“Innovation, communication, and inspiration” are three words which sum up the past year for members of the North Florida AMS. In past years, for a lot student and local meteorologists, it was difficult for them to become members due to a lack of incentives. Going into the year, the chapter officers planned events so that becoming a member would make membership dues well spent. With the officers introducing intriguing speakers, a Member of the Year award, new contests, unique social events, and fun emergency preparedness/outreach opportunities: membership skyrocketed to 115 members!

At meetings, members were privileged to hear from a plethora of renowned meteorologists. Ranging from academia to the government/military to the emergency management and television coverage aspects of meteorology, speakers entertained, motivated, and educated those in attendance. Florida State University Meteorology Professor Dr. Robert Hart opened the year with a record attendance (95) on hand for his presentation on “Hurricanes and Global Warming”. Assistant State Climatologist, Melissa Griffin, informed members on the new CoCoRaHS observing system recently instituted in Florida. Irv Watson (SOO, NWS Tallahassee) and Rusty Pfost (MIC, NWS Miami) discussed different aspects of the National Weather Service at meetings. Members were invited to a special meeting this year at the Florida Emergency Operations Center where they were hosted by State Meteorologist, Ben Nelson. Members were entertained about meteorological effects on river systems by a Biology professor, Dr. Robert Livingston. The chapter held an unprecedented banquet this year in Doak Campbell Stadium, where 100 were in attendance for Dr. Steve Lyon. Dr. Lyons spoke to the chapter about his role as Tropical Expert at the Weather Channel and operations there during U.S. landfalling hurricanes. Members were also honored to have Richard Henning, a hurricane hunter, speak to the chapter at the final meeting.

Chapter members voted and approved the Member of the Year Award this year to go to a member who demonstrated outstanding participation in chapter activities. A point system was initiated in order to track how often members were attending meetings and social events, contributing to committees, and volunteering at fundraising events and outreach events in the community. The member who had the most points was recognized as North Florida AMS Member of the Year and awarded a free ticket to the banquet. This brought a new incentive for members, along with special points opportunities for those involved with the chapter.

This year’s chapter social events have served as grounds for members to get know one another better and discuss and collaborate about their passions for meteorology. Social events have included: the chapter picnic, Cici’s Pizza fundraiser/social, a golf tournament, basketball/football tailgates, a mini-golf tournament, a river tubing event, and bowling. These events have provided many opportunities for members to get to know each other better and get discounted rates on activities around the community.

This year, new contests were introduced to the members. Over the summer, members participated in the first ever weather picture contest. Over 60 pictures were submitted and the competition was stiff, with pictures of weather phenomena from storm chases, flooding events, trips throughout the world, and local weather (fire plumes, lightning, and sea breeze thunderstorms). The twelve winners were rewarded with a spot in the chapter calendar. A weather trivia contest was also held on extremes at the November meeting. The four highest finishers were rewarded a Member of the Year point and chosen to participate in a Weather Jeopardy event. Weather Jeopardy was held at the State Emergency Operations Center on a big screen with surround sound, having the feeling of a game show. Those involved in this contest included two Florida State University students, a retired NOAA meteorologist, and a meteorology graduate who came to the meeting from two hours away. The chapter has prided itself over the past year for being a relaxed commonplace for members of diverse backgrounds to meet and share their love for weather.

Throughout the year, scholarship and job opportunities were announced frequently. Through the chapter web site, http://www.northflams.org, members were updated on ways to be awarded and recognized for their accomplishments. Members have been recognized in the past year for AMS graduate fellowships and undergraduate scholarships, NOAA Hollings Scholarships, and for outstanding volunteer service with the American Red Cross and National Weather Service.

The North Florida American Meteorological Society has provided several opportunities for chapter members to meet professionals in their field, hear about potential job opportunities, attend the National AMS Conference, and celebrate meteorology at social events. With record attendance throughout the year, members have embraced these opportunities and enjoyed participation in the events. Developing friendships and contacts with others in our field has been cherished by members for the past year.

Project StormReady

“The StormReady designation simply affirms our proactivity in working to protect all those people who have made FSU their educational home.” The pinnacle of the chapter year was reached in late May of 2007, as Florida State University President, T.K. Wetherell held a press conference recognizing the chapter for its outstanding efforts in making FSU StormReady. For the past year, the North Florida chapter has taken its traditional approach of doing outreach to local schools and expanded it exponentially by becoming involved in emergency preparedness throughout the community.

The 2007-2008 year for the North Florida AMS started out with a bang, as chapter members contributed to Project FSU StormReady, helping program and install radios throughout the campus of Florida State University. Members were a crucial part in helping Florida State University become the first National Weather Service certified StormReady university in Florida and sixteenth in the nation. Eighty radios, along with three sirens, were strategically placed throughout campus in locations where large numbers of students, faculty, and staff congregate. Along with installing weather radios, chapter members took part in two SkyWarn spotter training sessions and helped develop evacuation plans in dormitories. These efforts by chapter members alone helped make Florida State University safer should a hazardous weather event threaten campus.

Along with the president’s StormReady recognition, the chapter’s outreach efforts culminated during at special weeklong events held on campus. To begin the school year, the chapter educated students about the potential weather risks in the North Florida area at a booth during FSU Emergency Preparedness Week. To wrap up the week, the AMS held a teleconference with Ben Nelson, State Meteorologist of Florida, and other emergency officials on local television to discuss how we can prepare for the next hazardous weather event. At Hazardous Weather Awareness Week in February, the chapter participated in judging weather posters of elementary students and a booth was held on campus where students were instructed on weather radios and the StormReady program.

In the fall, the chapter was involved with the American Red Cross in relief training events and their Fire/Weather House. The Fire/Weather House was a great opportunity for members to share their weather knowledge with children in the community. This outreach took place for several days at the North Florida Fair and in the city of Tallahassee, at its Downtown GetDown on Friday evenings. Members were also involved this past fall at the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DOACS) annual Safety Fair. There, members held an outreach booth, which informed those in attendance of the dangers involved with tornadic thunderstorms.

The education of children in the community continues to be one of the primary goals of the chapter. It has maintained its close relationship with local schools throughout the year, judging at the 2008 Regional Science and Engineering Fair. Members have also given visitors tours of the Florida State University Department of Meteorology, the National Weather Service, and the FSU weather studio. In April, the chapter coordinated with the NWS in Tallahassee for the arrival of the NOAA P3 in Apalachicola. Members traveled to Apalachicola to help educate 4th and 5th graders on careers in meteorology. This experience allowed the chapter to climb aboard and learn about the NOAA P3 from hurricane hunters, and play a part in the event as well, sharing weather knowledge with students.

Most recently, a chapter member has spearheaded a project putting together packages for the Tallahassee homeless shelter. The chapter has donated funds for the purchase of sixty ponchos and received sponsorship from Wal-Mart for part of the homeless weather packs which include: umbrellas, socks, flashlights, toothbrushes, shampoo, soap, and sun block.

With record membership, the chapter has been blessed with even more enthusiastic members who have allowed us to increase outreach and education events in the community. The outstanding support over the past year has set a precedent for the chapter in which volunteer services and weather education to the community will become an integral part each year. In the future, plans to do weather radio checks on campus, spotter training, and annual information booths are in place. With these plans set, the sky’s the limit for future outreach throughout the North Florida community.

The 2006-2007 chapter year marked our 5th anniversary as the North Florida AMS Chapter. Our biggest accomplishments this year included participating in more community outreach events and increasing our membership, particularly undergraduate students. We grew to 90 paid members with over 120 people attending events throughout the chapter year. Our officers this year included Jessica Fieux (President), Clark Evans (Vice President), Charlie Woodrum (Treasurer), Katie Walls (Secretary), Patrick Taylor (Past President) and Michael Porter (Science and Education Chair). A big thanks goes to John Sullivan, our webmaster for the year!

The chapter year events started in June of 2006 with the WCTV Hurricane Town Meetings. At these meetings, across North Florida (Carrabelle, Perry, Thomasville, and Tallahassee), we were able to inform the public about the mission of the North Florida AMS and discuss local hurricane history for the visited city. The next outreach event was in October, Trick or Treat for Science, where members could network with area teachers. In November and December, our chapter collected canned food items. Over 100 items were donated to ECHO, a local organization to help families and individuals in need.

After the New Year, the chapter started collecting printer cartridges for recycling, which is done through Staples. In February, we participated in Hazardous Weather Awareness Week poster judging. These posters were designed by fourth and fifth graders around the state of Florida and included ways to prepare for hazardous weather. Also regarding Hazardous Weather Awareness Week, the chapter, for the first time, promoted the week on the campus of Florida State University. Activities included a table in the student union, pamphlets regarding each weather hazard, hands on activities and an opportunity to win a Sirius Satellite Radio by filling out a disaster preparedness survey from the American Red Cross. In the same month, members also participated in judging a science fair on the campus of Florida State. The winner’s project actually involved El Nino! In April, members also participated in judging another science fair at Hartsfield Elementary School. Judges were able to interact with the students to ensure they understood the scientific process and how to go about conducting a good experiment. The final outreach event of the chapter year was promotion of National Hurricane Preparedness Week. Although this week was not until May, an article written by Clark Evans (Vice President 06-07) and submitted by Katie Walls (Secretary 06-07), was printed in the FSView & Florida Flambeau at the end of the semester to educate students before they left for the summer.

During this year, we had eight chapter meetings. Many of the speakers focused on a hurricane-related theme. These started in September with Dr. James Elsner from the Department of Geography at Florida State University. He spoke about hurricanes, global warming and the insurance industry. We held a second meeting this month with Dr. T. N. Krishnamurti (Department of Meteorology, FSU) as the featured speaker. He discussed tropical cyclogenesis and experiences from the NAMMA field project. In October, Dr. Paul Reasor from the Department of Meteorology at Florida State gave a talk about rapid cyclogenesis, intensification and weakening of hurricanes. The November meeting was slightly different. We hosted a panel of speakers including Ray Hawthorne from CBS WCTV 6, Dr. Paul Ruscher from the Department of Meteorology (FSU), and Jessica Taylor from the Florida Department of Education. These speakers prepared members for community outreach by giving them an insight into such events. In January, we were fortunate to have Dr. Joseph Facundo, Chief of the Observing Systems Branch from National Weather Service. He gave pointers regarding the application process for government jobs. February was our 4th annual banquet of the North Florida AMS. Our speaker was Ben Nelson, State Meteorologist, Florida Department of Emergency Management. Ben gave a different prospective of meteorology – the emergency management side. In March, Dr. Richard Pasch, Senior Hurricane Specialist from the National Hurricane Center, gave members a perspective of “Life in the Hot Seat at the NHC.” Our final chapter meeting of the year included Paul Duval, Meteorologist-in-Charge from the National Weather Service in Tallahassee. Paul discussed recent severe weather outbreaks in North Florida, South Georgia, and Southeast Alabama.

In addition to our outreach events and chapter meetings, the chapter participated in other events throughout the year. In January, over 20 students and professionals from the North Florida area made the trip to San Antonio, Texas for the 87th annual AMS meeting. Many members presented posters and/or presentations at the conference and it was a wonderful networking opportunity for all those in attendance. In addition, we held various social and fundraising events including a Cici’s Pizza fundraiser, a car wash, football tailgate, bake sales, ice skating downtown, bowling, and a mini golf tournament. At the end of the year, we had a picnic at Tom Brown Park to celebrate the chapter’s accomplishments. Over 50 members attended this fun filled event. The first annual undergraduate vs. graduate flag football game resulted in a win for the undergraduates with a final score of 61-37.

We were able to build on the success of the 2005-2006 chapter year and participate in more outreach events, increase our membership and host a diversity of speakers in the 2006-2007 chapter year. Through these events, we were able to make contacts with various local agencies including the State of Florida Department of Emergency Management, American Red Cross, WCTV 6, the National Weather Service Tallahassee, and the Emergency Manager for Florida State. Thank you to everyone who supported the chapter this year. We look forward to another successful year in 2007-2008!

The 2005-2006 chapter year was a year of transition for the North Florida Chapter. The 2004-2005 chapter year, while highly successful, left the chapter hurting financially. The new leadership of the chapter, headed by President Pat Taylor, made the conscious effort to step up fundraising efforts early in the year to address this issue. And, sure enough, the chapter’s finances turned around very quickly, thanks to the successes of such events as a local car wash, several bake sales, dues collection, and the chapter’s first golf tournament, held at the Dick Veller Seminole Golf Course in Tallahassee in the fall. Also in the fall, partially for fundraising purposes, we organized block seating for the FSU-Miami football game — the first win over Miami in 6 tries for FSU — that proved very popular with approximately 70 people part of the block.

Of course, the chapter year was not all about fundraising. We received news early in the fall that the national AMS had decided to award our chapter with the Local Chapter of the Year Award for 2004-2005 for our outreach efforts in the previous year. This award, coupled with the proximity of the annual meeting, brought about a renewed commitment to enhance our visibility at the Annual AMS Meeting — the 86th, held in Atlanta, GA — in late January. When accounting for attendees being supported by professors to present research, professors attending the conference themselves, and friends of the chapter who have since graduated, over 50 people were in attendance in Atlanta for at least part of the week. This far and away surpasses that which we saw in both San Diego and Seattle, with approximately 15 and 10 attendees, respectively. While in Atlanta, members too part in the numerous conferences — particularly the annual lightning symposium and the weather year-in-review sessions — attend the student conference (particularly to see Max Mayfield, Director of the NHC, as one of the keynote luncheon speakers!), and explore what downtown Atlanta had to offer. We hope to have a significant presence in San Antonio, TX for the 87th Annual Meeting in January 2007.

Several outreach efforts were continued and expanded upon through the chapter year. For the second straight year, we provided mentoring and judging for the Fairview Middle School Science Olympiad. Multiple school visits, both for mentoring and for science fair judging, took place across the city and county in early 2006. Together with Comcast, we manned a booth at the annual (and very popular!) Springtime Tallahassee festival in downtown, allowing local youth and their parents to participate in a wide array of meteorology activities as well as take home a memento of their day in the form of several Earth system posters from NASA. Members also participated with FSU Meteorology outreach efforts at WeatherFest at the Annual AMS Meeting, demonstrating much the same activities as at Springtime Tallahassee.

A wide array of speakers and topics were presented over the course of the chapter year. Early presentations featured professors in the FSU Meteorology Department, with talks by Dr. Phil Cunningham and Dr. Bob Hart in September on fire weather and presentation skills respectively. In an attempt to diversify our interests and provide a wide array of speaker topics, several professors from outside the department — Dr. Mark Sussman from the math department, Sir Harold Kroto from the chemistry department (as our banquet speaker), and Dr. Tony Stallins from the geography department — gave talks on various aspects of their works and how they relate to meteorology — particularly with numerical modeling or geographical/spatial relations of meteorology data. But, by far, the best attended meeting of the year was held in October, featuring a panel discussion on the history of the FSU Dept. of Meteorology headed by Dr. T.N. Krishnamurti with speakers Drs. LaSeur and Gleeson. This unique meeting was very informative and helped draw in new members to the chapter interested in the history of the department.

At the close of the chapter year, elections were held for the 2006-2007 Executive Board. Featuring two undergraduate students and two graduate students, two males and two females, and two people who have been involved with the chapter for many years and two who are just getting started, it is quite the diverse bunch. We hope to build on 2005-2006 with new activities and ideas in 2006-2007, the 5th Anniversary of our incorporation as a local chapter of the AMS.

The 2004-05 chapter year brought continued growth and prosperity to the local chapter. Officer elections at the end of the 2003-04 year brought about three new officers to the Executive Board, Chris Bennett as President, Geoff Wagner as Vice President, and Cerese Albers as Treasurer. Focus points for the year centered around bringing in well-known speakers with a variety of specialties, enhancing the chapter banquet, attendance at the annual AMS meeting in San Diego, CA, and committing the chapter to educational outreach activities. All of these goals and more were accomplished over the course of the year, resulting in the chapter being named the AMS Local Chapter of the Year in 2004-05. Read on for more details.

The first meeting of the chapter year, held in late August, saw the chapter bring in its best-known speaker to date, Dr. T.N. Krishnamurti of the FSU Department of Meteorology. His talk on the FSU Superensemble model held quite a bit of weight given the recent impact of Hurricane Charley and the soon-to-come impacts of Hurricanes Frances, Jeanne, and Ivan in Florida. This meeting set the record for the most people in attendance, with 55 members present. Following up on this talk, the chapter hosted a presentation from Paul Duval, Meteorologist-in-Charge at NWS/Tallahassee, at its September meeting, detailing the local impacts of Hurricanes Ivan and Frances. Frances passed directly over Tallahassee with little fanfare, while Ivan brought tornadic rain bands into the region during the course of the 18 hours before landfall. Casanova Nurse gave some information on the broadcast aspects of meteorology in October.

Outreach efforts became established into the fall months, with presentations given to several local high schools and preliminary steps taken toward establishing a local K-12 chapter at Florida High School in Tallahassee. Toward this end, Rick Lusher from Leon Co. Schools and formerly with the FSU Meteorology EXPLORES! outreach program spoke to the chapter in November. Several social events took place during this time as well, with a bowling social in October and a trip to the FSU Reservation in November. Repeating the Miami ticket block of last year, the department sponsored a ticket block for the FSU-UF home football game in late November.

The chapter closed 2004 making plans to reconvene in early 2005 for the 85th Annual AMS Meeting in San Diego, CA. This meeting, despite being entirely across the nation from Tallahassee for a second straight year, was well-attended by chapter members, with approximately 15 in attendance. During the course of the meeting, local chapter members assisted with general AMS local chapter efforts, received the award for being on the 2003-04 AMS Local Chapter Honor Roll, and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the Gaslamp District of downtown San Diego. A full write-up on the chapter’s experiences in San Diego may be found by clicking here. The remainder of the chapter year was focused on outreach, including assistance with Fairview Middle’s Science Olympiad and the local K-12 chapter, as well as the 2nd Annual Chapter Banquet.

The banquet featured yet another big-name speaker, this time Paul Kocin, the winter weather specialist at The Weather Channel. Held once again at The Silver Slipper in Tallahassee, the banquet was well-attended. Mr. Kocin spoke about winter weather in general and winter weather outbreaks in Florida in particular, of which there are understandably very few in number but very memorable regardless. At the banquet, the 2005-06 Executive Board was elected. It features only two new officers, with Pat Taylor taking over as President and Rachel Austin taking over as Secretary, but a lot of promise for the coming year.

To start off the 2003-2004 chapter year, the North Florida Chapter was left with an open position on the Executive Board. Past President Stephanie Abrams had just accepted a job with The Weather Channel in Atlanta, deciding to resign her position in the process. After an extensive interview period, during which four candidates vied for the open Officer At-Large position, Richie Schwerdt was named as Officer At-Large, due in large part to his standing within the community and fresh perspectives. Another of the candidates, Chris Bennett, was offered a newly created position as chair of the Science & Education Subcommittee, owing to his experience in managing such operations in the past.

Finally with a complete Executive Board, the North Florida Chapter, under the leadership of President Clark Evans and Vice-President Joe Marzen, was able to move forward. Summer 2003 was spent outlining goals for the year to come, with the first primary focus being increased activity with the national American Meteorological Society in the form of attendance at the Annual AMS Conference. Other programs included sponsoring of the Local Forecasting Contest run by the FSU Department of Meteorology, an increased focus on highlighting speakers at each chapter meeting, better organization of events within the chapter and establishing an outreach program. Over the course of the year, each of these elements were accomplished, building a strong foundation for years to come – all starting in the latter half of 2003. During this time, the chapter held monthly meetings from August to November, featuring speakers at all but the August organizational meeting.

Meeting attendance hit a high of about 40 members during this time; by the end of the chapter year, the chapter would have 50 members on its rolls. Additional activities included a canned food drive for ECHO Outreach Ministries in Tallahassee, as suggested by Richie Schwerdt; block seating for fifty at the Florida State-Miami college football game in October; social outings to the Florida State Reservation in October (as suggested by Secretary Robert Banks) and Crenshaw Lanes in December; and ultimate planning for January 2004′s trip to the 84th Annual AMS Conference in Seattle, WA.

The major function of the 2003-04 chapter year, as previously noted, revolved around the 2004 Annual AMS Conference. Through chapter encouragement and planning along with the national AMS and FSU Department of Meteorology, the chapter was able to send approximately twenty chapter members to the conference, whether by scholarship, assistantship, or departmental travel grants. For many, the trip was the first chance to attend a national conference and network with others in the field, attend presentations and conferences on hot topics in meteorology and more. Attendees also had the opportunity to help at the conference by manning the FSU Dept. of Meteorology’s booth in the Exhibit Hall at the conference. And, yes, there was some time for sightseeing as well. All in all, though, the conference was a success for all parties involved and a return trip to the 2005 AMS Conference in San Diego is expected.

That’s not to say, though, that all the chapter did in 2004 revolved around the AMS Conference. The chapter again held monthly meetings from January to March, featuring community presentations and speakers at each meeting. Another outreach program for ECHO, this time a clothing drive, was held in late winter. Softball ruled the social scene for the remainder of the chapter year, with a game held in early April. Fundraising efforts brought about pizza cards and t-shirts to the membership. But, two events stand out above the rest for the remainder of the chapter year – the commencement of the Science & Education outreach program and the Inaugural Chapter Banquet, both in early spring.

Headed by chair Chris Bennett, the Science and Education Subcommittee developed specific outreach plans for each of the appropriate grade levels to be targeted throughout the Tallahassee region, culminating with several class and school visits in March and April. Additionally, the chapter was the sole sponsor of the Riley Elementary Science Fair, judging projects and awarding top places in each category. A foundation was laid during this time to make outreach the cornerstone of the chapter. Finally, to wrap up the chapter year, Vice-President Joe Marzen organized, with the help of his Program Subcommittee, the Inaugural Chapter Banquet, held at the Silver Slipper in Tallahassee. Featuring Craig Fugate, the Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, as the evening’s speaker, the banquet effectively wrapped up chapter activities for 2003-04 and allowed the incoming Executive Board, headed by Chris Bennett, to outline their plans for the forthcoming chapter year.

The chapter had a late start to the 2002-2003 chapter year. The inaugural Executive Board was not elected until October 2002; after elections, they immediately went to work to plan the chapter’s activities for the coming year. The first result was the chapter’s Thanksgiving Dinner at The Olive Garden in Tallahassee, which saw about 20 members in attendance. The chapter held monthly meetings in both October and November of 2002, featuring baked goods and chapter business at both meetings.

During this time, the chapter saw its outside membership increase thanks to some unexpected advertising. It turns out that Channel 27, the employer of chapter President Stephanie Abrams, ran a flyer in the Tallahassee Democrat one day featuring a “Did You Know?” section about each of the morning on-air personalities. In Stephanie’s section, they noted that she was President of the North Florida Chapter of the AMS. One of the key members of the chapter over the first couple of years, Richie Schwerdt (along with his wife Peggy), was one of those who noticed the ad and got involved with the chapter.

As the chapter moved into 2003, less progress was made. The chapter featured its first speaker, Dr. Scott Goodrich of the Forestry Service, at its late January chapter meeting. Dr. Goodrich’s presentation, focusing on fire weather and associated phenomena, was well-received by the membership. After January, however, schedule crunches began to hit the Executive Board. Two members were attempting to graduate, while another was occupied attempting to find a new job.

Without a common meeting time available for more than two out of the four officers, no chapter or officer meetings were held until late March 2003. A bowling social was held in mid-February; unfortunately, by this time, many had lost interest in the chapter and attendance was low. The chapter’s webpage, initially developed in November 2002, had not been updated since that time due to server problems with the FSU Dept. of Meteorology’s webserver, further hindering efforts.

But, the chapter pressed on and held officer elections in April 2003. Five candidates announced their candidacy for the four open positions, resulting in a new Executive Board for 2003-04. New President Clark Evans took the reins during the April chapter meeting, introducing the new officers and outlining some of his ideas for the forthcoming chapter year. Many of these ideas – scheduled meeting times, increased community involvement, chapter organization, increased summer functions, summer meetings & events and a revamped webpage – were well-received by the small crowd assembled for chapter elections. While the year ended on a down note, some progress had been made to reestablish a local chapter of the American Meteorological Society in the Tallahassee region, progress which would be built upon the following year.