WeatherBrains 187: Remembering Katrina
WeatherBrains Episode 187 is now online (August 24, 2009). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!
wb082409.mp3
Our guest on this episode of Weather Brains is Dr. Ivor van Heerden. Dr. Van Heerden holds a doctorate degree in Marine Sciences and is the deputy director of the Louisiana State University (LSU) Hurricane Center. He is also the director of the Center for the Study of Public Health Impacts of Hurricanes.
Dr. Van Heerden was born in South Africa. He created a hurricane modeling program at LSU. For the last decade he has been one of the most persistent voices warning of the inevitable effects of a major hurricane on the Louisiana coast. He was one of several hundred participants at the Hurricane Pam exercise in July 2004. He claims that his warnings during the Hurricane Pam exercise were ignored, which may have contributed to the Hurricane Katrina disaster. He has also taken the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to task for their misdesigns which caused the Levee failures in Greater New Orleans, 2005. He has been the focus of controversy from time-to-time, too. For a time LSU told him not to talk to the media, amid concerns that his book, The Storm was endangering federal grant money flowing to the university.
Plus Bill Murray brings a quick interview about El Nino and the impact on Atlantic hurricane seasons.
Other discussions in this weekly podcast include topics like:
Thanks for the attention to our mail bag. Kevin provides the rundown on your emails.
From The Weather Center:
WeatherBrains 101: Weather and climate – two words with different meanings that are occasionally used interchangeably. This week the Professor takes a look at how the two topics are different.
TWIWH: Bill Murray looks back at the week of August 25th with a timely focus on Hurricane Katrina.
Listener Surveys: Okay, we continue to drive this topic into the ground, but we really do like to hear from you. Many thanks to everyone who has taken the time to fill out the Listener Survey. The survey takes just a minute or two to complete and provides us with an opportunity to learn where you are and hear your thoughts and comments on the show. Click here to take the survey.
Web Sites from Episode 187:
Dr. Ivor van Heerden’s site, “The Storm”
Picks of the Week:
J. B. Elliott – No Pick from JB
Bill Murray – Hurricane Link
Brian Peters – Date and times of Earth’s Seasons
James Spann – An Old WeatherBrains Interview with Robert Ricks
Kevin Selle – NOAAWatch Widgets
Join James Spann, JB Elliott, Kevin Selle, Dr. Tim Coleman, Bill Murray, and Brian Peters as they come together for another fascinating netcast about the weather.
We love to hear from you! To leave a recorded message, call 1-888-247-8627. Some calls may be used in future episodes. Also, feel free to post comments to the site and drop us an email at email at (at symbol) weatherbrains dot com.
