Claim OwnershipDisaster Discussions Podcast
Subscribed: 5Played: 122
Subscribe
Description
Disasters like hurricanes, hailstorms, tornadoes, and wildfires can be devastating and frightening. They displace families, drive financial loss, and destroy communities. Join us as we sit down with science, insurance, and building industry professionals who will help us explore the intersection of these hazards with the built environment and steps being taken to prevent future devastation.
44 Episodes
Reverse
In this episode of Disaster Discussions, host Rachael Penton Gauthier explores KB Home’s groundbreaking Dixon Trail development in Escondido, CA—the first neighborhood in the U.S. to receive a provisional Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood™ designation, with every home in the development constructed to the Wildfire Prepared Home Plus level-IBHS's most rigorous wildfire resilience standard. KB Home’s President and Regional General Manager Steve Ruffner shares the bold design choices and strategic cost trade-offs that made this resilience possible, as well as feedback from residents who have made this neighborhood their home and saved on insurance in the process. The episode also dives into the policy, planning, and insurability hurdles builders face and outlines KB Home’s forward-looking commitment to wildfire-resilient construction.
What happens when a storm meets smart construction choices? Mark Fowler from the Alabama Department of Insurance and Dr. Lawrence Powell from the University of Alabama's Center for Risk and Insurance Research join Disaster Discussions to unpack a groundbreaking new report on IBHS FORTIFIED Home construction performance during Hurricane Sally- a strong category two storm that struck the highest concentration of FORTIFIED homes in the nation. This episode dives into how homes built or retrofitted to FORTIFIED standards significantly outperformed both traditional construction homes and those built to municipal building codes—sustaining less damage and saving homeowners and insurers millions of dollars.
It's been 20 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in August 2005, bringing wind and record storm surge to areas in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Stormchaser Josh Morgerman- also known as iCyclone- joins the podcast for a discussion about the record storm surge coastal Mississippi experienced during Katrina, sometimes referred to as the "Forgotten Coast" in the months after the storm. We also discuss the cultural and economic toll the storm caused, and what the recovery looks like two decades later. Plus, Josh discusses his FORTIFIED "Hurricane House" that he has made home on the Mississippi coast, and he takes us around the world to discuss his cyclone chasing adventures.
Every summer IBHS welcomes a diverse and talented group of interns and fellows from across the country to work closely with our world-class engineers, scientists, and communications professionals. The scope of their projects is wide- assisting with full-scale research, developing state of the art instrumentation and electrical solutions, running lab equipment to conduct research, designing and constructing building systems, and much more. Most of the participants are students studying IT, engineering, meteorology, or communications in some form- spanning from undergraduates to postdocs. Some of these students even return to IBHS later in their careers. We learn more about these interns and fellows and what they learned this summer at IBHS in a two-part special.
Every summer IBHS welcomes a diverse and talented group of interns and fellows from across the country to work closely with our world-class engineers, scientists, and communications professionals. The scope of their projects is wide- assisting with full-scale research, developing state of the art instrumentation and electrical solutions, running lab equipment to conduct research, designing and constructing building systems, and much more. Most of the participants are students studying IT, engineering, meteorology, or communications in some form- spanning from undergraduates to postdocs. Some of these students even return to IBHS later in their careers. We learn more about these interns and fellows and what they learned this summer at IBHS in a two-part special.
The In-Situ Collaborative Experiment for the Collection of Hail In the Plains (ICECHIP) wraps up after 6 weeks of scientific storm chasing in pursuit of hail-producing thunderstorms. In this episode, we discuss the project's success in the field, highlight valuable partnerships formed during the project, and hear some of the early insights surrounding the data collected. Plus, looking ahead to how ICECHIP scientists will use this data to better understand hailstorms.
In this episode of Disaster Discusssions host Rachael Penton Gauthier sits down with Geotrek's Dr. "Hurricane Hal" Needham to discuss his three-step process for disaster risk assessment that includes the importance of knowing the deep disaster history of a location, identifying the possible risks in a particular neighborhood or region, and understanding how shifts from environmental changes can impact the potential for extreme weather. Plus, how this knowledge can be used to empower communities to better understand their vulnerabilities to natural disasters.
6 weeks, 15 institutions, 4 international partners, and as many hailstorms as possible- that's the mission of the In-situ Collaborative Experiment for the Collection of Hail In the Plains (ICECHIP). In this episode of Disaster Discussions we hear from some of the scientists involved in the historic project as it kicks off in Boulder, Colorado.
In this episode of Disaster Discussions Research Project Scientist Jake Sorber joins the podcast for a discussion on why hail is an extreme loss driver across the United States, and the reasons behind why that trend is growing. Plus, an in-depth conversation about lessons learned from a case study of significant hail that fell in Rock Hill, SC and a look ahead to what IBHS scientists are aiming to learn during ICECHIP- the largest scientific field campaign since the 70s devoted to studying hail.
This Disaster Discussions episode highlights the development of the new Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood technical standard- the first and only science-based standard that aims to meaningfully reduce the probability of a built-environment conflagration in the neighborhoods where it is applied. Guests on this episode are Dr. Ian Giammanco, IBHS Managing Director of Standards and Data Analytics and Lead Research Meteorologist and Evan Sluder, Research Project Engineer. The conversation includes an explanation of the science behind the standard's four core principles and details how the standard can be applied in both new-build and retrofit scenarios. The episode also covers how the standard can be used in a post-wildfire setting to analyze a neighborhood's risk factors for conflagration. Plus, a discussion on the first project putting the standard into operation in Escondido, CA and how the science could be used to rebuild more resiliently in LA county.
In this episode of Disaster Discussions we're joined by Dr. Geoff Boughton, Adjunct Associate Professor at the James Cook University Cyclone Testing Station and Dr. Korah Parackal, IBHS Research Engineer and Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the James Cook University Cyclone Testing Station. This discussion looks back at the evolution and landfall of category four Cyclone Tracy that struck Darwin, Australia on Christmas Eve 1974, leaving 90% of the town's residential homes uninhabitable and tens of thousands of residents homeless. We discuss how Tracy's devastating impact sparked changes to the way Australia's housing was built, and how these changes eventually led to a nationwide building code. Today homes in Australia are structurally engineered to withstand high winds throughout the entire country and include provisions for low cycle fatigue, a continuous load path or tie-down chain, and are designed for high internal pressures.
In this episode of Disaster Discussions host Rachael Penton Gauthier is joined by Dr. Murray Morrison, IBHS Managing Director of Research and Steve Hawks, Senior Director for Wildfire for Part 2 of a discussion about the LA County wildfires. This episode details how the Palisades Fire started and the unique factors that allowed this wildfire to morph into a devastating urban conflagration. Plus, an in depth discussion on IBHS's post-event investigation of the Palisades Fire. Finally, the episode analyzes lessons learned from field observations of both the Eaton and Palisades post-event investigations and how the results will help better prepare southern California homeowners for future wildfire events.
In this episode of Disaster Discussions host Rachael Penton Gauthier is joined by Dr. Murray Morrison, IBHS Managing Director of Research and Steve Hawks, Senior Director for Wildfire. Part 1 of this discussion details the extreme meteorological conditions that allowed several wildfires to spark in early January in LA county, and details the conditions that allowed the Eaton and Palisades fires to transition into urban conflagrations. This episode highlights the working partnership between IBHS and CAL FIRE to expand wildfire research in California. Plus, learn about the logistics and operations of IBHS's post-event investigation of the Eaton Fire.
In the first episode of 2025, we take a look back at some of the memorable moments from Disaster Discussion in 2024. This episode recaps season 3, and highlights favorite clips from some of our special guests that joined us on the podcast.
In this episode of Disaster Discussions we sit down with WCNC Chief Meteorologist Brad Panovich and IBHS Lead Research Meteorologist Dr. Ian Giammanco to discuss the communication challenges of messaging for historic weather events such as Hurricane Helene. Topics discussed include: messaging seasonal tropical forecasts, communicating differences in storm intensity both before and during landfall, and messaging for systems with big inland impacts. We also discuss how best to communicate extreme weather events, such as the historic rainfall event that Helene brought to the mountains of North Carolina as well as perceptions around flood insurance for communities away from the coast.
In this episode of Disaster Discussions we highlight the partnership between IBHS, Triple-I, and the U.S. Small Business Administration with an encore presentation of the LinkedIn audio event: Weathering the Storms: Strategies for Small Business Resilience. Then, we talk with Chuck Miccolis, IBHS Managing Director of Commercial Lines, to hear more about common vulnerabilities of commercial buildings, as well as our research-backed mitigation methods for resiliency. In this episode we also help small business owners and commercial property owners better understand how they can better prepare for a range of hazards, including hurricanes, severe thunderstorms, wildfire, and severe winter weather. Plus, we highlight a few proactive mitigation strategies that business owners can use to help ensure business continuity.
In this episode host Rachael Penton Gauthier sits down with IBHS General Counsel Michael Newman and Public Policy Associate Manuela Ekowo, who together make up the IBHS public policy team. Learn how they're working to advance science-based public action to build resiliency for homeowners, businesses, and communities. Topics of discussion include building codes, wildfire policy, science-backed construction retrofits, disaster recovery, affordable housing, and meeting the need for investment so that resilient housing can become standard and accessible to all populations. Plus, hear the economic benefits of investing in resilient communities and highlights from some success stories.
In this episode of Disaster Discussions, host Rachael Penton Gauthier sits down with the IBHS wildfire research team to discuss insights from research projects past and present. The researchers examine some of the reasons behind the growing issue of conflagration in the Wildland Urban Interface. They also define the three the types of fire ignition mechanisms, and discuss the research that has informed mitigation methods homeowners can use to help protect their properties from embers and flames, including the importance of the non-combustible zone zero. They also highlight the wind-driven building-to-building fire spread project that is underway at the research center, and look ahead to how this project will inform wildfire mitigation strategies at the community level.
In this episode of Disaster Discussions we dive into the science behind the FORTIFIED standard, the series of construction and roofing upgrades that work together to create a system proven to strengthen homes against severe weather. Guest Fred Malik, Managing Director of the FORTIFIED program, gives us an in-depth explanation of the construction components that make up the standard, explains how homeowners can participate, outlines the benefits of using the science to protect a home, and current grant programs available for homeowners. We also dive into the research insights that support the FORTIFIED program based on decades of research by IBHS. Plus, we reflect on the history of FORTIFIED, and look ahead to forecast growth.
In this episode of Disaster Discussions we sit down with IBHS research scientists Dr. Ian Giammanco, Brenna Meisenzahl, and Jake Sorber to recap this year's hail field study. We discuss this year's active weather pattern that led to a record number of operating days and the characteristics of some of the storms teams were able to survey. We also discuss the nomadic elements of the trip and the logistics of operating a multi-day scientific operation. Plus, we highlight some of the unique field opportunities teams were able to participate in this year, including cross-sectioning and 3D scanning giant hailstones and assisting with verifying a possible new record hailstone. We also discuss how the data collected on the trip will inform current and future hail research at the IBHS lab.
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States