Ben Terry Dies From Cancer

Ben Terry, the Southwest Louisiana meteorologist viewers depended on for a dozen years for his gentle demeanor and candid sense of urgency when it counted, passed away Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023, in Lake Charles, according to his family. He was 40.

Through hurricanes, floods, ice storms, sunshine – and even an occasional snowfall, Ben kept his neighbors up to date about the weather throughout hundreds of broadcasts over the years on KPLC.

His treatments for colon cancer were well documented since his diagnosis nearly three years ago, as he shared much of the details of his treatments with the public throughout his journey.

For me, I’m not somebody who gives up,” Ben told NBC’s The Today Show in 2021. “I’ve got to use this opportunity now to get on and tell people don’t put off screenings.”

He grew up in Kosciusko, Mississippi, going on to earn a degree in Geosciences with an emphasis in Broadcast Meteorology from Mississippi State University. Ben went on to forecast the weather for multiple communities in the United States as a Jackson-based meteorologist before joining KPLC in April 2011.

Colleagues remember Ben for his ability to translate complex weather forecasts into compelling messages that viewers could easily understand, and they also remember his refusal to lose hope.

“He was afraid of disappointing us if he didn’t get well,” KPLC Anchor John Bridges said. “I kept telling him his fight was enough for me, no matter what happens.”

“He is free of all pain, and worry,” KPLC General Manager John Ware said. “He was a faith-filled man and he has gone home to his Heavenly Father. The way he lived his life will continue to be an inspiration to those he left behind. I have never witnessed someone face illness and pain with as much dignity as Ben did. The outpouring of support from people he had never met is a tribute to that. We may never meet another Ben Terry.”

Ben earned national notoriety for his candor long before his cancer battle. As Hurricane Laura approached the Southwest Louisiana coast, a curt response on social media to a disgruntled viewer launched a moment of levity amid one of the worst disasters on the Gulf Coast.

“Change the channel then,” became a signature phrase in response to claims that his urgent warnings about the Category 5 hurricane were promoting fear and panic.

“It was meant to be a lighthearted joke,” Ben later said about the phrase. “It gave people something to laugh about when we needed it most.”

While Ben was an urgent voice ahead of and during the storm, he also became a victim. His Lake Charles home was one of the many that were destroyed.

His reporting on Hurricane Laura earned him a Special Achievement Award from the National Weather Service.

Outside of work, Ben advocated for other survivors of Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis through his work as a volunteer at Camp Oasis, an event established by the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. He had been diagnosed with the disease when he was 22.

He also became a staple at the Ad and Press Club’s annual Gridiron Show, a radio show host on KBYS-FM, and a member of First Baptist Church of Lake Charles.

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