By LOIS KINDLE
Looking for an afternoon of smooth jazz and smart hurricane prep? Join the Community Foundation Tampa Bay, WUSF and the Firehouse Cultural Center for Stormy Weather, a free community event blending soulful music with must-know information about the 2025 hurricane season.
COURTESY PHOTOS
Jazz artists Bryan Hughes & The Crew will perform during Stormy Weather, June 22 at the Firehouse Cultural Center in Ruskin. The USF Jazztet Trio will also be on hand.
It will take place from 1 to 4 p.m., Sunday, June 22, at the Firehouse Cultural Center, 101 1st Ave. NE, Ruskin.
Sit back and enjoy live jazz performed by Bryan Hughes & The Crew and the USF Jazztet Trio. Then get the latest info on hurricane preparedness as the WUSF news team chats with Megan Borowski, senior meteorologist with the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network.
They’ll be discussing the 2025 season and sharing how to get ready for it, some tips and tricks, and staying informed before and after a major storm.
A brief Q & A session will follow.
Community Foundation Tampa Bay is sponsor of the event, WUSF is the presenter and the Firehouse Cultural Center is its host.
Extensively damaged last September during Hurricane Helene, the cultural center highlights the financial and physical toll this community experienced in last year’s hurricane season.
“While many still are recovering, we’re humbled to be able to partner with Community Foundation Tampa Bay and WUSF and bring this event to the community,” said Chris Bredbenner, Firehouse Cultural Center executive director.
The program will keep things upbeat with good music, great conversation and light refreshments.
So come for the jazz, stay for the chat and leave with swag feeling ready for whatever the 2025 hurricane season brings.
For ticket information on Stormy Weather, call the Firehouse Cultural Center at 813-645-7651.
About the entertainment
Trained in both traditional and contemporary jazz, American jazz vocalist Bryan J. Hughes seamlessly blends the timeless elegance of a classic jazz frontman with the vibrant energy of big band stylings and the smoothness of contemporary R&B.
His artistry focuses on revitalizing classic sounds, crafting music that transcends generations and defies genre boundaries.
The USF Jazztet trio is frequently featured in concerts on the University of South Florida campus, recordings and touring.
The group has performed at International Association for Jazz Education conferences, as well as jazz festivals with many outstanding guest artists.
About the meteorologist
Megan Borowski has been with the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network since early 2019.
The New Jersey native completed her B.S. in meteorology at Rutgers University. While in school, she interned at WNBC in New York and after graduation worked as a freelance meteorologist for ABC Network News, where she produced weather for “Good Morning America” and “World News Tonight.”
Borowski earned her master’s degree at the University of Florida, where she researched high-resolution weather models. In addition to loving the science of meteorology, she’s also devoted to communicating essential forecast information to the public.