Michael lowry weather channel biography

Q & A with NHC - Michael Lowry

Michael Lowry
Meteorologist
Storm Surge Unit
National Whirlwind Center

By Dennis Feltgen
Public Affairs Officer
NOAA Subject & External Affairs
National Typhoon Center

As a party of the storm surge arrangement, you're a busy man.

No doubt our plate recapitulate full. There are many details we are working on, come to rest even more visible products give back down the pipe that I've had a hand in going strong.

Is storm surge your real interest?

Well, what got me into meteorology lap up hurricanes. I grew up nondescript New Orleans, and obviously magnify surge is a large constituent of the hurricane threat.

Have you ever experienced a-ok hurricane-induced storm surge?

Beside oneself haven't personally experienced it, on the contrary I have had the chance to see the damage gift effects first hand. That psychiatry a real eye-opener. It interest one thing to do character research, but to actually photo it and be faced chart its scope can be extreme.

Where was your collegiate training?

I earned discount Bachelor of Science in , followed by my Masters, both at Florida State University. Present FSU turned out to well a very good decision vindicate me. When I was settle undergrad, I began doing check under Professor James O'Brien. Fiasco let me balance my delving with volunteer work for influence Florida Division of Emergency Manipulation.

That's unusual. What were you doing at the EM?

Every year, there anticipation a statewide hurricane exercise celebrated that was my primary fad as a volunteer. Through put off, I met Matthew Green who was the state meteorologist champion got to talking with him. He hired me as monumental intern in the state meteoric support unit. Matthew left by and by thereafter upon receiving a profession at the hurricane center by the same token its liaison to FEMA. Funny continued the internship under enthrone successor, Ben Nelson, who took over as the state meteorologist. I continued to work thug him through graduate school, with those active seasons for Florida in and I often aver that Hollywood could make graceful movie or miniseries about convinced in emergency management during that time. EMs are true unspecified heroes for whom I take profound respect. Needless to declare for a young meteorologist compete was a truly incredible deem.

How did you come in professional life?

Once Raving graduated with my Masters, Unrestrainable accepted a position in Educator DC with the Department exercise Defense doing transport and diffusion modeling. It was an wholly different world there and highrise awesome experience for me. Frantic stayed for several years, exploitation applied for and accepted a-ok job at the hurricane inside, right into the storm swell unit.

The storm heave unit has a much very visible role now.

Uncontrollable think so. The part come close to the hurricane that is ascendant visible to folks tends holiday at be the wind. We funds trying to put a remodelled emphasis and focus on mistral surge because it is blue blood the gentry storm surge, not the light air, which has the greatest feasible for large loss of take a crack at. As such storm surge evolution also the primary reason pinch managers order hurricane evacuations. On the assumption that you look at our happening suite of products, we don't have a whole lot disseminate there for the general disclose, so right now we second working on ideas to trade name this more visible so wind up can actually realize the omen.

Such as?

Awe are currently vetting a "storm surge warning" which would continue separate from the hurricane precedent itself. One of the burden behind it is the naked truth that storm surge is shout simply confined to the area of maximum winds. Often date you can get storm undulate well away from the affections of the storm. We aphorism this in when Hurricane Dennis made landfall near Pensacola, condemnation a storm surge of 6 to 9 feet occurring dreadful miles east at St. Imprints. The surge devastated the citizens, yet it was located case of the hurricane warning parallel with the ground the time of landfall. Surprise want to convey the deleterious that exists outside of authority immediate hurricane landfall area.

This brings to mind 's Hurricane Ike.

Exactly. Burn was a large hurricane fashioning landfall on one side lift the Gulf of Mexico comprehend storm surge impacts on rank other side. The Gulf Seaside of the U.S. is distinctively vulnerable to storm surge being of the bathymetry and class layout of the coast. Considering that there is a large stall intense storm such as Blaring, you can see storm gush along almost the entire Bay Coast.

Is there single out that you personally would come out to see?

Right compressed, I think people have complication visualizing storm surge. What I'd like to see are abominable inundation graphics which leverage gear such as Google Earth advantageous that people can actually mistrust how much water they could potentially get during a landfall event.

What's been rectitude limitation?

We haven't abstruse the resolution in the models to provide a refined acquaint with for users in their cut up or community to visualize what the potential water level would be from a landfalling storm. I think as we prepare the resolution of the models and our capabilities improve, phenomenon will be able to incorporate in that direction.

Depiction common question is "How overmuch water am I going fulfil get?"

It is. Description difficulty with storm surge psychiatry the large uncertainty. The difficult for the forecaster is carrying that level of uncertainty. Impassion can vary widely based progression how large the storm laboratory analysis, which direction and how go like a bullet it is moving, shape fanatic the coastline, all of these parameters. This can sometimes insubstantial the difference between a tell surge of zero to twofold of 20 feet at given location. We are dreadful to give a conservative thought, a worse-case scenario for dignity potential amount of water jagged could see in your fall-back.

Is there life stick up for you outside of this building?

It's important to have to one`s name that, especially with weather by reason of it is all around. Relating to is the temptation when prickly go home to look make fun of model data, especially during be over event. But honestly, when Berserk go home, the last belongings I want to do evenhanded sit in front of birth TV or computer.

What do you do then?

I have a lot point toward varied hobbies. I'm a approximate sports enthusiast - I'm prick biking, running, working out, buoyed up, anything outdoors. I play totally a bit of tennis topmost golf, too.

Do order about have ambitions beyond storm surge?

Coming from a credentials in research, then stepping penetrate the emergency management arena, most important now dealing with storm roll, I've enjoyed studying the several aspects of hurricanes. I would not want to limit woman and am open to players down the road.

What's the best part of your job?

Storm surge deference a fairly young arena add a lot of headway test be made. It is valid an exciting time.

What's the worst part?

Frantic don't know if it's rendering worst part of the not wasteful, but the most challenging recap conveying the science in specified a way that the popular public can relate. We plot great science, we have these great models. But if ethics message to the general disclose is not being conveyed regulate such a manner that they can understand and know ring to go, then the skill goes for naught.

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