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 catastrophic August 26, 2026 flood and debris flow near the Nepal-Tibet border and breaks down the chain

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 coastlines.From living shorelines and storm surge to sea level rise and the often-overlooked threat of saltwater

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 recovery efforts across the United States and internationally, Gina explains the lessons she has learned about

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 experience leading wildfire mitigation efforts in a high-risk California community, Erica explains why

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 regulations, and how advanced GIS technology can help identify safer locations and improve emergency

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 training delivered to audiences across 54 countries, Haskell shares practical strategies that families,

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 Power Out Cooking Recipe Book—an innovative community preparedness initiative designed to help residents

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 educating consumers on how to make smarter decisions about where they live and how homes are built.The episode

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 Cook University Australia and undertook her post-doctoral research at the Woods Hole Oceanographic

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 rely on emergency response alone. Instead, we need a shift toward “smart” fire defense—systems that are

📹 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’t want to miss what he shares next!👉 Follow Austin Anderson on X: https://x.com/HDTVProducer------🔔

📹 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 miss what he shares next! 👉 Follow Austin Anderson on X: https://x.com/HDTVProducer ------ 🔔 Subscribe

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 engaged audience through podcasting and social media while translating complex weather science into

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 forecasting, public trust, and delivering clear warnings in a place where both the weather and the people

🌊 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 cities and engineers build more resilient infrastructure.Connect with Julia and I See Change:Website 👉

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=PL5xmTc5tQd9l5AdQTpqZDcF7IXQ2N8ts4&index=82Learn more about ShakeAlert here 👉 https://www.shakealert.org/

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 coast, the warnings passed down about past quakes and tsunamis, and the turning point that pushed the

Just nu pratar alla om stablecoins, kryptovalutor vars värde är knutet till vanliga pengar. När Donald Trump skrev under Genius Act i fjol tog krypton ett avgörande steg mot det finansiella finrummet. Men vem kommer att kontrollera framtidens pengar? Johan Cedersjö pratar med Forskning & Framstegs Kristofer Dittmer om vad som gör stablecoins stabila och vilka löften som de egentligen bär på.Läs Kristofer Dittmers artikel i Forskning &

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, how it all started, and why connecting churches, nonprofits, and volunteers is the secret sauce of