Meet Hurricane Chris! Another storm from the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season, Chris formed on July 6 and lasted till July 17. Think I’m making this storm up? I’d never do that to you! Chris formed, peaked and dissipated during the heart of the 2018 summer, and while you may have forgotten about him, he reached hurricane status nevertheless.

Hurricane Chris did, though, take his sweet time getting his act together as he sorta meandered around the Gulf Stream 345 miles southeast of the Outer Banks. That Gulf Stream certainly helped provide the warm water necessary for Chris to truly become its tropical self. But Chris was indecisive. It stalled, churning up cooler water, and weakening.

It wasn’t until a second kick in the atmospheric pants that Chris got moving again and began strengthening over the Gulf Stream, peaking as a category 2 storm with 105mph winds on July 11. And that was sorta it. Chris raced to the north making landfall in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia before dissipating near Iceland. Chris’s biggest impacts were the large waves and rip currents along the East Coast.

So where is Chris now? What if I told you he hasn’t moved far from where he dissipated? But that is just the beginning of Chris’s story. A story full of family expectations, estrangement, and a journey for meaning.

Host/Producer: Tom Di Liberto

Hurricane Helene: Mikail Faalasli

Meet Hurricane Helene! Hurricane Helene formed on September 7 and dissipated on September 16, 2018. Ring a bell? No? Well, then it is time to get to re-know the hurricane child prodigy that Helene.

Hurricane Helene wasted no time at all in moving from low pressure system over West Africa into a formidable hurricane. Hell, Helene was already one heck of a storm over West Africa! On September 7th, Helene left West Africa. On September 8th, she already was a hurricane. The second easternmost hurricane on record in the satellite era. Helene peaked in strength on September 11, 2018, with 110mph winds, a category 2 storm.

But Helene wasn’t done yet. She was a precocious storm with alot of life to live. She even briefly entered into a Fujiwhara interaction with Tropical Storm Joyce. By the end, Helene became the first named storm in the European windstorm season bringing heavy rain and gusty winds to England and Wales.

So what has Helene been up to since? And how does one move on from being a child prodigy? In one of the more profound conversations with a hurricane, I’ve ever had, Hurricane Helene drops some wisdom on her life’s journey.

Host/Producer: Tom Di Liberto

Hurricane Helene: Meredith Garagiola

Meet Hurricane Lorenzo! Hurricane Lorenzo formed on September 23 and dissipated on October 4, 2019. Now, you’re not going to tell me you already forgot about Lorenzo less than two years later! Time to get to re-know a budding post-hurricane superstar in Lorenzo.

Lorenzo was a quick forming storm, becoming a tropical storm two days after leaving Africa. In fact, that was a recurring theme with Lorenzo. Lorenzo knew how to get strong. In 48 hours, Lorenzo rapidly strengthened to a 145mph category 4 monster. Then he weakened as his eye wall replaced. And at that moment, against all odds, with colder water and more wind shear, Lorenzo strengthened again(!) into a category 5 storm, the apex of hurricane-dom, becoming the easternmost category 5 storm ever in the Atlantic.

His peak fame was short lived though as he weakened before making landfall as a post-tropical storm in Ireland. But his huge wind field caused massive waves and strong rip currents all along the East Coast.

But there was a darkness with Lorenzo. While it was strengthening off the coast of Africa near the Cape Verde Islands, his strong winds capsized the tugboat Bourbon Rouge, killing 11 people on board.

So what has Lorenzo been up to since? We’re talking about a storm that reached the pinnacle of hurricane strength, an absolute superstar, who a few years later is forgotten. Well, for the first time on the podcast, I didn’t have to search out a storm to talk to. Lorenzo called me! To talk about his comeback story, this time….in Hollywood.

Host/Producer: Tom Di Liberto

Hurricane Lorenzo: Erick Acuña