Michael Cohen

Hometown: Miami, FL

Educational Background: BA in Digital Media - Internet & Interaction, University of Central Florida

What I Do: Senior Product Manager, SEO

How I Got To The Weather Company: After years of working at startups, moving to one of the top 50 largest websites in the world was a dream come true.

What I Love About Working for The Weather Company: As a proponent of ABL (Always Be Learning), getting an opportunity to learn new things everyday is an absolute treat. I have learned the names of new weather phenomena, seen how meteorologists identify potential events, and insights into how different areas react to different storms.

Favorite Weather Areas: Tropical weather

Favorite Core Weather Memory: Hurricane Andrew. It was the summer of '92, I was still in summer camp, just before third grade started. I can remember my parents preparing the house, the closing of the patio shutters, and us "camping out" in the living room together. Throughout the start of the storm that night, we could hear the screen enclosure door slamming back and forth. The next morning, everything looked different: our backyard tree canopy was completely gone, as was our playground and the screen enclosure had collapsed into the pool. Ironically the only part of the screen enclosure that remained standing was the door! We were without power for over a week, fortunate that my father had the foresight to purchase a generator which powered the fridge, the portable TV, and a box fan. The only damage had been three broken windows in the front of the house, and we were incredibly fortunate we didn't have any Dade County Pines/Slash Pines in our yard - they had all collapsed throughout the area and caused significant damage to our neighbors and more. Post-storm, I can remember eating canned goods, trying SPAM for the first time, and the family waiting in a long line to pick up the mail. The best moment was 10 days after the storm, walking back to my room and seeing the light back on, meaning we had power again! Because of this, I have always put emphasis on being prepared for any natural disasters: plenty of canned/nonperishable goods, bottled waters, whistles, and flashlights all around the house.

Favorite Weather Condition: Thunderstorms with steady rain hitting your window on a late summer afternoon

Favorite Book: To Kill a Mockingbird

Favorite Movie: Big Trouble in Little China (which does feature The Three Storms)