Blake Mathews

Strategic Communications & Meteorology @Texas Division Of Emergency Management

TX, US

Primary role is media and communications officer with TDEM-Collaborate with the Governor\'s Office to craft and edit disaster-related press releases, covering all phases of emergency management including mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery-Write and voice scripts for public safety campaigns and weather safety PSAs; notable projects include the \"One Pill Kills\" campaign video that aired at Kyle Field during Texas A&M football games-Served as the Incident Meteorologist during field deployments, including the July 4th Kerrville/Camp Mystic floods, providing critical weather intelligence to ensure the safety of first responders. In that role I did the following: Delivered twice-daily briefings to the Unified Command and rescue teams, combining real-time conditions with forecasting. Served in a forensics meteorology role to help the command structure and elected officials understand why catastrophic flooding took place and what the atmospheric ingredients were that produced so much rainfall. Responsible for delivering weather information in closed door meetings with elected officials, including the sitting Governor of Virginia, Glen Youngkin. I acted as the primary point of contact for all weather-related operations at the Emergency Operations Center. I coordinated directly with TDEM\'s team of meteorologists, the National Weather Service and the West Gulf River Forecast Center to verify and analyze meteorological impacts. I also made real-time operational decisions, including halting field recovery efforts when incoming severe weather posed a threat to responder safety.

Mississippi State University

Certificate, Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology