Christian County native Rick Shanklin, who’s worked at the National Weather Service for almost 37 years and who has spent the last 27 years as warning coordination meteorologist for the office in Paducah, has announced he’s retiring at the end of July.
He says deciding to step away was a tough call, but he wants to be able to spend more time with his family, including grandchildren who are out of state.
Shanklin began his career at the National Weather Service in Jackson and spent time as the deputy chief of integrated services for the Central United States at the office in Kansas City in 2011. He also worked in Louisville for a period of time, meaning he served at each Kentucky office.
Shanklin has forecasted countless winter storms and has surveyed the paths of dozens of strong tornadoes—including the ones that caused devastation in Christian County in 2006—but says the November 2005 tornado in Evansville that killed 25 people comes to mind as the toughest scene he’s gone to in his career.
He also remembered a winter storm that dumped feet of snow in Eastern Kentucky soon after he began his time at the office in Jackson.
Shanklin says he’s going to spend at least the beginning of his retirement taking it easy and letting someone else worry about the weather.
He thanked the hundreds of agencies, first responders and members of the media and public he’s worked with over the decades and says he’s making an effort to meet with some of those people across region before he heads to the house for the final time.
The warning coordination meteorologist position will be advertised, but Shanklin hopes his assistant—Christine Wielgos—will receive strong consideration.
Listen to the entire interview below: