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Hurricane Kate - Indian Pass, Florida - November 21, 1985 2,311

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Hurricane & Tropical Storm Chasing

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Experience some of the most violent and notorious hurricanes of the Atlantic basin as seen through the lens of verteran storm chaser, Michael Laca.

Hurricane Irene - Outer Banks, North Carolina - August 26-28, 2011 vmax135 5,102 views On the evening of August 20th an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft found a small low-level circulation center about 200 miles east of Dominica, associated with a ...
Hurricane Igor - Grotto Bay, Bermuda - September 18-19, 2010 vmax135 49,897 views On September 6th a large and complex area of disturbed weather associated with a tropical wave, moved off the west coast of Africa attended by two distinct areas of low pre...
Hurricane Ike - Florida Keys - September 8-9, 2008 vmax135 104,100 views During the first week of September, 2008 Hurricane Ike tore through the islands of Turks & Caicos and Great Inagua as a category four, with sustained winds of 135mph, befor...
Hurricane Gustav - Morgan City, LA - September 1, 2008 vmax135 56,942 views Hurricane Gustav ravaged portions of the Caribbean in late August 2008, resulting in deadly flooding over Haiti and then crossing western Cuba on the 30th as a strong Categ...
Tropical Storm Fay - Florida Keys - August 18, 2008 vmax135 31,092 views On the August 18, 2008 storm chasers Michael Laca, Jim Leonard and Max Hagen intercepted Tropical Storm Fay as it crossed the middle and lower Florida Keys making its firs...
Hurricane Hugo (High Quality) - Luquillo, Puerto Rico - September 17-18, 1989 vmax135 98,384 views Between September 16th and 22nd, 1989 one of the most infamous and disasterous hurricanes in Atlantic history, Hugo, devastated portions of the Caribbean and South Carolina...
Hurricane Wilma (High Quality) - Belle Meade, Florida - October 24, 2005 vmax135 67,841 views Between October 15th and 26th, 2005 Hurricane Wilma, became the 22nd named storm, 13th hurricane, sixth major hurricane and fourth Category Five hurricane of the record-sha...
Hurricane Rita (High Quality) - Key West, Florida - September 20, 2005 vmax135 21,443 views Between September 17th and 24th, 2005 Hurricane Rita, became the 17th named storm, 10th hurricane, fifth major hurricane and third Category Five hurricane of the record-sha...
Hurricane Katrina (High Quality) - Coral Gables, Florida - August 25, 2005 vmax135 15,025 views Between August 23rd and 30th, 2005 Hurricane Katrina, became the 11th named storm, fifth hurricane, third major hurricane and second Category Five hurricane of the record-s...
Hurricane Elena (Eye) - Biloxi, Mississippi - September 2, 1985 vmax135 35,630 views A short clip from my chase footage as Hurricane Elena's textbook eye moves over Biloxi, Mississippi on the morning of September 2, 1985.

About Tropmet Storm Chasing

For over 25 years, Tropmet has been bringing you some of the most extreme weather on the planet!

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Created by

vmax135

Latest Activity

Feb 23, 2012

Date Joined

Apr 14, 2006

About this user

My name is Michael Laca. I'm a native South Floridian and veteran hurricane chaser. My love of hurricanes and severe weather turned into a full-fledged chasing career in the mid 1980's.

From 1984-86, I co-authored a monthly tropical weather column for a national weather periodical 'The American Weather Observer' and was awarded an associate membership with the American Meteorological Society.

I've experienced over 40 named tropical cyclones and during the last 28 years of my chasing career, have directly intercepted over 20 hurricanes, including some of the most violent Atlantic storms on record: Elena, Gloria, Kate, Gilbert, Hugo, Andrew, Opal, Frances, Jeanne, Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, Ike, Igor, Irene and many others. I've been fortunate enough to have recorded some of the most dramatic hurricane photography and video footage available.

My photography and videography have been used in numerous texts, magazines, ads, TV programs, marketing campaigns and other media including Weatherwise, Smithsonian, National Geographic, The Weather Channel, Duracell and others.

For the last ten years, I have also maintained a website, tropmet.com, dedicated to hurricanes, severe weather, storm chasing and photography.

Aside from hurricane chasing, in my spare time I also enjoy movies (especially horror and sci-fi), music, reading, video games (love my PS3), comic books and animation.