ALLEN STRUM
Weather Anchor/ Chief Meteorologist

Chief Meteorologist Allen Strum provides forecasts for the 4, 5, 6 and 10pm weekday broadcasts at WEAR ABC 3. He has been awarded seals of approval from both the National Weather Association and the American Meteorological Society.

Allen grew up in San Diego. He left California to pursue a degree at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he earned a BA in Speech Communications. The first job out of college for Allen was at WBTW in the Florence/Myrtle Beach market of South Carolina. His first job was not in the weather department but as a reporter. The station lost two of its weather people at once, Allen filled in, and loved weather reporting. Allen became the weekend weather anchor for WBTW. During this time in South Carolina he covered hurricanes Bertha and Fran. This led to his decision to become a meteorologist. It was back to the books. After Allen moved to Lexington, Kentucky, in 1998, he obtained a BS in Geosciences with an emphasis in Broadcast Meteorology from Mississippi State University. He worked in Lexington for three years as the morning meteorologist for WTVQ, the ABC affiliate. There he forecast snow events and enjoyed thoroughbred horse racing.

Allen has been chief meteorologist for WEAR in Pensacola since 2001. In 2004 Allen played a critical roll in talking viewers through devastating Hurricane Ivan. Florida was hit by 4 major hurricanes that year. Ivan was a direct hit on northwest Florida. Less than a year after Ivan and while clean up was still underway, Hurricane Dennis slammed into northwest Florida and was followed by what was more than a glancing blow from Katrina. After dealing with colossal hurricanes both professionally and personally, Allen is well equipped as a broadcast meteorologist to handle another one but says he doesn't mind waiting forever for the next big one.

Allen enjoys living in Pensacola. During the warm season he hits the beach and body surfs when the waves allow. He plays tennis and enjoys watching baseball, football and college basketball. In his spare time, Allen loves to travel and has traveled throughout the U.S. and the world.

E-mail Allen: astrum@weartv.com