Gil Whitney (August 18, 1940[1] -November 4, 1982) was an American television weather forecaster notable for warning WHIO-TV viewers and listeners on April 3, 1974 of the tornado that went through Xenia, Ohio in the 1974 multi-tornado event known as the Super Outbreak. Whitney's timely warning specifically identified the Arrowhead neighborhood of Xenia as lying in the path of the tornado (which proved to be correct as Arrowhead was leveled by the F5 twister).[2]
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Gil Whitney worked as a reporter, anchor and later the weatherman for WHIO-TV, in Dayton, Ohio. He also hosted, from the mid to late 70's, a summer late-night show on Friday nights called Summertime. The show guest starred local talent and other TV, movie and radio personalities. In 1980, the show was renamed The Gil Whitney Show.
He was a regular on the community parade circuit, acted as master of ceremonies for numerous public events, was a volunteer firefighter and was one of the founders of the Dayton Air Show.[3]
Whitney and his wife Mary had three children together:
Whitney died November 4, 1982, at the age of 42, of Hodgkins lymphoma.