Storm Team 8 Meteorologist Amanda Holly has been with the team since June 2019 but was no stranger to Tampa. Born and raised in Sarasota, Florida, she is beyond happy to be home with family and her husband. You can catch her weather updates on Saturday and Sunday mornings, along with the 11 a.m. show Thursdays and Fridays.

Growing up in Florida, weather was second nature to Amanda. She experienced the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, which were terrifying and inspiring at the same time. This fueled her interest in tracking weather and learning how it worked as she grew up.

She attended the University of Florida (Go Gators, Chomp Chomp!) and obtained her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. She earned a Certificate in Meteorology and Climatology from UF as well. As a junior, she interned with a Boeing contractor, but ultimately it was her elective classes in meteorology that pushed her toward a career in weather.

She went on to study for her Master of Science in Applied Meteorology from Mississippi State University. During that time, a field course took her on a 10-day tornado chase in the Great Plains. She saw three tornadoes form, touch down and dissipate. The most memorable was classified as an EF-2, was a half a mile wide and passed just an eighth of a mile in front of her. Amanda said, “While the power of tornadoes is terrifying, the science behind their formation is mesmerizing; Getting to watch the storms develop and mature was amazing enough but seeing the tornadoes on the ground was unforgettable.” The course was an invaluable experience that she can use when forecasting for the rest of her career.

When Amanda isn’t tracking storms or studying for school, she loves to be outside on the water. Amanda is a huge fan of the heat, humidity and our tropical environment. She fishes and dives with her husband any chance they get on either of their two boats. She is a certified NAUI SCUBA Instructor but also has several other technical certifications including cave, advanced nitrox and decompression diving. She also loves space and loves being close to the Space Coast, occasionally covering the milestone launches for WFLA.

Before Tampa, she worked at WFLA’s sister station, WBTW, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She began her forecasting career in Gainesville, Florida, where she anchored for the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network and the UF Weather Center for four years.

Follow Amanda on Facebook and Twitter or send her an email at aholly@wfla.com.