Carolina Weather Group

It's been three years since the Carolina Weather Group first talked with Richard Neal, the owner of the decommissioned Frying Pan Shoals Tower off the coast of North Carolina. James Brierton and Shea Gibson caught up with Richard recently during the Weather Pods Disaster Relief Telethon. Here now is that updated conversation, followed by an encore presentation of our first interview from 2020. Frying Pan Tower is located 32 miles off the coast of North Carolina and rises 135' above the Atlantic Ocean. It helps provide safety to Mariners in the Atlantic Ocean, is used for environmental research and education studies, and is a shelter to a natural ecosystem for marine wildlife. Its location makes it a prime spot to observe tropical weather off the Carolina coast, including a direct hit by Hurricane Irene in 2011. Weather conditions are observed on-board by weather sensors and a live streaming webcam. In 2010, the government placed the Frying Pan Tower up for auction, with the winning bid going to R