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

[johnq1954]

Damage reports on the CBS Evening News from Hurricane Camille in 1969 when I was 14 years old.

Then, after I'd moved to Florida, a similar scene reported from South Dade in 1992 after Andrew.

It turned out Camille wasn't a fluke.

[Brent]

I guess it was Andrew, though I was only 4 at the time and don't remember it, but my parents said when the weathermen on TV talked about it I would point to the screen and stuff. Opal really started it though(affected us significantly even well inland), I can remember tracking all the big storms after that. The Internet though which I had started at the beginning of 2000 REALLY got me interested. No longer did I have to rely on TWC updates, I had all the updates anytime on the internet, but I'd say the 2003 season was when my "obsession" started. I had just gotten high-speed internet and that was when I found most of the weather forums online.

["Ice"]

I remember going to "STOP SMOKING" classes at one of the local hospitals here with the rain coming down in sheets and at angles. I found that very exciting!!! I tracked storms at home with tracking charts, and cut out just about everything in the newspaper that had to do with hurricanes. I can also remember going to pick up my sister at a friends house and saying to her "do you know there is a hurricane coming?" I think it was these two storms that got me interested in hurricanes.
I don't track storms anymore because I use an online chart for that!

[fltoaz]

I'm with Christy. Before Andrew, evac from Key Largo, halfway to Homestead... I'll never forget hearing the EBS signal followed by; "This is NOT a test. Please stand by for an important announcement from Gov. Chiles". Sent chills up my spine. Can't look away from any sigificant storm warnings since.

[robbielyn]

always facinated with tornadoes. moved to fl and experienced hurricane kate in 1985 in panama city. Always liked them since. Except of course for andrew and katrina and rita and hugo etc.

[cajungal]

It started at a very young age. My parents were always talking about Hurricane Betsy. Eyewall went right over here. I was always asking to see the black and white photos. Houma-Thibodaux area was left in ruins. Then, Andrew got in the Gulf. And I knew right from the minute he crossed South Florida, that he was going to hit Louisiana. Picked out almost the exact landfall at the age of 16. Landfall was around Morgan City 25 miles due west of here. I got to experience a night I will never ever forget with 100 mph plus winds. And I have been totally hooked ever since.

[canegrl04]

Andrew.I remeber following it early on,and was completely floored by the time he reached cat 5 status.Ever since,I have had a passion for cane watching

[Tommedic]

I started at the ripe old (young) age of 9 years old. My father was in the Navy aboard destroyers and minesweepers in Charleston. Every time a storm came near, he would leave us and put to sea. I began to track them with the limited information we had. As computers became more available, I used Storm 6.0 to track storms. Now I use Tracking The Eye. Living in the Cape Fear region, my family and I have experienced our share of storms, though nothing like Andrew or Katrina. One day that could change. This board has really made my pleasure even more enjoyable.

PS: Oh by the way, Alberto is the best type of example of why many still keep an interest. You never know for sure what will happen next.

[AdvAutoBob]

The "why and when" happened when I moved to Florida at the age of 9, and saw the TV movie "Hurricane" (the one about Camille). I devoured every book and article I could find about hurricanes and severe weather in general. I waited for Floyd to arrive in 1987 (missed us), and again for Andrew in 1992 (again, a miss, even though Dan Rather told his audience that Ft. Myers was blown off the map). the Internet has helped in my understanding of how they work, and tracking them, with each year's models seeming to nail the tracks better and better.

Occasionally, though... there are some twists thrown in (Charley in '04, which closed my shop for a couple of weeks), but now I make my own determination based upon reports from S2K, CFHC and TPC.

[sunnyday]

We were in the vicinity of Andrew, which was our first into to hurricanes. What an initiation.

[x-y-no]

I got interested when my family moved to Miami in 1967. My dad had just got a full professorship at the marine school (soon to become RSMAS) and early on he took me on a tour of the hurricane center, which at that time was still on campus in the mathematics building.

I was hooked ever after.

[White Cap]

As far back as I can remember as a child, I loved rainy, stormy bad weather. Betsy hit New Orleans on my 12th birthday and I thought at the time that was such a fun birthday. Nash was on TV with his Magic Marker and we were all glued to our black and white TV. Instead of getting my traditional "favorite birthday dinner" of homemade fried chicken, crinkle cut fries and corn on the cob, we had to settle for KFC before they closed for the storm. The lights eventually went out, the wind was howling, rain was pounding, but I wasn't afraid at the time. Now, since Katrina I am a big chicken!

[White Cap]

As far back as I can remember as a child, I loved rainy, stormy bad weather. Betsy hit New Orleans on my 12th birthday and I thought at the time that was such a fun birthday. Nash was on TV with his Magic Marker and we were all glued to our black and white TV. Instead of getting my traditional "favorite birthday dinner" of homemade fried chicken, crinkle cut fries and corn on the cob, we had to settle for KFC before they closed for the storm. The lights eventually went out, the wind was howling, rain was pounding, but I wasn't afraid at the time. Now, since Katrina I am a big chicken!

[docjoe]

Started in the mid 1970s when I was a kid. I checked out a book from our local library (grew up outside of Birmingham...hueytown, Alabama) about the east coast storms of the mid 50s...Hazel and that crowd. Must have read it 10 times that week. It truly intensified when Frederic hit Mobile. We got some nasty weather up in B'ham. The final nail in the coffin was when Hugo hit. I think I watched TWC while I was a student at Auburn for 48 straight hours...almost without sleep. Skipped several classes as well Have spent most of the past 15 years or so on the coast so I now have some first hand experience to keep my hooked, primarily Ivan and Dennis

docjoe

[Audrey2Katrina]

As far back as I can remember as a child, I loved rainy, stormy bad weather. Betsy hit New Orleans on my 12th birthday and I thought at the time that was such a fun birthday. Nash was on TV with his Magic Marker and we were all glued to our black and white TV. Instead of getting my traditional "favorite birthday dinner" of homemade fried chicken, crinkle cut fries and corn on the cob, we had to settle for KFC before they closed for the storm. The lights eventually went out, the wind was howling, rain was pounding, but I wasn't afraid at the time. Now, since Katrina I am a big chicken!

I hear ya' WhiteCap. I so looked forward to Betsy; but THAT one taught me to respect these things, living in the Arabi/Lower9 district that flooded. Katrina was many times worse. These things can be loved, respected, and feared all at once.

A2K

[White Cap]

As far back as I can remember as a child, I loved rainy, stormy bad weather. Betsy hit New Orleans on my 12th birthday and I thought at the time that was such a fun birthday. Nash was on TV with his Magic Marker and we were all glued to our black and white TV. Instead of getting my traditional "favorite birthday dinner" of homemade fried chicken, crinkle cut fries and corn on the cob, we had to settle for KFC before they closed for the storm. The lights eventually went out, the wind was howling, rain was pounding, but I wasn't afraid at the time. Now, since Katrina I am a big chicken!

I hear ya' WhiteCap. I so looked forward to Betsy; but THAT one taught me to respect these things, living in the Arabi/Lower9 district that flooded. Katrina was many times worse. These things can be loved, respected, and feared all at once.

A2K

I know what you mean. I am still interested in storms and always checking the tropics, etc., but at the same time very fearful of them. When I was younger, hurricanes were "fun"...we got out of school! We got to stock up on cookies and junk food! Evacuations were unheard on, except for Grand Isle and Plaquemines Parish. What happened? Now we have to evacuate all the time. We have lost way too much real estate and are so much more vulnerable than back in the 60's!

[RQSTR]

In 1998 with Mitch. Here in Europe there are no hurricanes but I made a schoolwork on it. Anyway Hurricane Ivan and Hurricane Emily impressed me very much... Even I don't post a lot in here (I have no reason to do so), I wanna thank Storm2K and everybody in here for their interesting contributions, and I give all my support to Florida right now...

[TexasStooge]

When: 1995.

Why: T.S. Dean which almost reached the DFW area.

How: Watching the statistics of each tropical system on the local news and TWC since that time.