David Heckard, WFTV.com

Certified meteorologist

David Heckard is a meteorologist at Channel 9. He joined the Eyewitness News team in September 2024. David has extensive experience in covering weather in Florida, having tracked and forecast tornadoes, major hurricanes and extreme flooding in the state for more than a decade. Before joining Severe Weather Center 9, David worked at WJXT in Jacksonville, where he covered Hurricanes Ian, Nicole and Idalia. He previously spent five years in the market, where he tracked Hurricane Irma and its impacts across Central Florida. His coverage of the 2020 Orlando tornado earned him an Emmy nomination. Heckard previously worked for four years at WZVN in Fort Myers. Most recently, he was with FEMA, providing critical support during six major federally declared disasters in Florida. A Midwest native, Heckard graduated from Purdue University with a degree in meteorology. He is a certified broadcast meteorologist with the American Meteorological Society. Heckard developed an early passion for meteorology, especially thunderstorms and tornadoes. He now lives in west Orange County with his wife and daughter. You can watch his weather forecasts on weekend evenings and at noon.