GeoTrek

GeoTrek

by GeoTrek
Earth SciencesNatural SciencesPlaces & Travel
Power Out Cooking Recipe Book: Preparing Families for Storm Recovery with Hidalgo County, TX Officials
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 cook and eat safely during extended power outages. The cookbook teaches practical food preparation techniques using multiple off-grid cooking methods, empowering families to be more self-sufficient when traditional utilities are unavailable. It's a simple but impactful resilience program that could be adopted by communities across the country. Tune in to learn how Hidalgo County is helping residents prepare before disaster strikes and why food preparedness is an often-overlooked component of community resilience. View or download the Power Out Cooking Recipe Book for free: https://www.hidalgocounty.us/3285/Power-Out-Cooking-Recipe-Book
E137
Jun 3, 2026
34:19
Resilient Homes, Flood Risk & the Broken Housing System with Aris Papadopoulos
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 explores broken incentives within the development system, weak building codes, flood disclosure challenges, and how consumers can better evaluate risk before purchasing property. Aris also explains the growing importance of resilience ratings, lender awareness, and resilient design standards worldwide. Listeners will hear practical examples of resilient communities, insights into the future of real estate and insurance, and why education may be the key to reducing disaster losses in the decades ahead. Learn more about his company, the Resilience Action Fund, here: https://buildingresilient.com/
E136
May 19, 2026
38:56
How Past Climates Predict Future Hurricanes with Dr. Joanne Muller
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 Institution. Her current research interests center on past climate change in tropical and sub-tropical latitudes, with a special focus on hurricane in the Atlantic Basin. Watch the episode or listen wherever you get your podcasts!
E135
May 5, 2026
39:43
How AI & Predictive Tech Are Transforming Wildfire Protection with Sunny Sethi
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 predictive, adaptive, and fully integrated into modern infrastructure. We explore the limits of traditional, reactive firefighting and what it will take to move from protection to prevention. From AI-driven risk detection to next-generation fire suppression technologies, this conversation looks at how innovation can help safeguard communities and critical systems in the face of climate-driven wildfire threats.
E134
Apr 21, 2026
30:00
A Lifetime Behind the Camera: True Stories with Photojournalist and Videographer Austin Anderson Part 2
📹 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 ------ 🔔 Subscribe to our Youtube channel 📌 Bookmark your favorite podcast platform 👥 Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_geotrek ✨ Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_geotrek 📩 Inquiries: hello@geo-trek.com
E133
Apr 7, 2026
41:40
A Lifetime Behind the Camera: True Stories with Photojournalist and Videographer Austin Anderson Part 1
📹 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 to our Youtube channel 📌 Bookmark your favorite podcast platform 👥 Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_geotrek ✨ Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_geotrek 📩 Inquiries: hello@geo-trek.com
E132
Mar 24, 2026
36:44
Severe Weather Communication & Meteorology Media with Emily Gracey
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 information people can use during high-impact events. The conversation explores how meteorologists build public trust, why clear weather communication during hurricanes, tornado outbreaks, and extreme storms matters more than ever, and how digital media is changing the way weather stories are told. If you're interested in meteorology podcasts, severe weather forecasting, emergency management, and the future of weather communication, this episode offers practical insight from someone helping shape the conversation.
E131
Mar 10, 2026
34:02
New Jersey’s Extreme Weather, Digital Meteorology & Forecasting the Future with Joe Martucci
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 keep you on your toes. Joe’s work has been featured in The New Yorker, Deadliest Catch, and Rutgers publications, and as the first Certified Digital Meteorologist (2023), he now speaks nationwide on the future of meteorology in media. Watch on Youtube or listen anywhere you get your podcasts. Follow Joe: Website — https://cupajoe.live/about/ X — https://x.com/JoeMartWx/ Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/JoeMartWx/ Youtube — https://www.youtube.com/@joemartwx Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/joemartwx TikTok — https://www.tiktok.com/@joemartwx
E130
Feb 24, 2026
33:56
How Residents are Mapping Flood Risks at a Hyperlocal Level with Julia Drapkin of I See Change
🌊 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 👉 https://www.iseechange.com/ LinkedIn 👉 / juliakumari Subscribe to Geotrek: If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss an episode! #Geotrek #ISeeChange #FloodTracking #ClimateTech #RiskAnalytics #Resilience #CommunityData #Sustainability
E129
Feb 10, 2026
34:08
The Science of Earthquake Early Warning: Exploring USGS ShakeAlert with Robert de Groot
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=82 Learn more about ShakeAlert here 👉 https://www.shakealert.org/
E128
Jan 13, 2026
39:02
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