A fourth generation Oklahoman, David Payne is a National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Emmy Award winning meteorologist with a total of six Emmy wins and twelve nominations.
David's Oklahoma roots run deep having been born in Guthrie and then growing up in Edmond. His family still owns land acquired during the Oklahoma Land Run of 1889. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Science degree, David Payne enjoys speaking to schools and organizations about weather. His hobbies include fishing, golfing, water skiing, gardening, bird watching, and of course, tornado chasing. David, his wife Julie, and their daughter reside in Edmond.
David often storm chases and his footage from the field has captivated Oklahomans for years.
During the devastating tornadoes of May 3rd, 1999, viewers around the world glimpsed heart-stopping images of David reporting live in front of that mammoth tornado. It is the only F5 to hit the Oklahoma City metro area. Governor Keating in a public ceremony recognized David for his severe weather coverage.
David's coverage of the May 8th, 2003, Moore, Oklahoma, tornado earned him an Emmy Award along with two Emmy nominations. This storm, in a freakish sequence, was the second to hit the Moore community within five years and followed roughly the same path as the previous one.
David was selected by the National Association of Broadcasters in 2003 to speak at their conference on Serving Communities in Crisis, held at the Reagan Center in Washington D.C. He spoke on the topics of storm tracking and covering severe weather in Oklahoma. David has appeared on national television, as well as interviewed in national newspapers and magazines.
In spring of 2006, David waited and watched as storms developed west of Oklahoma City, near El Reno. Several tornadoes appeared before his eyes, one, a rare anticyclonic with a clockwise motion. Driving over 500 miles that day, David's coverage brought him two Emmy Awards and three Emmy nominations.
At the end of 2007 David received a National Emmy for his severe weather coverage for the El Reno, Oklahoma tornadoes from 2006. This was the first time in over thirty years a National Emmy had been given to anyone in Oklahoma.
David holds the seal of the National Weather Association and the American Meteorological Society. David's knowledge and passion for severe weather has put him in the national spotlight many times. He's been seen numerous times on NBC, CNN, FOX, The Weather Channel and The Discovery Channel…just to name a few. David's been recognized many times by the Associated Press and the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters for his severe weather coverage, including tracking tornadoes. David was just awarded "The Weathercast of the Year" for 2011 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters.
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