USF opens hurricane season with storm class

By: Isabel Mascareñas

Tampa, Florida - USF has turned hurricane preparation, response and recovery into a college class. The university is offering the summer long course to undergraduates interested in the social impact these storms have on a community.

A trip to MOSI gives these college students from across the country a glimpse at what a hurricane is like. They enter a wind tunnel where they experience hurricane winds of up to 78 miles per hour that’s a category one storm. Many underestimated the wind's power.

Joseph Phillips, Junior, University of North Carolina::GettysburgCollege:

“ It pushes down on you. It’s hard to stand up walking around wind blowing at you.”

Amanda Houlis, Junior:

“ You figure wind is just wind it's powerful and stronger than one anticipates.”

The students visited MOSI's “Disasterville” on the first day of a 9 week long hurricane studies summer program at U-S-F. Each student was hand selected.

Naomi Yavneh Ph.D. USF Dir. of Undergraduate Research:

“We were looking for students that were research minded…If you go into a career in research you can use it to better your community, better lives of individuals around you and also to help shape policy.”

Among the group is a future meteorologist from North Carolina.

Joseph::

“It impacts everything from daily life to natural disaster like hurricanes to figuring out what to wear at school.”

There's a good chance these students may experience a Tropical Storm or Hurricane this summer, they'll be certified to work a shelter if needed.

Amanda:

“Hopefully won’t get anything too bad it really shakes the wind in you today.”

Especially after seeing this video from Hurricane Charlie in Punta Gorda three years ago...it's enough to keep some from moving to Florida.

Amanda:

“Not for me...I'll stay in New Jersey I think.”

The future weather guy wants a closer look.

Joseph:

“I know one day I want to be the guy strapped to the poll when the weather is coming. ”

The program is funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation. It pays for a student’s travel expenses, room and board and food. Students also receive a 36-hundred dollar stipend and earn 6 college credits.

Some of USF top researchers will mentor the students during the summer.

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