About this user
Hi, I am Derek Sibley and I was born and raised in Miami, Florida.
My meteorology interest began at the very young age of four, the area where I grew up at saw daily spring and summer time thunderstorms. Lightning, thunder, heavy rain, hail, and gusty winds always excited me and still does today.
In the late 1990s I received my first NOAA weather radio, every day I would turn it on to check on the daily weather conditions and every time the alert tone would go off I knew there was some sort of severe weather in the area.
By 2004, another interest turned me onto tropical cyclones. During this year three hurricanes stuck the state of Florida, though I was a little far from where they made landfall, I still remember some of the effects they brought to me.
The next year, was the busiest hurricane season on record for the Atlantic basin, seeing 28 named storms beating the old record that was set back in 1933. 2005 ignited my interest into tropical cyclones. And yet Florida, was another hurricane landfall target, this year I experienced my first 3 hurricanes. Hurricane Dennis I witnessed over water on a cruise ship, with winds right around hurricane force and seas as high as 22-30ft. Hurricane Katrina made landfall in south Florida as a category 1 storm with winds sustained at tropical storm strength and gusting to hurricane force. And lastly hurricane Wilma, which was a rare late October major hurricane, that had the lowest minimum central pressure ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. This storm eventually made landfall in southwest Florida as a category 3 before moving through south Florida as a category 2. These storms still have great vivid images in my head.
In 2006, I received my first video camera to film anything that came across me, whether it was thunderstorms, high winds, or even just anything interesting I would capture it.
Ever since those weather events I have been hooked. And now my interest takes me to storm chasing, doing tropical update videos, owning my own website, and interning at the Miami National Weather Service. I am also a junior in high school planning on going to college to earn a degree in meteorology.
Aside from my interest in meteorology, I am a swimmer and compete in swim meets. I have been a swimmer ever since I was four. On my spare time I love to hang out with my friends, watch sports (go dolphins!), movies, music, and play a few video games.
Hometown
Hollywood, Florida
Country
United States
Occupation
Intern at Miami NWS, high school student
Schools
South Broward High School
Interests
Meteorology, Tropical meteorology, Storm chasing
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