Geotrek

When disasters strike, homes and families often receive immediate attention—but how do businesses recover? Gina Spagnola, President and CEO of the Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce, shares how chambers of commerce help businesses rebuild, recover, and get back on their feet after hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, and other disasters.From Hurricane Ike in Galveston to disaster recovery efforts across the United States and internationally, Gina explains the lessons she has learned about business recovery, community resilience, disaster preparedness, and the importance of knowing when—and how—to rebuild.Learn how chambers of commerce can support local businesses after disasters, connect communities with critical resources, and help economies recover when disaster strikes.

When disaster strikes, why do some people prepare while others delay, deny, or freeze?In this episode, Hurricane Hal sits down with Erica Peng, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business lecturer and neuroscience educator, to explore the hidden role that our fight, flight, freeze response plays in disaster preparedness, leadership, and decision-making.Drawing from neuroscience, psychology, and her own experience leading wildfire mitigation efforts in a high-risk California community, Erica explains why people often resist taking action—even when they understand the risks—and how communities can overcome those barriers together.In this episode you'll learn:Why the brain naturally resists change and uncertaintyHow fight, flight, freeze affects disaster preparednessWhy education alone often doesn't change behaviorHow Firewise Communities help neighborhoods become more resilientPractical ways to communicate about wildfire risk without triggering defensivenessWhat leaders, emergency managers, insurers, and homeowners can do to build stronger, more prepared communitiesWhether you live in a wildfire zone, hurricane-prone region, floodplain, or simply want to better understand human behavior under stress, this conversation offers practical insights that can improve preparedness and resilience.Guest: Erica PengLecturer, UC Berkeley Haas School of BusinessSpecializing in neuroscience, leadership, crisis communication, and the fight-flight-freeze response

On this episode of GeoTrek, host Hurricane Hal welcomes Laura Myers and Nick Stanley to discuss how we can better protect summer camps and outdoor recreation areas from the growing threat of flash floods.Using the devastating Texas Hill Country tragedy as a case study, they explore the unique risks facing camps located near rivers, canyons, and steep terrain, the role of land-use planning and regulations, and how advanced GIS technology can help identify safer locations and improve emergency planning. The conversation also examines communication between meteorologists, emergency managers, law enforcement, and camp staff, why so many flood fatalities occur in vehicles, and what practical steps can be taken to prevent future tragedies.Whether you're involved in emergency management, weather, outdoor recreation, or disaster resilience, this episode offers valuable insights into protecting lives before, during, and after extreme weather events.

Hurricane season brings more than just strong winds—it brings critical decisions that can impact your safety, your family, and your recovery.In this episode of GeoTrek, Hurricane Hal Needham sits down with hurricane preparedness expert Haskell Moore, President of Hurricane Preparedness Training and Consulting, LLC. With more than two decades of experience in disaster preparedness education and training delivered to audiences across 54 countries, Haskell shares practical strategies that families, businesses, and communities can use to prepare before the next storm strikes.Drawing from his extensive experience in hurricane preparedness, crisis management, and emergency planning, Haskell discusses family preparedness plans, evacuation decisions, emergency communications, backup power solutions, and the importance of building resilience long before a storm appears on the forecast.Whether you're new to hurricane-prone areas or a seasoned resident looking to improve your readiness, this episode offers actionable guidance to help you prepare, protect, and recover with confidence.Be sure to check out Haskell's book: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=9780578531366

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

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!

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.

📹 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