Storm chasers, survivors, researchers, and first responders will describe their experiences with some of the most destructive hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and volcanoes on record as part of the new Netflix docuseries “EARTHSTORM.”
And Brian Haus, professor and chair of the Department of Ocean Sciences at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, will add his voice to the mix. The docuseries will be released on Oct. 27. Produced by Warner Brothers, it follows people living with the threat of Earth's most destructive natural forces and illustrates how the latest science is changing our relationship with them all.
“EARTHSTORM” consists of four 45-minute episodes and Haus will be featured in the segment focused on hurricanes. It takes a closer look at Hurricane Ida, an extremely destructive Category 4 storm that struck southeastern Louisiana in 2021. According to Netflix officials, the episode “reveals how rising global temperatures are pushing storms to grow more powerful than ever.”
Haus is a coastal engineer and oceanographer, with a range of high-profile research grants that draw on his nearly three decades of experience at the University. He researches the physics of tropical cyclones and their coastal impacts. Haus is also the director of the Alfred C. Glassell Jr. SUSTAIN laboratory, a massive wind-wave-storm simulator on the Marine Campus that can be used to run a range of experiments about how wind and waves interact during hurricanes, as well as decipher how hurricane landfalls can impact coastal communities, structures, and ecosystems.
It's not the first time that the SUSTAIN lab has made an on-camera appearance. The facility opened in 2014, and since then a range of media publications and networks have featured its simulations, which can model extreme conditions like Category 5 hurricane strength. Recently, the SUSTAIN tank was featured on “60 Minutes,” the CBS Sunday night news magazine. In August it was shown on The Weather Channel, and included interviews with several Rosenstiel faculty members—including Haus—who study hurricanes.
“This facility allows us to provide fundamental science about hurricanes in an entertaining way,” Haus said.
Watch the trailer for “EARTHSTORM.”
