Author and publisher Christopher C. Burt was co-founder and publisher of the acclaimed Compass American Guide series. His fascination with extreme weather began at birth. Chris was born in Manhattan's Lenox Hill hospital in October 1954 during New York's most severe hurricane on record, hurricane Hazel. He grew up in Princeton NJ, where as a young boy he haunted the offices of Weather Wise Magazine then edited by renown weather historian David M. Ludlum. Chris Burt studied meteorology at the University of Wisconsin Madison. He now resides in Oakland, California a city of un-remitting weather dullness. He is the author of "Extreme Weather" a guide and record book published by WW. Norton Co.