Subject Matter Experts from the movie: "Flash Flood Alley"

Joe Arellano Jr. has served in his current position as Meteorologist-In-Charge for the National Weather Service (NWS) Forecast Office - Austin/San Antonio since June 2000. Mr. Arellano's training and experience in Meteorology spans 33 years and he has held various positions within the NWS since 1976.  His expertise and interests are in Tropical Meteorology and he has served as a member of the Hurricane Liaison Team at the National Hurricane Center.  Mr. Arellano holds a bachelor's degree in Meteorology from Texas A&M University and also completed graduate studies in Meteorology at Texas A&M. Mr. Arellano has received numerous awards during his Federal Government career.

Dr. Baker is an internationally known hydrologist, paleoflooding and flood geomorphology expert whose projects range throughout the world. Along with this technical expertise, Dr. Baker's research has included the history and philosophy of earth and planetary sciences, and the interface of environmental science with public policy. Dr. Baker is a Foreign Member of the Polish Academy of Sciences and past president and current fellow of the Geological Society of America.   He has also served on numerous panels and committees of the National Research Council.

Steve Collier is Director of the Austin Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and Vice President of the Emergency Management Association of Texas. Mr. Collier’s recent projects include initiation of Project Impact, a comprehensive hazard mitigation program sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the coordination of several counter-terrorism and homeland security preparedness programs in the Austin area.

Judge Danny Scheel is a Central Texas native and has personally witnessed major floods along the Guadalupe River in 1952,1972, 1998 and 2002 (as well as numerous other floods in surrounding areas).   Judge Scheel has played an active role in rescue and recovery efforts during many of these events. He is a proponent for more flood control structures in the Central Texas area.

Raymond M. Slade, Jr. is a noted expert on Texas' floods. Mr. Slade served as a Hydrologist and Surface-Water Specialist over a 33 year career with the U.S. Geological Survey in Texas.  He has authored about 75 reports concerning water resources, with topics including floods, droughts, rural and urban hydrology, and water quality of surface and ground water.   He has field inspected and surveyed many sites during and immediately after floods and authored many reports about catastrophic storms and floods.   Mr. Slade has also investigated and reported on the effects of human activity on rural and urban floods and flood frequency.

Dr. Gilbert White, (retired Professor Emeritus from the University of Colorado) is a renowned geographer and environmental writer. Dr. White was instrumental in the design of the national flood insurance program   and is considered by many to be the "father of floodplain management" in this country, having served with nearly every president from Franklin Roosevelt to Bill Clinton in some capacity of water policy. Dr. White also founded the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado and has recently finished the his 20 th book. Dr. White has been awarded numerous prizes for his substantial body of work including the National Medal of Science.

Dr. John R. "Jack" Sheaffer studied under Dr. Gilbert White at the University of Chicago and went on to work as Science Advisor to the Secretary of the Army.   Dr. Sheaffer was instrumental in the design of the national flood insurance program and many other pivotal water-related issues such as the Clean Water Act. He is current working in (and recognized as a leading authority on) the reclamation and reuse of wastewater.

Dr. Eve Gruntfest is a professor of Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado. Dr. Gruntfest has been working in the field of natural hazard mitigation for more than 25 years. She has published widely and is an internationally recognized expert in the specialty areas of natural hazard warning system development and flash flooding.

David Conrad is a water-resource specialist for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF).   Mr. Conrad was the lead author of a groundbreaking 1998 report entitled "Higher Ground" which clearly explained for the first time how federal insurance dollars are being wasted by repeatedly repairing homes and infrastructure in flood-prone areas (while subsequently destroying precious riparian habitat).