most of our hobbies are the same. We both like to kayak, wakeboard, and tube, and we really love any water sport. Anything outdoors, we are very active people.”

She played tennis growing up and has recently picked up pickleball. “I’ve played twice and sprained my ankle the last time I played. I’m very competitive, but it’s different from tennis, and it’s hard to transform your mind from tennis to pickleball, but I can’t wait to get back out there.” 

Caroline’s sister, Emily, the oldest of three girls, was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer over four years ago. She is now 31 and still going through treatments. Through her treatments, she has figured out little things that help her to feel better. Emily started a non-profit called “Fighting with Hope.” With the items she’s discovered that help, she puts together boxes to send to other cancer patients. 

You can request a box or pay for a box to be sent. Several corporations have reached out to support this effort, and a producer at CBS world headquarters in New York saw WKRG’s local story and came to town to interview Emily. The video went viral, and support for Fighting with Hope has poured in.

Another important part of Caroline’s life is Collins and her dogs, Biscuit and Scout. They have been featured often on WKRG’s shows. People began to ask her how Biscuit and Scout were doing. Caroline took over the WKRG News 5 This Morning “Dog Walking Forecast” alongside John Nodar, which was created by Thomas Geboy (a former meteorologist at WKRG).  

Caroline says she loves living in the Scenic 98 Coastal area. “It’s a different culture,” she says. “I like the slower pace. In other places, people seem to be in a hurry and don’t stop to speak. Here everyone is kind and friendly. I like that about the South.” She goes on, “We are outdoors people. We love the landscape and try to absorb as much as possible.”

I enjoyed getting to know Caroline and her passion for forecasting the weather. She gets up at 2 AM every morning and prepares for the day’s weather before heading into the station for the morning segment. After her on-air sessions are done, she heads to the barn at home to tend to the horses, ride a bit, and then goes to bed around 6 PM. It’s an unusual schedule, but she’s dialed in and enjoys every bit of it. 

May 20 was Caroline’s fourth anniversary at WKRG. She has moved to weekend evenings and now works with John Nodar on weekday mornings. “I watched John as I was growing up, was his student in college, and now we are co-workers and friends. John still teaches me every day.” 

She loves what she does and the people she works with. “Our current news and weather team is so solid.” She adds that her favorite part of being a meteorologist is helping the community and sharing her passion for weather with others.

Thank you, Caroline. We appreciate all you do and for being a wonderful asset to the Scenic 98 Coastal area!