#NDRC18 Recap - Partners in Prevention

Partners in Prevention

Volume 20, Issue 12, 2018

2018 National Disaster Resilience Conference

Science, Policy, and Practice

Presentations, slides, videos, news coverage, and comments

Opening Day - November 7

The 2018 National Disaster Resilience Conference (#NDRC18) brought together the nation's foremost experts in disaster safety science, policy, and practice from November 7 to 9 in Clearwater Beach, Florida to support continued recovery for communities affected by the devastating catastrophes of 2017 and 2018, share best practices and innovation, and forge a stronger movement for the future. Conference participants represented stakeholders from public, private, and nonprofit organizations interested in collaborative opportunities to protect families and mitigate property losses from disasters of all kinds.

On November 7, attendees participated in two kickstarter sessions, Where Old Meets New ... Building Innovation: Driving or Derailing Disaster Resilience? and Where Old Meets New ... How is the Risk Communication Landscape Evolving and Changing to Meet the Future? The sessions featured Doug Allen, Structural/Branch Engineer - Simpson Strong-Tie, Mark Taylor, Vice President of Business Development - WeatherBELL Analytics and Board Advisor, Mike Rimoldi, SVP Education and Technical Programs - FLASH, and John Zarrella - JZ Media and Board Advisor.

The two facilitated kickstarter sessions drew dozens of arriving attendees and surfaced strategies that leverage innovation in building science as well as risk communication to enhance life safety and building performance ahead of earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, tsunamis, and wildfires.

The following two days of general session keynote speeches, panels, presentations, interviews, spotlights, and breakout panels featured AIR Worldwide, BASF Corporation, FEMA, Florida International University, IBHS, International Code Council, James Cook University of Australia, Lightning Protection Institute, MIT, NOAA, Portland Cement Association, Southern California Earthquake Center, Smart Home America, State Farm, Team Rubicon, USAF, The Weather Channel, University of Florida, University of Notre Dame, USAA, Verisk, and more.

This video recap provides a snapshot of the #NDRC18.

Morning General Session - November 8


*Leslie Chapman-Henderson*

Keynote and Executive Report - Big Picture

Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, President and CEO Leslie Chapman-Henderson opened the general session by sharing her latest commentary paper, Six Common Sense Imperatives for Better Home Building. The paper outlines six tactics to improve how homes perform in disaster zones by increasing consumer transparency with individual home ratings, basic disclosures, and disaster history databases. She detailed the importance of adoption and enforcement of modern, model building codes, home inspection and retrofitting grants, and rebuilding with resilience in mind as well.

Our recent studies prove that homeowners assume, incorrectly, that codes are already in place across the board.

If the building code is a minimum standard, then having no code is substandard.

We have CarFax for consumers, why not HomeFax?

We need to leverage Big Data and start rating homes in a way that consumers can understand.

We rate most everything else in life that matters, why not home quality?

- Leslie Chapman-Henderson


	*Kenneth Graham*

Keynote Presentation - Big Weather Safety

National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham delivered an insightful briefing on new social science research at NOAA targeting the challenge of communicating hurricane risk. Graham grabbed and held attendees' attention by beginning his presentation with quotes from hurricane victims

following Hurricanes Florence and Michael.

I heard the forecast, but I figured it would turn like they always do.

Hurricanes usually hit west of here, I didn't expect this.

It's never flooded here before.

I was watching the models, looked like it would miss us.

I thought these floods come every 100 years.

- Hurricane Florence and Michael Victims

"People make decisions based on previous hurricanes, but no two storms are alike," said Graham. "I will never give up on the people that won't evacuate." Graham concluded his address by sharing his hope that people will begin changing their behaviors when hazard guidance and risk communication is improved using social science. (view slides)

We want to be the first government agency to use social science in our messaging.

- Ken Graham

The audience reaction made it clear that there were no message challenges inside the room. According to Jim Cantore, "Incredible presentation from Director Ken Graham discussing the immense challenges of communicating risk."


*Bryan Koon, Steven Cooper, Joel May,* *Michele Steinberg*

Interview Session with Founding and Legacy Partners - Big History/Big Future

Bryan Koon, Vice President of Homeland Security and Emergency Management - IEM and Board Director, moderated the

Big History/Big Future audience participation session that opened with this video recap of FLASH Partnership milestones since 1998.

Founding and Legacy Partners including Steven Cooper, Director, Southern Region -National Weather Service and Board Advisor; Joel May, Resilient Construction Performance Materials, Disaster Durable Solutions - BASF Corporation; and Michele Steinberg, Wildfire Division Manager - NFPA. The speakers explored topics such as the changes in preparation and response, insurance claims, and economic impacts.

It's great to see the energy conservation side as well as the disaster side come together. When we combine the science and work together, we find solutions. - Joel May

And wh y should I have home fire sprinklers if insurance doesn't give me a big discount? Because fires in homes (not wildfires) kill 3,000 people in the U.S. every year. - Michele Steinberg

If you look at the movement from 1998 to today, people are so much more well informed. I have no doubt the messages that FLASH and the partners here have delivered over those twenty years have saved lives. - Steven Cooper


	*Bill Read*

2017 Season Lookback - Big Perspective

Kurt Koch, Vice President of Product Engineering & Innovation - Huber Engineered Woods and Board Director moderated the first panel of the day,

Big Perspective. The discussion began with a lookback on the 2017 hurricane season.

Bill Read, Meteorologist and former Director - National Hurricane Center began his presentation by sharing catastrophic impacts from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria including $3 billion in damage. He ended on a hopeful note discussing the increased accuracy of hurricane track forecasts. (view slides)

Lt. Col. Kaitlyn Woods, Hurricane Hunter, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, Chief Meteorologist - USAF continued the hurricane discussion and captured the audience's attention by sharing the history of the Hurricane Hunters and her experiences of flying directly into storms. (view slides)

Heath Hockenberry, National Fire Weather Program Manager - National Weather Service changed gears from hurricanes to wildfires and discussed the 2017 historic fire season, the evolution of the Red Flag Warning, and Incident Meteorologist (IMET) missions. (view slides)

Track forecasts for hurricanes have achieved exceptional accuracy. - Bill Read

In near future, Hurricane Hunters will be releasing buoys from the plane to areas in front of a storm. Wow! - Jeff Huffman

Enjoying the conversation surrounding the 2017 hurricane season and learning more about weather reconnaissance missions. - Jamie Leigh Price

There were seventy-one thousand wildfires in 2017 primarily in the southeast, not western United States. - Heath Hockenberry


Ed Laatsch

FEMA Mitigation Assessment Team & Recovery Advisories Report -

Big Advice

Ed Laatsch, Director, Safety, Planning & Building Science Division - FIMA Risk Management Directorate, Dan Bass, Mitigation Assessment Team Program Manager, Building Science Division - FIMA Risk Management Directorate, Manny A. Perotin, Senior Project Manager - CDM Smith, and

Stuart Adams, Program Manager - STARR II, shared lessons learned and findings on the building performance in the continental U.S., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) following the 2017 hurricane season. They also discussed the impact that code adoption and code enforcement played in reducing overall damage as well as plans for future code system enhancements in Puerto Rico and the USVI. Mike Rimoldi moderated the panel. (view slides)

Part of moving forward is learning the lessons from the past, right? And last year we had plenty to learn from. - Ed Laatsch

Building codes work, and mitigation too. - Dan Bass

Following basic FEMA flood requirements cut Harvey flood claims in half or more. - Hank Hodde

Impressive technical work by FEMA Building Science in Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands. - Aris Papadopoulos


	Jeff Lindner

Keynote Presentation - Big Service

Keynote speaker Jeff Lindner, Meteorologist - Harris County Flood Control District, shared his experiences and insights from helping Houston citizens endure the catastrophic flooding brought on by Hurricane Harvey, as well as damage assessment after Hurricane Michael. (view slides)

Lindner cited the following exceptional statistics for Harris County.

Harris County had yearly rainfall in just four days.

Thirty-five inches of rain over 10,000 square miles.

Fifty-three thousand 911 calls in twelve hours.

All twenty-two freeways were underwater.

One trillion gallons of water fell over four days. That amount would fill the astrodome 3,200 times and run Niagara Falls for fifteen days.

Eleven percent of total structures in Harris County flooded. Sixty-eight percent of these structures were outside the floodplain. One percent were in the floodplain. Everyone has a flood risk.

- Jeff Lindner

Early findings from a storm damage survey by Jeff Lindner and National Weather Service Tallahassee estimate the surge and wave action from Hurricane Michael was 18 to 19 feet. - Jeff Huffman

Collin O'Mara, Dr. Ernst Kiesling, Bryan Koon, Leslie Chapman-Henderson, Thomas E. Woods

Luncheon Program - Celebrating Twenty Years of Partnership

Collin O'Mara, President and CEO - The National Wildlife Federation (NWF), Dr. Bruce Stein, Chief Scientist and Associate Vice President, - NWF, and Charles Williamson, CEO - Vault Insurance opened the Luncheon Program and Recognition Ceremony with the NWF - Allied World Resilience Award presentation to Houston's Clear Lake City Water Authority for "Exploration Green". John Branch, President of the Clear Lake City Authority Board accepted the award that recognized a best-in-class example of using natural infrastructure to protect vulnerable communities.

The NWF announcement stated, "Exploration Green is a national model for disaster risk reduction and we hope to see other communities follow its lead," said Scott Carmilani. "Disaster recovery planning is no longer enough. It's critical for government, communities, businesses and insurers to prioritize pre-disaster risk reduction, and take a proactive approach to understanding the proactive functions that natural systems can provide." (Full release)

The ceremony continued as Board Directors Bryan Koon and Thomas E. Woods AVP, P&C Underwriting - USAA took the stage to present additional awards and recognition. Joel May received the #HurricaneStrong Home Initiative Award, and The Weather Channel's Dr. Rick Knabb received an award for his dedication and public service to the #HurricaneStrong campaign. Thomas E. Woods was recognized for his outstanding service and dedication to FLASH. Robert L. Andrews, Vice President and Chief Field Operations Officer - Verisk Analytics and Board Director received the 2018 Distinguished Service Award for ISO's dedication to disaster safety and resilience. Erika Peterman, VP Performance Materials North America - BASF Corporation and Board Director was named the Corporate Board Member of the Year.

The hosts continued with the recognition of sponsors, partners, and individuals who have driven success and inspiration in the disaster safety and resilience movement during the past 20 years.

Dr. Ernst Kiesling, Executive Director - National Storm Shelter Association and Leadership Partner received a moving tribute that included stories and pictures of his family, his Texas Tech Wind Science and Engineering leadership, and his lifelong career accomplishments that led to creation of the tornado shelter and safe room concepts. Following the tribute, Dr. Kiesling received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication and contributions to the field of tornado safety and high wind science. Tornado survivors and special guests, including the Harrison family and Mike Vaughn of the National Storm Shelter Association, presented the "Father of the Safe Room" with the award.

Recognition of Dr. Ernst Kiesling and his work in wind science and engineering and saving lives as the "Father of Safe Rooms." - Brian LaMarre

Special moment at #NDRC18 honoring the engineer of the storm shelter, later founder of the National Storm Shelter Association, Dr. Ernst Kiesling. He was greeted by a family who survived the 2011 Alabama outbreak in a storm shelter. - Jeff Huffman

The program concluded with Bryan Koon and Thomas E. Woods recognizing Leslie Chapman- Henderson for her achievements and dedication to disaster safety and resilience during her twenty years at FLASH.

Incredible leadership and contribution by Leslie Chapman-Henderson over its 20-year history recognized. Bravo! - Aris Papadopoulos, Resilience Action Fund


	*Kenneth Graham, Dr. Rick Knabb, Bill Read, Max Mayfield*

Dialogue with National Hurricane Center Directors - In Michael's Wake

Former CNN Correspondent and Board Advisor, John Zarrella, interviewed the National Hurricane Center's current director, Kenneth Graham, and former directors, Dr. Rick Knabb, Max Mayfield, and Bill Read. During this unprecedented conversation, the directors shared decades of experience and answered questions sparking a robust dialogue.

Are we perhaps entering another uptick in hurricane frequency?
Is storm surge becoming a greater threat in the years ahead?
Is there a way to do a better job conveying the threat from rainfall flooding?

The biggest forecasting nightmare continues to be rapidly-intensifying hurricanes moving quickly into a major urban area. Plans must be able to be adapted for much shorter time frames. - Dr. Rick Knabb

We have so much to learn about intensity. - Kenneth Graham

The big challenge that we have with rapid intensity is that some people think that it's forecastable to the 24 hour or under rate. - Bill Read

The Hurricane Center really wants people to know how well or how badly they do on forecasting. It's a success story with the track forecast. - Max Mayfield

What keeps you up at night? Experts say: storm that veers outside of the cone at the last moment, indirect deaths, major CAT 4 or 5 evacuation gridlock (time to build safe rooms), places that "feel immune" especially a major metro area. - Rosemarie Grant

Conversation with directors of the National Hurricane Center say that the biggest challenge for any place under threat is to face a process of rapid intensification before flooding, the most frequent in recent times. - Ada Monzon

FOUR generations of National Hurricane Center directors answering questions from former CNN Correspondent John Zarrella. Topics include rapid intensification, research, etc. Thanks to FLASH for bringing them all together at #NDRC18! - Jeff Huffman

Are we entering a new era of increased extreme weather and hurricane activity? National Hurricane Center experts weigh in. - Kimberly Loehr

A panel including the current and three former directors of the National Hurricane Center ... this conference truly is amazing. - Jamie Leigh Price

Four Hurricane Center Directors and decades of experience talking about all things #hurricanes at #NDRC18! - Jeff Lindner

Honored to see the current and three former Hurricane Center Directors interviewed by John Zarrella - Dr. Daniel Smith

Breakout Panels - November 8


Dr. Anne Cope presents during Big Science & Engineering

Big Science and Engineering

Dr. Forrest Masters, Associate Dean of Research & Facilities - University of Florida and Board Director served as moderator and speaker of the panel that explored how engineering, research, and science are facilitating more resilient communities. Masters' presentation discussed how field reconnaissance guides hurricane research. (view slides)

Dr. Anne Cope, Senior Vice President Research and Chief Engineer - Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety shared findings from wildfire research that discussed the need for a coupled approach to wildfire risk reduction.

Ipek Bensu Manav, Research Assistant - MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub focused her presentation on the creation of a neighborhood-scale resilience assessment and discussed the environmental, economic, and social losses that occur following a disaster. (view slides)

Dr. David O. Prevatt, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering - University of Florida gave a compelling presentation on the importance of engineers using innovative risk communication to drive more resilient building practice. (view slides)

Evan Reis, Executive Director and Co-Founder - U.S. Resiliency Council discussed how a building rating system will help communities plan better for disaster. His ideal rating system is built off three categories: safety, damage, and recovery. (view slides)

To understand why we need to go into the field, we must start with what we do in the lab. - Dr. Forrest Masters

Community losses due to disaster are more than just money. - Bensu Manav

True resiliency is about having the environment have a low impact on us. - Evan Reis

As engineers, we may know what to do but it's only a community that can do it. - Dr. David O. Prevatt

Dr. Anne Cope gave a compelling presentation on the need for a coupled approach to wildfire risk reduction that prevents home ignition. - Michele Steinberg

Big Policy


	*John Ingargiola, Hank Hodde*

Dale Thomure, Hazard Mitigation Manager - ISO moderated the panel that discussed how new laws and policies are aligning leadership decision making and post-disaster resources at the federal, state, and local level.

Sara Yerkes, Senior Vice President of Government Relations - International Code Council shared the code development cycle, resilient code updates, and the 2018 code adoption projections. (view slides)

Dr. Richard Olson, Professor and Director, Extreme Events Institute, International Hurricane Research Center - Florida International University discussed the public and political support for stronger codes. Olson highlighted the difference between having codes on paper and enforcing them. (view slides)

John Ingargiola, Lead Physical Scientist - Building Science Branch, Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration, FEMA presented FEMA's policies that support modern building codes and strong building practices. ( view slides )

Hank Hodde, Planning & Policy Manager - Smart Home America shared how codes, insurance, and collaboration create a framework for a resilient future. He also reviewed the building blocks of a resilient community. (view slides)

Leslie Chapman-Henderson, presented an overview of a new building code awareness project designed to increase building code adoption and enforcement through a behavior-focused study and a public outreach campaign.

Disaster resilience starts with building codes. - Sara Yerkes

Codes on paper and enforcement capabilities at the street level are very different in Mexico City. - Dr. Richard Olson

The latest code edition from the ICC or its equivalent must be used. - John Ingargiola

Informed decisions make a smart home. - Hank Hodde

Building codes and standards are the critical fundamentals of disaster resilience. - Leslie Chapman-Henderson


Mark Benthien presents during Big Practice

Big Practice

James McGowan, Director of Development - Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank and Board Director moderated the panel that explored different strategies and frameworks that leverage experience and technology to better prepare communities across the country for different perils.

Mark Benthien, Director for Communication, Education and Outreach - Southern California Earthquake Center educated attendees on the Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills and shared the impact they have had on motivating people to prepare. (view slides)

Kimberly Loehr, Communications Director - Lightning Protection Institute shared the safety and economic consequences of lightning, the need to build lightning-safe communities, and the ways to initiate change. (view slides)

Paul Martin, Regional Vice President, Southwest Region State Affairs - National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies gave a compelling presentation that explored how to make resilient building as desirable as the iPhone. Martin discussed how increasing supply and/or increasing demand can help achieve the goal of building more resilient homes and businesses. (view slides)

Dr. Rick Knabb, Hurricane Expert and Tropical Program Manager - The Weather Channel and Leadership Partner, discussed the #HurricaneStrong Community Designation Program component of the public awareness campaign and the focus on personal safety, family preparedness, financial security, damage prevention, and community service. Dr. Knabb shared a recent news feature (view video) about the program from Weather Underground, an evening show on The Weather Channel. (view slides)

Jim Clifford, Director of P&C Underwriting - USAA discussed the safety and prevention programs USAA created to drive awareness and encourage action. (view slides)

People are motivated to prepare when they see others like themselves getting prepared. - Mark Benthien

Lightning is the weather hazard that affects most of the people most of the time. - Kimberly Loehr

Increased consumer demand for resilient building helps the case for better building codes. - Paul Martin

Demand flood insurance, as almost everyone is vulnerable to flooding. - Dr. Rick Knabb

USAA's goal is to keep members safe and to prevent emotional and financial hardship associated with loss. - Jim Clifford

Afternoon General Session - November 8


	Jim Cantore, Leslie Chapman-Henderson

Special Feature - An Interview with Jim Cantore

Jim Cantore, On-Camera Meteorologist and "AMHQ" co-host - The Weather Channel, sat down with Leslie Chapman-Henderson to share insights and to talk resiliency from his perspective as an internationally-recognized weather professional, Leadership Partner, and the 2012 National Weatherperson of the Year.

Jim shared personal stories of his father's role as an inspiration to pursue a career in meteorology and recounted his most memorable experiences reporting weather in the field, including his fascination with "thunder snow." He took audience questions and shared insights on why so many weather professionals embrace resilience and why he wants to help communities realize they can bounce back from major disasters by rebuilding with resiliency in mind.

Weather speaks for itself.

Keep fighting the good fight. Build resilient homes.

- Jim Cantore

Great interview of Leslie Chapman-Henderson with Jim Cantore ... he said he has not flown a hurricane hunter but when he hunts every hurricane on the ground, everybody watches him! - Ada Monzon

Jim Cantore's favorite disasters to cover are the snow. Hurricane, flood, tornado are the worst. Katrina made the biggest impact on him. - Jamie Leigh Price


Aris Papadopoulos

Keynote Interview - Big Perspective

John Zarrella took the stage again to interview Aris Papadopoulos, Founder and Chair - Resilience Action Fund about his new international documentary, Built to Last. Papadopoulos shared his fear that those looking to buy a house are more interested in purchasing an aesthetically-pleasing home than a safe one.

Consumers have been brainwashed for years that "cosmetics" create value in their homes. - Aris Papadopoulos

How do we get HGTV to help us get the word out about resilient building practices and the increased value they contribute to, not to mention the increased safety? - Jamie Leigh Price


	Ada Monzon, Dr. Rick Knabb

Keynote Interview - Big Service

To close out the day, Dr. Rick Knabb joined Ada Monzon, Meteorologist - WIPR-TV of Puerto Rico and 2018 National Weatherperson of the Year for an inspiring interview about her experience reporting before, during, and after Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Monzon shared stories of how she leveraged social media to continue her coverage when the power went out. The heartfelt interview revealed her courage, selflessness, and devotion to the citizens of Puerto Rico.

You have to do what you have to do. Our mission is to save lives.

We need to make resilience part of our lives.

Puerto Rico is going to come back, and they are going to be okay. They need to be an example for resilience.

- Ada Monzon

An emotional heartfelt interview with Ada Monzon from Puerto Rico reliving before, during, and after hurricane Maria with Dr. Rick Knabb. Incredible stories of the horror, the heartbreak, and the longevity of the painful recovery ongoing in Puerto Rico. - Jim Cantore

Morning General Session - November 9


Roy E. Wright

Keynote Presentation - Roy E. Wright

Keynote speaker Roy E. Wright, President and Chief Executive Officer - Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, opened the final day of NDRC with his presentation Strengthening Homes, Business, and Communities. His presentation highlighted three tasks to achieve greater resilience: localize, personalize, and incentivize. "Even though building codes are being improved upon, we are still not building strong enough," stated Roy. "How do we get people to care about what is in their walls as much as what is hanging on their walls?" (view slides)

Displacement from disasters is just something you can't compensate for. We need to change the outcomes of displacement, disruption and financial loss.

If 2017 made the case for resilience, then 2018 is the exclamation point!

Better building techniques are effective. We do have the ability to defend against these events.

- Roy E. Wright

Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety CEO Roy Wright captivates the audience as he opens Day Three of #NDRC18. - Leslie Chapman-Henderson


	Dale Thomure, Karthik Ramanathan

Keynote Presentation - Karthik Ramanathan

Keynote speaker Karthik Ramanathan, Assistant Vice President and Principal Engineer, Research and Modeling - AIR Worldwide gave an informative presentation on the building performance insights from the 2017 and 2018 hurricane seasons. Ramanathan focused his discussion on the recent damage to Mexico Beach, FL and shared findings from Hurricane Irma and Michael damage surveys as well. (view slides)

Through the BCEGS program, ISO assesses the building codes in effect in individual communities and how they enforce the codes.

There is nothing homogeneous about residential homes. Fundamental damage mechanisms that lead to significant damage in residential structures include, internal pressurization due to envelope breach, lack of continuous load path, and structural failure of roof structures.

- Karthik Ramanathan


*Eric Cote*

Feature Interview - Big Challenge

John Zarrella came back on stage to interview Eric Cote, Project Director - Powered for Patients, a lifesaving initiative to help hospitals, nursing homes, and senior care facilities work better with utility providers. Cote discussed how imperative it is for facilities to know the basics about their building's power, such as the status of their power back-up system, who to contact in case of power outage, and what to do when back-up emergency power is lost.

The hurricanes of 2016 and 2017 provided an opportunity to address a range of challenging policy and regulatory questions brought to light in the aftermath of these storms. - Eric Cote

Powered for Patients Project Director Eric Cote reminds #NDRC18 attendees of the devastating effects of lightning and how a single strike crippled a hospital during Hurricane Hermine. - Kimberly Loehr


	*Joseph Kaye, Randy White, David Venables*

Keynote Interview - Team Rubicon

New to the NDRC, David Venables, Deputy Director, Rebuild Operations -Team Rubicon shared a powerful message with conference attendees about the nonprofit's dedication to rebuilding stronger, more resilient homes. The presentation began with an inspirational video showing Team Rubicon members and volunteers working to rebuild communities. Zarrella interviewed Venables along with Joseph Kaye, Senior Associate, Rebuild Operations - Team Rubicon and Randy White, Director of Sales & Business Development - Nudura. (view slides)

We look disaster right in the face and say: You may knock us down by you will not break us. - Team Rubicon

We take military veterans, train them and teach them how to help people in need rebuild their damaged homes and properties. We rebuild stronger, more resilient homes.

We'll build economically for all hazards and share the building plan. We want to provide everyone with a plan to build resiliently. No more excuses.

Many disasters victims don't have insurance, cars to evacuate, or food on the table. Let's think about them. How can we best make them whole and invest in their resilience?

- David Venables


	*Dr. Tracy Kijewski-Correa, Dr. Anne Cope, Dr. Daniel Smith, Mitchell Scovell, Alpa Swinger, Dr. Debra Javeline*

Understanding How to Better Motivate Homeowners -

Big Research

Alpa Swinger, Senior Director, Market Development - Portland Cement Association and Board Director moderated the final panel of #NDRC18 that shared insights from research on how to best motivate homeowner behaviors.

Dr. Tracy Kijewski-Correa, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering - University of Notre Dame and Dr. Debra Javeline, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science - University of Notre Dame presented findings from a coastal homeowner survey conducted in New Hanover County, North Carolina. (view slides)

Dr. Anne Cope, Senior Vice President Research and Chief Executive - Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety shared insights from a 2017 coastal homeowner survey. Cope also gave an update on the FORTIFIED home opportunity for coastal residents in North Carolina.

Dr. Daniel Smith, Research Fellow - James Cook University, and Mitchell Scovell, Ph.D. Candidate - James Cook University gave a presentation on behavioral science and explored how one's persona - proactive, pessimist, or denialist - affects their decisions about hurricane mitigation. (view slides)

What decisions are homeowners making and why? - Dr. Tracy Kijewski-Correa and Dr. Debra Javeline

This project aims to investigate factors that influence mitigation behaviors, inform risk communication, and promote cyclone mitigation. - Dr. Daniel Smith and Mitchell Scovell

Fascinating findings about homeowner perceptions of hurricane vulnerability, effectiveness of upgrades, and who should pay. - Michele Steinberg

Closing Session - November 9


Dr. Daniel Kaniewski

Keynote Presentation - Dr. Daniel Kaniewski

Dr. Daniel Kaniewski, Deputy Administrator of Resilience - FEMA engaged the audience with a compelling presentation on creating a culture of preparedness and resilience. Kaniewski voiced his mission to change the misconception about what FEMA can offer the public after disasters and expressed the importance of insurance. "Any home can flood. If you don't have flood insurance, you are at a risk," stated Kaniewski. Tying his address together, Kaniewski shared FEMA's 2018-2022 Strategic Plan and discussed how it supports efforts of increased preparedness and resiliency. (view slides)

What does the DRRA mean to FEMA? Resilience transformation and reducing risk across the board.

The United States has the largest insurance gap in the world. More than half of the disaster losses in the U.S. will not be covered.

Mitigation really does save money and lives. FEMA is dedicating 3,000 federal employees and billions of dollars to this important effort.

- Dr. Daniel Kaniewski

Dr. Dan Kaniewski reminds us that "individuals are the first responders". - Kimberly Loehr

Call to Action and Closing Remarks

Leslie Chapman-Henderson closed the NDRC with a summary and call to action for participants focused on four areas of collaborative opportunity.

Forging a partnership with new NDRC participants like Team Rubicon to support resilient rebuilding;
Advancing building code and other resilience policies outlined by FEMA and other policy leaders to prevent future losses;
Leveraging science and innovation to construct affordable and resilient buildings; and,
Using research-informed messaging to overcome barriers to effective risk communication.

Leslie invited the participants to join the FLASH Partnership, become a member of the different councils, and participate in the many year-round activities and projects available to disaster safety and resilience stakeholders. She concluded her remarks by sharing one of the many new messaging ideas to convey the true cost/benefit of code-compliant and beyond-code construction, "Two percent more ... 100% better."

This problem is touching all of us. - Leslie Chapman-Henderson

Great closeout to this year's conference, Leslie Chapman-Henderson! I'm excited to see where 2019 takes us! - Jamie Leigh Price

News Coverage

Policy, Scientific Experts Meet in Clearwater Beach to Discuss Disaster Resilience

By: Melissa Elchman, Bay News 9, November 8, 2018

On a calm, sunny Thursday on Clearwater Beach, disaster experts met at the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach to share ideas and proposals to protect people and property the next time Mother Nature strikes.

It's all part of the National Disaster Resilience Conference . Read More >

How can we build resilient structures and homes? [COBERTURA ESPECIAL] ¿Cómo poder hacer estructuras y hogares resilientes?

By: Ada Monzon, WIPR, November 8, 2018

Ada Monzón entrevista a Leslie Chapman-Henderson, CEO y Presidenta de Flash (Federal Alliance for Safe Homes) View Video >

Ken Graham, director of NOAA NWS National Hurricane Center National Hurricane Center ([COBERTURA ESPECIAL] Ada Monzón entrevista a Ken Graham, Director del Centro Nacional de Huracanes)

By: Ada Monzon Notiseis, 360, November 8, 2018

Creating more resilient environments and saving lives is the main theme discussed at the national disaster and resilience conference held in Clearwater, Florida. (View Video)

Interview with former National Hurricane Center Directors [COBERTURA ESPECIAL] Ada Monzón entrevista a exdirectores del Centro Nacional de Huracanes

By: Ada Monzon Notiseis, 360, November 8, 2018

Ada Monzón interviews three former directors of the National Hurricane Center about what has been learned after the passage of Hurricane Maria and the phenomena that have affected the State of Florida recently. (View Video)

Houston's Exploration Green Honored with NWF-Allied World

Resilience Award

By: Miles Grant, November 8, 2018

Recognizing a best-in-class example of using natural infrastructure to protect vulnerable communities, Houston's Exploration Green is being honored with the National Wildlife Federation-Allied World Resilience Award. National Wildlife Federation President and CEO Collin O'Mara and Allied World President and CEO Scott Carmilani are presenting the inaugural award to the Clear Lake City Water Authority at the 2018 National Disaster Resilience Conference in Clearwater Beach, Florida, hosted by the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes. Read More >

2018 National Conference Draws Disaster Resilience Leaders

November 7, 2018

As U.S. states and territories continue to grapple with recovery from devastating catastrophes, the nation's foremost voices in the disaster safety and resilience movement will gather at the 2018 National Disaster Resilience Conference (NDRC18) November 7-9 in Clearwater Beach, FL. Read More >

Special Thank You

Thank you to #NDRC18 Titanium Sponsor - International Code Council,

Gold Sponsors - BASF Corporation and USAA, Silver Sponsors - ISO, National Wildlife Federation, and Portland Cement Association, Bronze Sponsors - National Flood Barrier Testing & Certification and Smart Vent, and General Sponsors - Comfort Block and Enterprise Community Partners.

Thank you to our Presenting Partners - American Meteorological Society, Association of State Floodplain Managers, Central United States Earthquake Consortium, National Fire Protection Association, National Storm Shelter Association, National Weather Association, and Southern California Earthquake Center.

Save the Date - #NDRC19

The 2019 National Disaster Resilience Conference is now set for November 19-22 in Clearwater Beach, Florida. The call for presentations will open on January 15, 2019, and sponsorships are available by contacting [email protected].

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