GeoTrek

Stakeholders at the 22nd Bell County Water Symposium came together to discuss the future of water in Central Texas, in an area that has observed severe droughts and explosive population growth in recent decades.

Kainoa Horcajo, Director of Community Development with Global Empowerment Mission Hawaii, provides insights on the impacts of the catastrophic wildfires that struck Maui this past August.

Firefighting couple Gary Ringate and Kellie Murphy-Ringate share stories and insights from decades of fighting fires in Minnesota. Their perspectives on topics like hazard prevention and having a disaster plan, relate closely to disaster mitigation efforts for other hazards.

Himalayan mountaineer and Mount Everest Expert Pete Athans shares insights from leading expeditions to the world's highest mountains, perspectives on high-altitude weather extremes, and first-hand accounts of how the 2015 earthquake and Covid-19 Pandemic impacted Nepal.

Hurricane Idalia was the first major (cat 3+) hurricane to strike Florida's Big Bend Region since the late 1800s. This podcast documents storm impacts on the region, as well as voices from many storm survivors.

Hurricane Harvey flood victim Rahel Abraham innovated a large, waterproof bag that zips around cars and other large valuable items, like grand pianos. Her Houston-based product is now gaining widespread attention, as it promises to make flood-prone communities around the world more resilient.

Academic climate experts Daniel Swain, Andrew Schwartz and Julie Kalansky weigh in on perspectives about California's mega-winter, including measuring near record snow depth, analyzing climate patterns, and discussing potential snow/ flood impacts.

The 1755 Lisbon, Portugal earthquake revolutionized building and planning practices around the world. Check out this story along with other insights about landscape architecture from Benjamin George, associate professor at Utah State University.

U-Surge provides the most comprehensive archive of coastal flood data for hurricanes and tropical storms around the world since the mid-1800s, providing insights into the frequency and magnitude of storm surge floods, the world’s most deadly and costly natural disaster. Flood Information Systems analyze the impacts of these floods, by overlaying digital building and infrastructure maps.

Tulsa Meteorologist Michael Seger took an unconventional path in his pursuit of weather work. This podcast tells his back story, which involves years of studying art and some crazy times in South Florida- like hanging out with Aerosmith. He also covers tornado safety and communication in this episode.

Arctic weather outbreaks can inflict large loss of life and financial losses to the economy in the Central and Eastern U.S. Judah Cohen, climatologist at MIT, describes the influence of the Polar Vortex and Siberian snowpack on these weather patterns, as well as some insights on predicting their timing.

The 2022 Christmas Week Blizzard killed 44 people in western New York, making it the deadliest winter storm on record. Meteorologist Don Paul explains the meteorology and impacts of a remarkable storm that inflicted catastrophic impacts on a region accustomed to severe winter weather.

Julie Shiyou-Woodard, President and CEO of Smart Home America, shares how this non-profit partners with locally-based organizations to foster better building in disaster-prone communities.

Murphy Buggs, Property Claims Manager at CNC Catastrophe and National Claims, shares insights on many different angles of work in insurance adjusting.

The top 10 memories on the GeoTrek podcast in 2022 include stories about hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, southwestern monsoons, outdoor explorations and sinkholes. They contain much geographic diversity, as they were recorded in Florida, Texas, New Mexico, South Dakota and West Virginia. Happy New Year everyone and we’ll see you in 2023!

On February 12, 2014, a sinkhole suddenly opened up under the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, gobbling up eight vintage sports cars. This podcast explores the story behind the sinkhole in a live recording from the National Corvette Museum.

Sinkholes and caves commonly form in the limestone-rich, karst landscape of Eastern West Virginia. This episode explores the causes of this phenomenon, impacts on buildings and roads, and some surprising stories about the Federal government’s use of classified and declassified bunkers in this region.

Award-winning meteorologist Rob Perillo shares insights about navigating social media, humanizing weather forecasts and reminding listeners to stay tuned for changes.

Award-winning meteorologist Rob Perillo draws from his 33 years of experience forecasting weather to share how meteorologists can better communicate extreme weather risks and how people can better prepare for these events.

This interactive episode answers listeners questions about Hurricane Season 2022. This content provides insights on risk assessment and communication, which relates to other hazards as well.

Jon Stewart shares insights from more than 24 years of working in emergency management and homeland security. His perspectives will help people prepare for and respond to a wide range of disasters, including hurricanes, snowstorms, earthquakes and wildland fires.

This podcast assesses risk at the interface of insurance and real estate with Andrea Pelletier, Client Advisor and Agency Partner at Gulfshore Insurance. While much of the content relates to the industry in Florida, we also discuss why Superstorm Sandy’s transition to an extratropical cyclone saved homeowners money on their insurance deductible in New Jersey and New York.

Superstorm Sandy devastated the mid-Atlantic and northeastern U.S. states with 72 direct deaths in the region and over $50 billion in damage. This podcast looks back at the storm with interviews from Long Island, New York.

This episode shares insights on how to better communicate complex wind and flood hazards related to landfalling hurricanes, with guests Bill Read, Jonathan Brazzell and Brian and Lisa Flanakin.

Brandy Mai, emergency management consultant and disaster communications specialist, provides insights on how to best communicate risk, with a look back at Hurricane Ian.

This podcast features interviews with storm survivors in southwest Florida in the week after Hurricane Ian’s landfall, where catastrophic flood and wind impacts were observed.

Hurricane Ian struck southwest Florida as a cat-4 hurricane on Sep 28, 2022. This podcast provides field work insights from before, during and after landfall.

Alex Cary, FORTIFIED Market Development Manager at The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), shares insights about how to build better to minimize storm damage.

Mississippi observes the highest storm surges in the Western Hemisphere. Scott Sundberg, a structural engineer who lives in this hurricane-prone area, educates us about how to build better in this region.

Hank Hodde, Sustainability and Resiliency Coordinator for Pinellas County, Florida, shares insights about how to make disaster-prone communities more resilient.

Episode #44 is interactive, as Dr. Hal answers career questions from a high school student interested to one day work in meteorology, climatology or disaster science.

Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast 17 years ago today. We reflect on the upheaval this disaster caused in the region, and get hurricane forecast/ communication tips from Chris Franklin, Chief Meteorologist of WWLTV, in New Orleans.

Catastrophic Hurricane Katrina slammed the Gulf Coast 17 years ago this month. This podcast remembers Katrina in an interview with Chris Franklin, New Orleans native and Chief Meteorologist with WWL-TV, in part 1 of a 2-part podcast.

Sea-level rise is emerging as a high-profile topic related to climate change. Renee Collini shares the science behind rising seas, some surprising impacts right at the coast and inland, as well as some adaptation options to mitigate the impacts of this hazard.

Franziska Elmer and Paola Diaz share insights about sargassum seaweed inundations, which have a growing impact in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic Ocean. Sargassum can inflict a coastal hazard for the ecosystem, economy, and public health.

The National Tropical Weather Conference is a reliable source of information as we head into the heart of hurricane season. This episode goes behind the scenes of the conference, interviewing Alex Garcia and Tim Smith, who provide leadership for both the weekly virtual conference and the in-person conference every April.

Peter Davis, award-winning lifesaving expert and water sports athlete, shares about hidden dangers in complex coastal environments. He also provides some life lessons about teamwork and preparing for all contingencies that are applicable both at the coast and far inland.

Chile peppers are a prolific food in New Mexico, showing up in omelettes, burritos, enchiladas, tacos, and even cheeseburgers. Dr. Stephanie Walker takes us behind the scenes in this episode to explore the history of this crop, as well as the impacts of weather and climate on its growth.

Students at the University of New Mexico are designing and deploying flood sensors to improve flood prediction models. Dr. Fernando Moreau and Dr. Su Zhang share about the unique culture in this university, where students are encouraged to create and innovate science, while involved in student mentorship. This work helps improve the prediction and response to flooding from monsoon rains in the summer months.

Santa Rosa, New Mexico experienced a population explosion after the railroad came to town in 1901, and the city remained well-connected, as iconic Route 66 brought people through town from the Depression through the 1970s. Throughout its history, the town has experienced severe droughts and floods, with both hazards striking the town hard in 1937. On this podcast episode, local historian Dan Flores shares perspectives of both natural and human history in this region of eastern New Mexico.

Join us for severe storm chasing on the Great Plains in this episode of the GeoTrek podcast. We cover chases in Texas, Minnesota, and South Dakota, including interviews with impacted people on the ground. We also interview Dr. Victor Gensini, severe storm researcher and storm chaser, to learn more about the science behind these storms and hear about his recent 10,000 miles of storm chasing this season.

In this episode, we travel the world featuring cutting-edge research from women in Earth and ocean science. Marta Marcos, associate professor at the University of the Balearic Islands, Mallorca, Spain, shares her passion for oceanography and sea-level rise science. Sarah Piwetz, the stranding biologist at the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network, provides insight into marine mammal stranding trends and conservation biology. Kristina Murphy, a meteorologist with extensive experience working in water resources and engineering, shares insights communities can use to implement lasting infrastructure in light of a changing climate. All three scientists weigh in on their perspective of what it is like as a woman to work in Earth and ocean science.

Oceanographer Dr. Ivan Haigh, associate professor in Coastal Oceanography at the University of Southampton, United Kingdom, is our special guest on this podcast episode. We follow his journey from growing up in Africa, to oceanography research in the UK, to several years living by the sea in Western Australia. We also hear the story about how he and his wife were nearly victims of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami in Southeast Asia.

Some scientists take creative or unconventional professional paths. This podcast features four such stories, recorded live at the EVAN2022 Conference in Orlando in May 2022. Get inspired by these interviews we conducted with Soenke Dangendorf, Assistant Professor at Tulane University; Joao Morim, Postdoc Researcher at University of Central Florida; Caroline Huguenin, doctoral candidate at the University of Florida; and Samantha Timmers, a graduate student at University of Florida.

The Fifth International Conference on Advances in Extreme Value Analysis and Application to Natural Hazards was hosted in May 2022 by the University of Central Florida in Orlando. One of the main themes shared at this conference was the importance of identifying extreme flood events from the past when analyzing flood risk for the future. This podcast features interviews with Jens Bender, Senior Professor Jurgen Jensen, and French scientists Alexa Latapy and Nathalie Giloy.

Come cycling around Europe with Ola Mae in Part-2 of her 13-month, 9000-mile adventure. In this episode, we join Ola Mae in Portugal, fight a lot of mountain climbs in multiple countries, and then battle tremendous heat in southern Italy. But along the way we find a companion—a black cat named Friederyk, and then start the journey home before winter sets in. In the end, we discover some transformational perspectives, as Ola Mae arrives back home in Poland.

Are you ready for an adventure? Come cycling around Europe with Ola Mae. This Polish-born adventurer-at-heart crossed 14 international borders on a 13-month, 9000-mile bicycle adventure from 2020 to 2021. Along the way, she learned a lot about herself and met a long-term companion — a black cat named Friederyk — in Southern Italy. This is part 1 of a 2-part podcast that is bound to be a fan favorite!

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A catastrophic ice storm crushed Upstate New York and portions of southern Canada in January 1998. Days of freezing rain left more than 3 inches of ice on trees, power lines, and utility poles, causing extended power outages during the coldest time of the year. Rouses Point, New York, a village on the border of Vermont and Quebec, Canada, fared better than many other locations because they started burying power lines underground seven years before the ice storm struck. This episode provides on-the-ground interviews with village historian Brandon Racine and trustee Ben Arno, as they share lessons learned that will relate to all disaster-prone communities, regardless of the hazard.

What would you do if your city was facing the threat of collapse from running out of water during an unprecedented drought? When Wichita Falls, Texas, faced this situation in the 2011–2015 drought, they found a creative solution only successfully implemented one other time in world history: direct reuse of wastewater for treated drinking water. In this episode, Daniel Nix, Utilities Operations Manager with the City of Wichita Falls, shares how they pulled off this award-winning endeavor and saved their city from collapse.

Serving as a companion piece to the recent episode on the massive wildfire outbreak in Texas, we feature two experts on the topic of the relationship of wildfires to ecology. Dr. Kelly Lyons, professor of Biology at Trinity University in San Antonio, embarks on a field excursion with us into a recent burn zone to help us interpret the landscape. Matt Mccaw, President for the Texas Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration, shares about the impacts of fire on animals, functions of prescribed burns, and the amazing biodiversity following wildfires.

Scientists are predicting an active 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season. This episode explains the science behind these predictions. We also look back at factors driving recent active hurricane seasons, lessons learned from fieldwork, and emerging trends that coastal residents should understand to protect themselves and their communities.

Lessons learned from people who live in fire country

In this episode we bring forests and green spaces to you—in your community, home, or business. Jonathan Taylor, CEO and co-founder of Andromeda District, shares his vision for a new generation of green living. This Miami-based movement is passionate about bringing plants and green spaces into urban environments, and recently built the largest living green wall in the US in Nashville, Tennessee. We discuss how green walls and plants can clean the air and cool our cities through evaporative cooling.

Artist John William Bailly, faculty fellow at Florida International University and the Artist in Residence Fellow at Miami’s Deering Estate, shares his passion for exploring the world, and how he lets cultural and natural excursions guide his art. This podcast explores landscapes and paints a contrast between tropical South Florida and the open spaces of Europe. Listeners on this episode are invited to come along on an audio slough slog, which is a water hike through the Everglades.

Sea-level rise has emerged as one of the greatest impacts of climate change. In this episode, Dr. Keren Bolter, a climate scientist from South Florida with a passion for sea-level rise education and communication, shares how communities can prepare for the impacts of this hazard. She shares that impacts may be more complex than people realize, but communities can find hope by planning ahead and raising awareness.

Ice jam floods form when river ice jams along with pinch points and sharp turns in rivers after breaking up during warm or rainy weather. The ice jam acts as a dam, backing water up into riverine communities. This episode investigates the science and impacts of these unusual floods through interviews near the Pennsylvania-New York-New Jersey tri-state. Guests include Tom Vicchiariello, Director of Emergency Management for Port Jervis, New York; Bill Clark, President of Matamoras-Westfall Historical Society; and George and Betty Reaggs, long-time residents of the area.

It's amazing how much we rely on our phones and cell technology during major storms. In this episode, Jonathan Feuer, Vice President of Business Development for CellAntenna Wireless, shares insights about cellular technology with a special focus on natural disasters. He shares how Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) can be used to enhance cell service and gives advice on how homeowners, business owners, and managers of large facilities can take proactive steps to become better connected all the time.

Leona Chereshnoski provides stories from one of the snowiest inhabited places on Earth, recorded at her family’s farmstead on the Tug Hill Plateau of Upstate New York. Leona provides practical insights related to the importance of removing heavy snow loads from roofs and winter driving safety. She also shares about the importance of snow in this region, as winter tourism is a large part of the local economy. Leona’s family has turned the dairy farm into Old Lard’s Barn Bed and Breakfast, located right on the extensive snowmobile trail network that connects to many restaurants and other attractions.

German civil engineer Steffen Krei shares perspective on flood protection in Germany in this international episode of the GeoTrek podcast. This interview provides insights into Germany’s long-term flood records, major flood events, and efforts to protect the country in vulnerable ports like Hamburg. Mr. Krei also shares his personal reflections about growing up in East Germany, and how drastically life changed when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989.

Mark Rayome is the building code official in Camden, New York, a village in the heart of the snow belt that receives more than 200 inches of snowfall annually. This high-energy episode covers a wide variety of topics, including Mark's passion for history, cross-cultural experiences, building codes and waste water treatment. This interview is particularly applicable for people thinking about construction practices in areas with extreme weather.

Don Gale and his wife Jodi have run Twin Maple SugarWorks in Lincoln, Vermont, since 1998. They produce certified organic, pure maple syrup in a 5200-tap sugarbush at the base of Mount Ellen. In this podcast, Don shares his wealth of experience to explain the intricacies of maple syrup production, including the impacts of weather and climate on this iconic regional product.

This is a question on a lot of people’s minds, as Christmas is right around the corner. Listen to this episode or read the article, What is the probability of a white Christmas this year? on geo-trek.com: https://geo-trek.com/blog/what-is-the-probability-of-a-white-christmas-this-year

Bonus episode: listen in as Geotrek guest host, Shaq Vaxter, interviews the Poor People's Campaign of Sacramento. Hear how they're working together with policymakers to develop solutions for the unhoused communities of California, and how they handled the pandemic to make sure the homeless were cared for.

This episode picks up with Megan's life in Guam, her adventures around the Tropical Pacific and Southeast Asia, and then her move to Death Valley, California, the site of the hottest recorded temperature on Earth. Megan shares about the beauty of Death Valley’s parched landscape, as well as a firsthand account of what it was like to feel temperatures reach 130F. She shares the tragic personal story of losing most of her possessions in a wildfire, and valuable perspectives on life, cultures, and travel. If you’re into adventure travel you absolutely do not want to miss this action-packed episode!

Adventurers and explorers, this episode is for you! Megan McAlonis Hernandez is a National Park Service employee who is currently stationed in New Mexico. For almost two decades, she has worked with the NPS, living in remote places like the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, and Guam. During that time, she has traveled extensively, visiting 35 countries and 46 states. This episode is great for adventure travelers, as we hear Megan’s stories about exotic excursions—including trekking in the Himalayas, diving in the tropical Pacific Islands, and safaris in East Africa. This is Part 1 of a 2-part series on Megan’s adventure travels.

In Part 2 of this 2-part interview with Eleanor Kitzman, we discuss tree falls as a major hazard in windstorms, explore insights about hail as a major weather peril, and discuss the importance of disaster prevention. Kitzman is a lawyer, insurance executive, and entrepreneur, who lives near Austin, Texas. She is the former insurance commissioner for Texas and South Carolina.

In Part 1 of this 2-part interview with Eleanor Kitzman, we compare insights from the February 2021 Texas Freeze, discuss Kitzman’s journey into insurance, and give perspective on how to build better through the Fortified project. Kitzman is a lawyer, insurance executive, and entrepreneur, who lives near Austin, Texas. She is the former insurance commissioner for Texas and South Carolina.

Mostly recorded in the lobby of the Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Houma, Louisiana, on August 31 during Hurricane Ida, Hal interviews Marissa Moreno, General Manager of the hotel. The Marriott stood on relatively high ground and served as a refuge to local people who faced life-threatening flooding on the low-lying ground "down da bayou." This episode provides a great example of how professionals in hotels and hospitality can reach out to serve their community during a disaster.

Growing up in the Everglades, Jennifer Tisthammer is now a public information officer with Miami Dade County and a doctoral candidate. Her lifelong relationship with South Florida gives her a unique perspective on the minute changes that have taken place in this important area, from climate change to invasive species. She'll also introduce us to micro-time periods.

Will Mizell, VP of People, at Waffle House, shares how Waffle House became such an integral part of disaster response. Mr. Mizell oversees Waffle House’s crisis response team and coordinates with teams in the field. We're also digging into the now-famous "Waffle House Index."

Melissa Moon is a storm chaser and mom based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She shares her passion for tornadoes and severe weather, along with 18 years of insights into storm chasing. She currently works in the insurance industry, helping restore the lives of storm victims.

Ned Rozell is a science writer and adventure traveler who has lived in Interior Alaska for more than 30 years. In this episode, he shares stories on the impacts of a wide variety of disasters in The Last Frontier, including earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, heatwaves, extreme cold, and melting permafrost, a slow-motion disaster that occurs as frozen soil thaws in warming weather. Mr. Rozell has also trekked the entire 800-mile Alaska Pipeline, twice!

☀️ Listen to our first full episode and interview, featuring Liz Chamberlain, a National Science Foundation postdoc, and scientist with extensive experience doing fieldwork in marine sedimentology. Liz shares insights from South Louisiana and Bangladesh—did you know that rivers naturally want to change their courses, meaning the infrastructure we build along rivers to control them is literally “fighting nature?” Dr. Chamberlain also provides some useful advice for young professionals and aspiring scientists interested in fieldwork.

Welcome to Geotrek! Hosted by Dr. Hal Needham and presented by CNC.