GeoTrek

Hurricane Isaias showed us that hurricane preparedness is about much more than watching the forecast cone. In this episode, Hurricane Hal breaks down 10 lessons learned from Isaias after being on the ground in the Florida Panhandle before, during, and after the storm. From hurricane forecasting and AI to storm surge, heavy rainfall, flooding, complacency, and changing forecast tracks, Hal shares w...

What happens when the natural disasters we once considered “secondary perils” become some of the biggest drivers of insurance losses? On this episode, Hurricane Hal sits down with Kevin Sharp, Chief Risk Officer and Capital Strategy Leader at Victor Insurance and ICAT, for a wide-ranging conversation about catastrophe risk, natural disasters, insurance losses, reinsurance, and the changing global...

What causes a glacial lake outburst flood, and why are these disasters becoming a growing concern in high mountain regions? In this episode of GeoTrek, Hurricane Hal talks with Dr. Alton C. Byers, a mountain geographer, scientist, mountaineer, Senior Fellow at The Mountain Institute, and Senior Research Associate with the High Mountains Adaptation Partnership (HiMAP). The conversation examines the...

Coastal environments are changing, and preparing for the future means more than simply reacting to the next hurricane. In this episode of GeoTrek, Hurricane Hal sits down with Nina Davis, Habitat Resilience Specialist with PLACE and Extension Associate at Mississippi State University, to explore the complex relationship between people, infrastructure, and the natural environments along our coastli...

When disasters strike, homes and families often receive immediate attention—but how do businesses recover? Gina Spagnola, President and CEO of the Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce, shares how chambers of commerce help businesses rebuild, recover, and get back on their feet after hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, and other disasters. From Hurricane Ike in Galveston to disaster recover...

When disaster strikes, why do some people prepare while others delay, deny, or freeze? In this episode, Hurricane Hal sits down with Erica Peng, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business lecturer and neuroscience educator, to explore the hidden role that our fight, flight, freeze response plays in disaster preparedness, leadership, and decision-making. Drawing from neuroscience, psychology, and her own...

On this episode of GeoTrek, host Hurricane Hal welcomes Laura Myers and Nick Stanley to discuss how we can better protect summer camps and outdoor recreation areas from the growing threat of flash floods. Using the devastating Texas Hill Country tragedy as a case study, they explore the unique risks facing camps located near rivers, canyons, and steep terrain, the role of land-use planning and reg...

Hurricane season brings more than just strong winds—it brings critical decisions that can impact your safety, your family, and your recovery. In this episode of GeoTrek, Hurricane Hal Needham sits down with hurricane preparedness expert Haskell Moore, President of Hurricane Preparedness Training and Consulting, LLC. With more than two decades of experience in disaster preparedness education and tr...

When the power goes out after a hurricane, flood, or severe storm, one of the first challenges families face is figuring out how to safely prepare meals without electricity. In this episode of GeoTrek, Hurricane Hal Needham sits down with Hidalgo County, Texas Judge Richard Cortez, Assistant Chief of Staff Hilda Salinas, and Director of Administrative Operations Lizbeth Gonzalez to discuss the Pow...

Aris Papadopoulos joins host Hal Needham for an in-depth discussion on consumer resilience, vulnerable development, and the future of resilient housing. After surviving the events surrounding the September 11 attacks near the World Trade Center, Aris began questioning why so many buildings and communities are designed with avoidable vulnerabilities. Since then, he has dedicated his work to educati...

In this episode of the GeoTrek podcast, Dr. Jo Muller shares insights about the importance of paleoclimatology to improve our understanding of the risk for hurricane impacts and flooding in coastal areas. Professor Dr. Joanne Muller is the Whitaker Institute Eminent Scholar in the College of Arts and Sciences at Florida Gulf Coast University. She received her PhD in Paleoclimatology from James Coo...

Wildfires are becoming more frequent—and far more destructive—damaging critical infrastructure from substations and hospitals to telecommunications and water systems. The problem isn’t a shortage of firefighters; it’s that our current technology is outdated and no longer equipped for today’s escalating risks. In this episode, Sunny Sethi, CEO of HEN Technologies , explains why resilience can’t rel...

📹 Part 2 of what it's really like to chase the world’s most extreme stories with a camera in hand? In this two-part GeoTrek series, Hurricane Hal sits down with prolific freelance photojournalist and videographer Austin Anderson to unpack a lifetime of stories behind the camera. Austin always comes at stories from unique angles and perspectives that no one else gets. Subscribe for Part 2—you won’...

📹 What’s it really like to chase the world’s most extreme stories with a camera in hand? In this two-part GeoTrek series, Hurricane Hal sits down with prolific freelance photojournalist and videographer Austin Anderson to unpack a lifetime of stories behind the camera. Austin always comes at stories from unique angles and perspectives that no one else gets. Subscribe for Part 2—you won’t want to...

How do meteorologists communicate severe weather in a way the public actually understands, and acts on? In this episode of GeoTrek, Hurricane Hal sits down with Emily Gracey, host of the Off the Radar Podcast , to talk about the evolving world of meteorology, severe weather communication, and emergency management messaging. Emily shares her personal journey into meteorology and how she built an en...

In this episode of GeoTrek, Hurricane Hal sits down with Joe Martucci, New Jersey’s only Certified Broadcast and Digital Meteorologist and an FAA-certified drone pilot. They explore how he communicates critical weather information across a state known for dramatic seasonal swings — from coastal storms to inland snow — and a population as diverse as its climate. It’s a focused conversation on forec...

🌊 In this episode, we dive into the intersection of community engagement and climate tech with Julia Drapkin , the CEO and founder of ISeeChange. As flooding and climate risks become more unpredictable, traditional data often misses the "ground truth." Julia explains how her flood tracking and risk analytics software empowers residents to document local changes, providing critical data that helps...

Robert de Groot, Operations Team Lead for USGS-managed ShakeAlert, shares insights about Earthquake Early Warning Systems. ShakeAlert is a public safety system serving 50+ million people in California, Oregon and Washington. Join us for this interesting episode! Visit our website here 👉 https://www.geo-trek.com/ Watch our videos here 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUqEjDwGJmk&list=PL5xmTc...

As we close the book on 2025, Hurricane Hal takes a look back at the top 10 GeoTrek memories of 2025, ranging from an earthquake in Greece to insights from a massive drought mural in Mexico, as well as floods, hail and snowstorms in the United States. Join us for this final journey of the year as we celebrate the stories that shaped us and look ahead to a resilient 2026.

What happens when generations of tsunami stories become a blueprint for saving lives? In this episode, Quintin Swanson, Council Chairman and Education Director of the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe, explains how ancestral knowledge and modern engineering came together to build the first tsunami vertical evacuation structure in the United States. Quintin shares the tribe’s history on Washington’s coas...

Executive Director John Eckeberger has lived a life shaped by Gulf Coast weather. A native Texan with more than 50 years in ministry, John brings both grit and compassion to his leadership at the 4B Disaster Response Network—a coalition born out of Hurricane Harvey that now serves as a model for coordinated, faith-driven disaster relief. In this episode, John walks us through the mission of 4B DRN...

Tracie Sempier has spent more than two decades working with disaster-prone communities along the Gulf Coast — listening, teaching, evaluating, and helping local leaders strengthen their resilience. As a Coastal Resilience Engagement Specialist with Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant, she brings a rare mix of research, community insight, and hands-on experience. On this episode of GeoTrek, she shares wh...

Documentary filmmaker George Siegal, founder of Move the World Films , exposes the hidden risks in our homes and what we can do to make smarter, safer housing decisions before disaster strikes. Be one of the first 10 to click the link below and you'll receive a free guest pass to watch The Last House Standing for FREE! - Click this link 👉 https://pro.speakerhub.com/speaker-feedback/?qr=f8e08b24-5...

When hurricanes or floods threaten, most of us rush to The Home Depot to stock up—but have you ever wondered how they prepare? In this special episode, recorded during one of Dr. Hurricane Hal's talks at the National Tropical Weather Conference (NTWC), Hal and his colleagues sit down with Jason Arigoni from The Home Depot to talk about how the company gears up before, during, and after extreme wea...

Television producer and digital storyteller Dan Krueger has spent his career turning complex stories into captivating visuals — from CBS and Discovery Channel to his latest work as Lead Technical Field Producer of FloodVision , a groundbreaking Climate Central project bringing flood risk to life. In this episode of GeoTrek , host Dr. “Hurricane Hal” Needham talks with Dan about his journey through...