Raleigh, NC – A student at NC State has become a crucial source of weather information across North Carolina, earning national acclaim for his timely updates during Tropical Storm Helene on his platform North Carolina’s Weather Authority.
At just 21, Ethan Clark is the founder and owner of North Carolina’s Weather Authority, a project he initially started in middle school. His weather page became a trusted source for the community, especially during Tropical Storm Helene, when he alerted residents of Western North Carolina, giving them critical time to act.
In the past week, Clark’s work has gained national attention, with outlets like Southern Living, Today, and Newsweek highlighting his contributions. What started as a seventh-grade project for friends and family has grown into almost a decade-long commitment. His Facebook following has surged by nearly 200,000 in just a week, now nearing 600,000. His platform not only delivers timely weather updates but also fosters a community where people share important information across the state. On Tuesday, followers were asked to share reports of recovery, impacts, and photos from small towns.
“I am very fortunate for the support, and it has been my goal to provide accurate and trustworthy posts that help people,” Clark told the Carolina Journal. “I’ve had several people tell me that I saved their lives or that of their friends and family; I find this very eye-opening, and I have always run this page to help people and uplift messages from the National Weather Service.”
A woman recently commented on the platform’s Facebook page that Clark’s warning ahead of Helene helped save her parents’ lives.
“I am still trying to take in everything, and while most people call me a hero, I am just a college kid trying to help,” said Clark. “This is not new in my nearly 9 years of running this page; I’ve worked so hard with each major weather event, winter weather, severe weather, floods, and hurricanes to provide as much information as possible.”
As a student, Clark strategically balances his time between classes and weather reporting. Each Sunday, he analyzes the forecast for the week ahead and creates a school plan around it. If the weather looks bad, he allows more time to focus on the weather page. While he has two others sometimes helping him with behind-the-scenes work here and there, he said he does about 97% of the work.
Clark joined a panel of national meteorologists on Monday night to discuss the most pressing weather events. He presented his analysis alongside other iconic meteorologists, like Jim Cantore of The Weather Channel. The discussion focused on the significant consequences of Helene and the looming concerns surrounding Hurricane Milton, a Category 5 storm headed for Florida’s west coast.
In a social media post, he said he was honored to have the opportunity to appear alongside other notable weather personalities and revealed that in third grade, he dressed up as Cantore for Halloween.