Episode Details

What happens when weather becomes evidence?
Forensic meteorologist Rob Perillo has spent decades reconstructing the atmosphere to help answer that question. Using radar, satellite imagery, weather observations and even a little geometry, he pieces together what happened at a specific place and time—and sometimes takes those findings into a courtroom.
In this episode of Atmosphere, Rob shares some of his most fascinating cases, from hurricane-damaged ships and deadly lightning strikes to extreme heat, icy parking lots and investigations where a few degrees or a single weather observation can change the story.
He also takes us back to the morning the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart over Texas and Louisiana, when he went from watching the shuttle from his backyard to helping national news networks track its debris on Doppler radar.
It's part meteorology, part detective work and, as Rob calls it, “CSI meteorology.”

Sources Rob uses in his forensic work:
Archived Radar and Satellite
NWS/SPC Text Forecasts and Severe Weather Graphics
Weather Prediction Center Archives
Storm Prediction Center Archives
National Hurricane Center Archives