Bruce Katz

ABC26 Chief Meteorologist

Bruce is the only Chief Meteorologist who is a native New Orleanian who's lived his whole life in south Louisiana, spending the past 18 years predicting severe storms here.

He is a graduate of Louisiana State University and holds a Meteorology degree from Mississippi State. Bruce earned his A.M.S (American Meteorological Society). Seal of Approval in 1990. Bruce worked at the NBC affiliate television station in Baton Rouge, and the ABC affiliates in Lafayette, Alexandria, and Baton Rouge, before returning home to become the first meteorologist as part of the team that originated ABC26 News. Since the birth of ABC26 News in 1996, Bruce has been awarded 11 first place awards for Best Weather and Best Severe Weather coverage by the Press Club of New Orleans and The Associated Press of Louisiana. In 2000 and 2004, Bruce won the rare accomplishment of both awards in the same year. In the severe weather category, Bruce won 3 first place awards in the last 3 years. Bruce's Hurricane Katrina coverage was recognized as the defining moment in local television by the Times Picayune newspaper. Bruce was the only Meteorologist to turn anchor for 31 days straight during that time and give vital information to hundreds of thousands displaced New Orleanians hanging on to every word and picture that was put on the air.

The ABC26 Children First Bruce's Coats For Kids program has distributed more than 40,000 coats to children in need since its inception in 1996. When he's not predicting the weather, Bruce enjoys working out, landscaping, LSU and Saints football and Hornets Basketball. Bruce is member of The Krewe Of Bacchus, Young Leadership Council, and volunteers his time to numerous charitable organizations each year. Bruce recently finished the ground up restoration of his 1972 Vintage Volkswagen Beetle.