Super storm student

In 2012, Hurricane Sandy ripped through the coastal mid-Atlantic, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. For University of Delaware senior Thomas Florio, who was 9 at the time, it also left a combination of fear and amazement that led to an academic career studying the weather.

"I was living in New Jersey, and I remember property damage in my home and being really afraid of the storm," Florio said. "That was the first big storm I experienced with 70 to 80 mile-per-hour winds. The weathervane was ripped off our garage, there were objects crashing outside, two large oak trees fell and we lost power for about two weeks. But the fear turned into a curiosity for understanding why something like that happens. I've been a weather enthusiast ever since."

At UD, Florio was able to take that curiosity to the next level, majoring in meteorology and climate science with minors in computer science and geography. He was also involved in the UD chapter of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) where he served in a variety of capacities and ran the weather page, making weekly and weekend forecast posts.