NORMAN, Okla. (KFOR) – We in Oklahoma are no stranger to severe weather. We also know the importance of notifying you when it’s here.

That’s why the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center for the entire country is located in Norman.

Dozens of employees work inside the National Weather Center diligently working to predict our state’s weather and more importantly, severe weather.

A recent groundbreaking forecast by one of their employees made history.

“It’s a passion that I’ve had, and I think that most of us here have had since we were kids,” said Liz Leitman, a meteorologist in the Storm Prediction Center at the National Weather Center.

Leitman has worked there the last 13 years predicting our entire country’s weather.

She spends most of her days poring over weather data.

“I sit down at my workstation, load up a large amount of data model, data, radar, satellite,” Leitman said.

One mid-February Wednesday, she was following severe weather in the Sooner State that spanned into Texas.

“I knew ahead of time that there is potential that could be the day when I got to issue my first watch,” she said. “So, I didn’t sleep very well the night before. There was a lot of anticipation, excitement, some nervousness.”

What would come next would etch her in history.

Not only was it her first watch, but she became the first female with the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center to issue an official watch.

“It was just a huge milestone day for me,” she said.

Letiman said she celebrated with her co-workers after it happened and took some pictures.

She said she hopes it can inspire her young daughter and others around the country.

“I have a five-year-old daughter and so it’s always exciting whenever girls get to see other women doing things that they might be passionate about. You know, it gets them excited about it,” Leitman said. “So, you know that you can do it and there are a lot of women who will be there to support you along the way.”