When, why, and how did you become interested in the tropics?

[NewOrleansMeteorologist]

As in tropical weather or weather in general?

[Swimdude]

My fear of thunderstorms as a child - i'd hide under my bed or under a blanket.

Also, Tropical Storm Frances - 1998.

[Scorpion]

I first got interested when I saw Hurricane Luis on TV back when I was 6. But when I moved to Florida in 1998 thats when I really started getting into it. I watched TWC almost nonstop during Georges.

[HurricaneHunter914]

When: August 13, 2004 Friday
Why: Because when Charley showed its wind and rain in Sanford it caused me to become a hurricane freak.
How: By tracking the 2004 and 2005 storms and getting information from S2K.

[Cyclenall]

When: After Hurricane Isabell in 2003. 2004-2005 really made me into a freak
Why: I've loved weather all my life and hurricanes is a part of that.
How: 2 words: THE INTERNET.

[beachbum_al]

I have alway lived along the Alabama Coast and have always been fascinated with the weather. My mom jokes around that maybe I should had gone into Metreology instead of education.

I think my real interest in the tropics came in 1979 when Frederic came through the Alabama area. I was only 9 years old but I will remember that night forever along with the two weeks after the storm. Most 9 years old would had been scared to death and I probably was scared during the actual storm but my fascination for the weather grew.

It wasn't until college that I really kept an eye on what was going on in the tropics. I think a lot of that was because I was at Auburn University which was about 232 miles from where I lived. First Andrew hit Homestead. My roommate at the time was from Homestead and after seeing the pictures she took at home when she went down there to help her family just really shook me up.

Several years later I was at home one quarter and it just happen to be when Opal came through FL. Opal went through FL and headed up toward Auburn and did some major damage. One of my friends at Auburn just happen to live in the apartment where the tree went down in the middle of it. Thank goodness no one was hurt.

We moved back in 2001. My husband and I along with our one child at the time. Little did I know that we would being having an active hurricane season. 2004 was wild and 2005 will never be forgotten.

I want to know what is going on. I don't want them to hit me but if they are coming my way I want to know.

[gpickett00]

Well, Ive always lived in Florida, so there have always been thunderstorms, and I have always been intrigued by the weather. In 1992, I was 4 when hurricane Andrew was coming, and that was the first time I remember hearing of a Hurricane. After that I preferred the weather channel over cartoons or sports on TV. Going into highschool I had experienced a couple hurricanes and experienced Charley Frances Jeanne...Etc whatever else there was. As it turns out, as interested in weather I am, Im not going to major in Meteorology at FSU.

[CHRISTY]

great thread...

well here it goes in august of 1992 there was a wave that came of africa the was haveing a hard time in getting its act together but that changed very soon and became tropical storm andrew and then hurricane andrew then panic set all across south florida once we saw all the mets on TV saying get out its coming once andrew got closer and closer i really thought everything nothing can save us and indeed andrew destroyed my entire neigborhood as the nights and days went by after andrew my fasination for these monsters grew more and more to the point were today its becoming truly one of my favorite hobbies.ive learned alot of things from this wonderful website called storm2k which i wish i would have heard about alot early cause now i realize what ive been missing.thanks staff and everyone that goes on here for making this such a fun and learning place to be. christy

[cmdebbie]

When: August 13, 2004
Why: Hurricane Charley
How: The Internet...especially Storm 2K

I have lived in the Orlando area all of my life and until Aug. 2004, I had never lived through a "hurricane." Lots of close calls, tropical depressions & tropical storms...just never a full-fledged hurricane. Hurricanes were (up until that point), something that I heard about, but truly never expected to experience because they always seemed to miss us to the south or northwest. I rarely ever prepared for them because I just knew that they would turn "again." Well, never again will I have those same feelings. Charley, Frances & Jeanne all within 3 weeks of each other is enough to wake anybody up. I became addicted in learning "why" after all the "misses" did we receive so many "hits" in such a short time. I am still looking for that answer, but during my search have found all kinds of great information on the weather to help feed my addiction. I owe it all to Storm 2K.

[Scorpion]

What happened to the topic starter? How'd he get his account deleted already?

[MississippiHurricane]

Well, for me it was 2 things: fear of Tornadoes and how the weather changes quickly. I probably got really into weather when I was about 5 or 6 years old when I lived in Kentucky and we had BIG snow storms and blizzards. As far back as I can remember, I have had dreams of tornadoes. The funny thing is when my mom was little she had the same dreams. In the dreams I have, I would be outside frozen looking at a tornado coming at me and could not move in fear or in some dreams I would be flying in a tornado and looking down at the ground. I'm not so much into tornadoes anymore but more into hurricanes now and really strong winds that come with fronts. I have thought about starting a hurricane or storm chasing tour company. Heck my tag on the car says "FUNLCLD" on a jet black Mitsubishi Galant!!!!!!!!!!! I would like to be an operational meteorologist but I also want to work on cars. So by tracking the tropics and various weather systems, I can be both. Im in college now for automotive technology now and have one year left. I plan to talk to a couple of colleges around here and see if I cant do something to get in to meteorology. My dream goal would be to work for the NHC or my local nws office.

[Audrey2Katrina]

When: Late June, 1957-- just a kid watching clouds move fast.
Why: Hurricane Audrey (see first half of sn)
How: After Audrey I began looking into more info on these monsters anywhere I could find it--no internet, had to do it the hard way. Later and much more aware of the situation, BETSY consolidated this fascination. Lived in the Lower Ninth, got winds, rain, and totally flooded.

Ever since, I've tracked storms, especially those with the potential to arrive in my area--my best call as an amateur came when I predicted that Andrew would strike Louisiana somewhere near Vermillion Bay as it was hitting Florida... I guess one could say even a blind person hits a bulls eye every now and then, but even while still a teen (Betsy) I called it hitting the N.O. area while it was battering the Bahamas...(definitely a teen wishcast--NEVER will I do that again!)

A2K

[Evil Jeremy]

I think that for me it had to do with the fact that Hurricane Andrew was very close to my birth.

[curtadams]

I read a chapter on hurricanes as a kid and was fascinated by the concept of the eyewall. The thought of a 5 mile high wall of clouds blew my mind. I also remember the amazing things Eloise did to the beach at my parent's cottage (it turned the beach out to the second sandbar into a maze of penisulas and bays). I started tracking with Isabel because I knew Cat 5's were very rare (well they used to be ) and got obsessed when several storms made passes at my parent's condo, notably Ivan, which completely demolished the parking garage and the first floor with surge (but didn't even break the window in the condo itself) But I got interested in the meteorology of them watching Ivan and now I'm following just because they're fascinating.

[WeatherDudeB]

I have always had an interest in weather, specially Winter Weather,but since 2005, when the first time in history Inland Tropical Storm Warnings were issued for my area in Tennessee, I have really payed close attention to the tropics and am trying to learn as much as I can. We actually had the red cross open a shelter here during hurricane Katrina. We have always dealt with the rain from tropical storms but never had to deal with 50-60mph winds.

[Regit]

Why? I don't really know.

But it was around September 21, 1989. I was sitting in school. Suddenly, out of the blue the principal came on with a very short and to the point message. "Attention teachers, Governor Campbell has ordered schools to close at Noon today. They will be closed tomorrow."

All I thought at that point was that hurricanes were the greatest things ever. About 30 hours later I thought otherwise. Immediately after, mets were worried about another hurricane and tracking it was fascinating.

[Deb321]

When: 2004 after I was hit by two hurricanes in three weeks Frances and Jeanne then in 2005 Wilma decided to exit and cause more damage after I finished my repairs
How: the internet
I have since moved to JAX thinking I would be safer and now it seems possibly the storms are following me.

[all_we_know_is_FALLING]

When: as long as I can remember
Why: No clue. Just love all weather! Snow, rain, thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes.
How: I suppose just going through bad storms as a kid

[MONTEGUT_LA]

Hurricane Juan --1985 ----> I was 8 years old. the mets said it was going to TX, but it decided to loop back to LA. For the first time, I saw my home & just everything was underwater. My father didn't want to leave that night. Then very quickly the water rised up to to the front door before we got out. we landed up sleep in my dad's shimp boat until it was over.

After that the only other storm we ever stay home for was CINDY 2005. The mets said light rain & wind. LOL More like the house was going to blow away!

I am FOREVER a HURRICANE NUT!

[evalea]

Always loved thunderstorms when I lived in the UK, if you can really call a couple of bolts of lightning, and if you are really lucky they occur in the same hour a 'storm'

My interest in the tropics started when I started dating my now husband who lived on the gulf coast and worked offshore. It became a tad more piqued when I got married and moved to the gulf coast, and went off the radar when Lili came straight at us in 2002
I can't help myself, I still love turbulent weather, its so energizing, even if it isn't good for my nerves or my roof - I still can't help the fascination.

I don't post much on these boards, because well I honestly have nothing of intelligence to add, meterologically speaking, but I sure as heck learn a ton from everyone. So thanks!