Experts available to comment on 2020 Atlantic hurricane season

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — On Monday, Hurricane Douglas narrowly missed Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean, and on Saturday, Hurricane Hanna became the first Atlantic hurricane to make a July landfall in Texas since Hurricane Dolly in 2008. Hanna is also the first hurricane of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted will be above average due to factors such as warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures, reduced vertical wind sheer and weaker tropical Atlantic trade winds. IU experts on climate, atmospheric modeling and the use of geographic information systems in emergency response are available to comment. 

Gabriel Filippelli

Gabriel Filippelli is a biogeochemist, focusing on the flow and cycling of elements and chemicals in the environment. This includes his work on pollutant distribution and exposure to human populations, and ways to engage communities to reduce their own exposures. He is also an affiliate of the Environmental Resilience Institute, funded through IU’s Prepared for Environmental Change Grand Challenge initiative. 

Contact Filippelli at[email protected].

Chanh Kieu

Chanh Kieu is an assistant professor of atmospheric science at IU Bloomington and a member of the Environmental Resilience Institute steering committee. He earned his Ph.D. in 2008 and his M.S. in 2005 from the University of Maryland, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science; and his B.S. in 2003 from Vietnam National University, College of Science, Hanoi. 

Contact Kieu at [email protected].

Cody Kirkpatrick

Cody Kirkpatrick is a lecturer in atmospheric science. His research focuses on extreme weather phenomena, including hurricanes, thunderstorms and tornadoes. By studying the behavior of these storms — how they develop, how they move and the ways in which they cause damage — we can improve weather forecasts and provide more advance warning of their impacts.

Contact Kirkpatrick at [email protected].

Justin Maxwell

Justin Maxwell is a climatologist who studies topics such as drought, rainfall and hurricanes. His research focuses on the examination of rainfall variability over time using both instrumental data (i.e. information recorded by weather stations) and proxy data from tree-rings. His past work includes a study that reconstructed historic hurricane rainfalls from tree rings and another that looked at how hurricanes can play a role in ending drought conditions. He is particularly interested in comparing past droughts to present-day conditions to help understand what to expect in the future.

Kevin J. Mickey

Kevin J. Mickey is director of professional development and geospatial technologies education at The Polis Center and adjunct associate faculty in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IUPUI. His focus includes creation of geospatial tools and workflows for managing hazard risk, with emphasis on flood hazards; conducting risk assessments; and developing mitigation plans for multiple communities.

For more information, contact Mary Keck at [email protected] or 812-856-2148.

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