Hello everyone

[hurricanetrack]

Well, I don't know where to start. I have been lurking, as they say, for a while now and enjoy the information on this site. So, here I am.

I am Mark Sudduth. I operate HurricaneTrack.com and work with Lowe's and Sprint on hurricane readiness consulting. I also head out into the field when a tropical storm or hurricane threatens land. You may have seen my crew (Hurricane Intercept Research Team) on CNN as recently as during Isabel.

I wanted to become an active member here to share my insight and thoughts from a point of view slightly different than everyone else. Though I am not a meteorologist, I am trained in FEMA's G360 course on hurricane planning. My degree is in geography- with an emphasis on climatology and map making.

My thought is that by joining what seems to be a very friendly message board, I can share my stories and observations on the tropics. My whole job revolves around gathering hurricane news relating to forecasting, readiness, mitigation and other topics. From time to time, I might have an interesting tid-bit of info that I picked up from some of my friends at the NHC or HRD.

I attend the National Hurricane Conference every year and have done so since 1999. I was a presenter at the 2001 conference in Washington, DC. I learn a lot from the conference and have met everyone on the current NHC staff that way. Some of us have become friends.

My site is a commercial site in that it does generate revenue. That is how I can do this full time. However, there are no ads per-se. Only logos here and there of those companies who support my work. I make no forecasts at HurricaneTrack.com but do write plenty of commentary in plain English regarding what's going on in the tropics. The site has about 700,000 loyal fans and that number grows almost every day.

So, even though the season is over (well, on the calendar anyway), I wanted to officially drop in and say "hello". I will post information here from time to time that is relevant or interesting. I think that just about everyone who I have observed here has quite an interest in the phenomenon we call a hurricane. Therefore, I wanted to "join in" and be a part of this growing community.

One note: one of the goals of HurricaneTrack.com and H.I.R.T. for 2004 is to work more stories in about Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. With the support we have from Sprint, we are looking to cover hurricanes in person on those islands beginning next season. That is, of course, assuming that a hurricane threatens those islands. I don't want to jump the gun here....

I look forward to interacting with folks. Hurricanes are my job; at least in the field of public awareness and readiness. It's good to be signed in here.

Mark Sudduth
HurricaneTrack.com

[cycloneye]

Welcome to storm2k Mark and I live in Puerto Rico but I hope to not see you around here because if so we are in trouble because something is out there But here in storm2k's tropical board you will find a lot of anaylisis and discussions about tropical weather so enjoy and any question that you may have please ask the admins.

[ColdFront77]

It is nice to meet you Mark.

Welcome!

[Typhoon_Willie]

Welcome Mark! I will look forward to your commnetary year round here!

[BEER980]

Glad to have you on board.

[HurricaneGirl]

Hi!!