Weather Geeks

Guest: Dr. Rick KnabbIntroduction: As we approach the midpoint of the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season, we just experienced the landfall of Hurricane Idalia: a major hurricane. With much of the season still ahead of us, we're joined today by The Weather Channel hurricane expert, Dr. Rick Knabb, to discuss the storm and what to expect going forward into the rest of the season.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: John ValliantWhile this year’s wildfire season in the United States hasn’t really picked up steam, the wildfires in Canada have taken over the headlines.  Not just because of the extent of the fires, but because of the smoke they are emitting that is wafting into the U.S. and causing some of the worst air quality seen in years.  This has been forcing Americans to pay attention to what is happening north of the border and ask questions about these fires, in the past, present and future tense.  Today, my guest and I are taking a look at Canada's wildfire past with one of the worst in the country’s history at Fort McMurray.  Let’s welcome author John Vaillant to Weather GeeksSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Dr. Sundararaman GopalakrishnanWith the Atlantic hurricane season in full swing, a new hurricane forecast model is ready to improve forecast accuracy as well as increase our understanding of tropical cyclones. Joining me today is Dr. Sundararaman “Gopal” Gopalakrishnan, senior meteorologist and leader of the modeling team that is behind NOAA’s newest hurricane forecast model. The Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System, or HAFS, integrates the best of existing hurricane forecast models while adding in key advancements in research. The result is a more accurate forecast that helps scientists as well as the public. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Lieutenant Commander Valerie Gardner, Chief of Behavior Health and Wellness at the National Weather ServiceForecasting for natural disasters brings one level of stress, and the aftermath can raise it to a whole new level of challenges. There is a lot of attention on the well-being of the people affected by these natural disasters…but what about those making the forecasts? Lieutenant Commander Valerie Gardner has extensive experience in this field and now she is extending her expertise with meteorologists at the National Weather Service. Lieutenant Commander, we welcome you today to the Weather Geeks podcast!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: WDSU New Orleans' Chief Meteorologist Margaret OrrFor over 40 years, viewers in New Orleans have tuned in and watched Margaret Orr deliver their forecast on their local news, eventually becoming her station’s chief meteorologist in 2009. Throughout her career, she’s covered numerous landmark weather events in southeast Louisiana and earned her viewers trust as not only a meteorologist but also with her efforts to give back to the community she calls home. Here to discuss her career, her passions, and the uniqueness that is the city of New Orleans, we’re joined with Margaret herself today! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Liz LeitmanIntroduction: You are probably familiar with severe thunderstorm and tornado watches. The storm prediction center and its predecessors have been issuing them since the 1950’s to alert people that thunderstorms may develop and bring damaging winds, hail or tornadoes. About a hundred of these are issued every year. Believe it or not, the first convective watch issued by a woman was *this* year: 2023. The author of that severe thunderstorm watch was Liz Leitman - and she is here today on Weather Geeks!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guests: Fred Malik, IBHSIntroduction: After severe weather barrels through a town and destroys everything in its wake, there are stories of survival and perseverance. But then, these communities are tasked to rebuild. But are they rebuilding correctly? Are the new homes being built going to keep the owners more safe than they were before, or do they have to experience the terror of severe weather over and over again? There has to be a better way! Well a company called IBHS is working towards that goal! They are working towards a new FORTIFIED standard that is changing the way we build, and we have Fred Malik here to talk about it…See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guests: Jim MinickIntroduction: Tornadoes are one of the most violent weather phenomena on our planet, the strongest of which have been rated an EF5, or an F5 before 2007 when the Enhanced Fujita scale was put into practice. These incredibly violent tornadoes are uncommon, with the last one occurring 10 years ago in 2013. Today, we’re going to go back even further, and take a look at the deadliest twister in Kansas history; an F5 that struck the city of Udall, killing 82 people. Joining us today is Jim Minick, author of Without Warning: The Tornado of Udall, Kanas, to discuss this deadly moment in weather history.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guests: Jase Bernhardt, Ph.D.Introduction: They say you have to see it to believe it, and that phrase has been tested time and time again in social sciences, especially in the meteorology field. Can you believe that there is a tornado outside during a tornado warning if you can’t see it if you look down the street? How would you know how to react to certain natural disasters without being able to see them with your own eyes? Would you know how to act or react in order to save your life when caught in a rapidly evolving situation, like a rip current or flash flood? Well our guest on this episode has been conducting research using the next best thing: virtual reality. Let’s chat with Jase Bernhardt today on Weather Geeks…See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guests: Bruckner ChaseIntroduction: As we head into the swimming season, many of us are going to be flocking to the beach for a bit of surf, sand and fun! In addition to the fun memories that you’ll be making, there are a few things to be aware of when it comes to keeping yourself safe when heading into the ocean and today we’re going to dive into the topic of rip currents. NOAA has launched a new initiative called ‘Wave Safe’ aimed at reshaping the conversation around rip currents and ocean safety. Joining us today is Bruckner Chase, an ocean safety expert and host of this new program.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guests: Rep. Frank LucasIntroduction: As we Weather Geeks reside in our science world, sometimes we can be critical of how other industries perceive us and the work that we do. It can be especially frustrating when one of those circles is our own government, where science can become a polarizing issue on opposite sides of the aisel. When they don’t take the science seriously, that can have repercussions not just with lawmaking, but also in their constituents that listen to and trust them. Our guest today is on a path to make sure that our industry, mainly NOAA, is held in high regard among his peers by enshrining into law. What does that mean exactly? Well let’s talk to the source, Representative Frank Lucas…See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guests: Daniel Blackman, Senior Advisor for STEM Recruitment and Diversity at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)Introduction: On November 29th, 2021, President Biden appointed Daniel Blackman to serve as the regional administrator for EPA's Southeast Region Four. In this role, Daniel served as the EPA's lead on protecting public health and the environment for the region spanning Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and six federally recognized tribes. I'm joined by Mr. Blackman today to discuss that role and a new role within the Environmental Protection Agency.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guests: Dr. Dalia Kirschbaum, Director of Earth Sciences Division at NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterIntroduction: Studying the science of our planet and solving the problems its inhabitants face has been Dr. Dalia Kirschbaum’s mission since joining NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center over ten years ago. Her career has been nothing short of impressive, and since June 2022, she has served as the Director of the Earth Sciences Division. Her research interests are centered on rainfall-triggered landslide modeling. This includes using remotely sensed information to conduct landslide hazard and risk studies. It’s my pleasure to welcome Dr. Kirschbaum to our show today. Thank you for joining us!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Ken GrahamThe National Weather Service needs no introduction here on Weather Geeks and last year, a new director was appointed to lead the agency in charge of disseminating vital weather information across the U.S.. Ken Graham is joining us today to look back at his first year as head of the NWS as its 17th director and if his name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s been a guest of the podcast before last year when he initially took over the position and while leading the National Hurricane Center! Today, we’re going to discuss his vision for the future of the National Weather Service as well as his take on how the past year has been for the agency.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guests: Dr. Mike BrennanFrom June 1st to November 30th all eyes in the weather world turn to the tropics. The 2023 Hurricane Season will be the first as the National Hurricane Center Director for our next guest. Mike Brennan is the new director of the National Hurricane center, a role he began in April of 2023. Mike‘s tropical weather knowledge and 15 years of experience at the NHC makes him the perfect candidate to lead the hurricane center this season and beyond.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guests: Jamie WintersternIntroduction:  If you found your passion for meteorology or storm chasing through severe weather focused movies or shows, you will love this episode of Weather Geeks! Our guest on today’s podcast is Jamie Winterstern who wrote and directed the movie 'Supercell' that was recently released in mid-March to kick off the severe weather season.  Jamie is the youngest to ever direct and produce an NBC primetime drama show called ‘Siberia’ about survival in the frigid wilderness, so he knows a thing or two about creating suspense in the elements!  Will Supercell become the new Twister, or will it create its own path within the weather movie genre?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guests: Vice President Kamala Harris, Dr. Marshall Shepherd, and Dr. Isaiah BoldenAll of us Weather Geeks know how important our changing climate is for the future of our world. It is going to shape our lives and our children's lives if we do not take action soon, and that action needs to be more than on a personal level. We need our government bodies all the way up to the White House to take action. We had the amazing opportunity to sit down with Vice President Kamala Harris and Dr. Isaiah Bolden from Georgia Tech back in February to have a roundtable discussion on climate change and how the Presidential office plans to address it.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guests: Weather Geeks TeamDescription: One of the biggest metrics for tracking extreme weather events that impact our country is quantifying them as “Billion Dollar Disasters.” Earlier this week, NOAA announced that 7 separate billion-dollar disasters have occurred so far in 2023. Every month of the year so far has had at least one disaster, ranging from winter events to tornadoes. We are going to take time during this episode to break down each one and how that sets up these regions for the rest of the year ahead with more of the severe season still ahead of us and tropical season looming around the corner…See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guests: Dr. Steven ThurIntroduction: When extreme weather events rear their ugly heads, our first concerns are naturally with people and property.  But sometimes, we tend to forget the impacts on the environment around us and the animals that also inhabit the same spaces we live and breathe. The impact on their environment also leads to huge impacts on the economies around their habitats as well. As we move on and focus our attention on the next weather event, the unheard cries of the environment beg for us to notice them.  Additionally, as our climate is changing and the world continues to get warmer, those impacts can become more and more exasperated.  What do we need to do as an industry of meteorologists and scientists to start focusing more on these issues before our attention is taken elsewhere?  We’ve brought in Dr. Steven Thur, Director of NOAA’s Oceanic and Atmospheric Research division, to discuss…See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice

Guests: Rear Admiral Ronald J. PiretIntroduction: The United States Navy is stationed all over the globe and requires accurate weather and ocean forecasting in order to operate to achieve their mission as well as assist other branches of our military. Today we want to dive into that complex operation and shed some light on the over 2,500 Sailors, Scientists, Engineers and Technicians at the Naval Meteorology & Oceanography Command. Joining us is the Commander of that group, Rear Admiral Ronald J Piret. Thank you for joining us today! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.