Guest: Ryan Hall

When severe weather is on the horizon, many people turn to their local meteorologist—but millions are heading to YouTube to get the latest from Ryan Hall, Y’all. With his signature down-to-earth style and real-time, no-nonsense weather coverage, Ryan has built one of the most popular and trusted weather communities online. But what’s it really like to cover major weather events on social media’s biggest stage? How does he balance entertainment with accuracy? And where does he see weather communication heading next? Today on Weather Geeks, we’re pulling back the curtain with Ryan Hall himself. From storm-chasing stories to the power of digital weather, we’re diving into how one YouTuber is changing the way we watch the skies.

Chapters

1. 00:00 Introduction to Ryan Hall, Y'all
2. 02:57 Ryan's Journey into Weather
3. 06:07 The Rise of Ryan Hall, Y'all
4. 08:49 Transitioning from Traditional Media to Digital
5. 11:15 The Evolution of Weather Communication
6. 14:37 Building a Community and the Y'all Squad
7. 17:12 The Role of Teamwork in Content Creation
8. 20:27 Navigating Severe Weather Coverage
9. 23:26 Addressing Misinformation in Weather Reporting
10. 26:25 The Impact of AI on Weather Communication
11. 29:26 Advice for Aspiring Weather YouTubers

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Guest: Dr. Alexander Gates, Rutgers University - Newark

Weather doesn’t just shape our daily plans — sometimes, it shapes the course of history. From floods that altered empires to storms that changed the outcome of wars, extreme weather has quietly (and sometimes violently) rewritten the human story. Today, we’re joined by Dr. Alexander Gates, professor at Rutgers University–Newark and author of the upcoming book Wicked Weather. In it, he explores the natural disasters that didn’t just make headlines, but changed societies, politics, and the world as we know it. In this episode, we’ll talk about the historical storms, droughts, and disasters that left lasting marks on civilization, what those events teach us about risk and resilience, and why understanding the past may be one of our best tools for preparing for the future.

Chapters

1. 00:00 - Introduction: Weather's historical influence on civilizations
2. 00:32 - Dr. Gates’ background & inspiration for Wicked Weather
3. 01:06 - How natural disasters shape human societies
4. 03:29 - The significance of weather-related events like hurricanes, volcanoes, and earthquakes
5. 06:37 - Most impactful natural disasters in history
6. 07:30 - Volcanoes from 536-540 AD changing the global climate
7. 09:24 - The hurricane that helped end the American Revolution
8. 11:06 - Human decisions impacting disaster resilience
9. 11:40 - Break 1
10. 11:42 - Building resilience: lessons from historical events
11. 13:19 - Climate change’s role in intensifying weather extremes
12. 16:16 - Lessons from historical weather disasters on modern emergency preparedness
13. 17:37 - How different types of disasters prompt societal change
14. 20:44 - Responses to weather-related disasters in different countries
15. 23:31 - Break 2
16. 23:33 - The importance of societal response and adaptation
17. 28:04 - The science behind storms and the importance of understanding natural causes
18. 29:28 - Final reflections: societal resilience and future preparedness

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Guest: Dr. Younes Alila, University of British Columbia

Floods are some of the most devastating natural disasters on Earth—washing away homes, reshaping landscapes, and testing the limits of our infrastructure. But what if the way we measure and plan for floods is decades out of date? A new study out of the University of British Columbia led by Dr. Younes Alila reveals that the so-called “100-year flood” may now be striking every 10 years or less across parts of British Columbia. Dr. Alila joins us to unpack how land-use changes, deforestation, and a warming climate are amplifying flood frequency, why natural features like wetlands and forests are key to protection, and what communities can do to adapt.

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