A wonderful evening with friends and colleagues at the 2026 Annual Banquet of the @WCFLAMS West-Central Florida Chapter of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) @ametsoc, including two keynote speakers: Dr. Jennifer Collins, Professor at the University of South Florida @USFResearch, discussed social science research on hurricane evacuation perceptions in decision-making and also a special topic on “Reimagining the Hurricane Scale”, focused on research to develop an enhanced scale that encompasses a multi-hazard approach to hurricane impacts - expanding on the decades of experience with the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Dr. Laura Myers, Professor at the University of Alabama @UofAlabama discussed social science research on "Hurricane Archetype Events and Messaging Outcomes”, highlighting key aspects of psychological, sociological and emergency response frameworks involved with communicating risk for hurricanes, including threat for coastal and far inland communities. It was great to see everyone who was able to attend tonight! As thunderstorms rolled over Tampa Bay, we had an unexpected and heart-felt tribute to a dear friend who passed today, Andy Johnson, who was a meteorological pioneer and a dedicated leader for this chapter for decades. 📡❤️ Photos from April 2012 and April 2015 AMS meetings to join with tonight’s April 2026 photo. #flwx