Joe Puma, wsoctv.com

I was born outside Boston, MA, but spent most of my childhood in the suburbs of Chicago in Illinois. We get to experience all four seasons up north, everything from winter storms and blizzards to severe weather. I knew from the age of 7 that weather was my passion. Fast forward to high school when I attended a WEATHER CAMP in Washington DC. I learned all about weather and the numerous careers in weather. I even got to meet and work with my idol Tom Skilling in Chicago. Thanks to the weather camp, I knew this was what I wanted to do with my life. I took my passion and enthusiasm for weather and went to the University of Oklahoma! Boomer Sooner! They have one of the best meteorology programs in the country and I was able to do my fair share of storm chasing while I was there! From Oklahoma, I got my first job in Southeastern Oklahoma near Lake Texoma at KTEN. I was the weekend meteorologist and worked with our chief forecasting. It was such a fun place with some major severe weather. So, when it comes to the south plains severe weather I definitely know a thing or two. My job here at Storm Search 7 is to keep folks informed before, during and after a storm. We aren't here to hype things up. As luck would have it, I moved back to Central Illinois in 2017 to be the Morning Meteorologist for the ABC station in Peoria, IL. This is where I met my amazing wife Emily and we just got married in May of 2020.