About the Series
We cannot stop natural disasters but we can arm ourselves with knowledge: so many lives wouldn’t have to be lost if there was enough disaster preparedness.
Petra Nemcova
Extreme weather can pose many challenges to communities and critical infrastructure, and are only expected to become more severe and frequent with climate change. Although disaster response is critical for communities, it is equally important to consider how we can develop and implement effective strategies ahead of events to reduce the impact of future extreme weather.
This four-part virtual series, hosted by the National Adaptation Forum, will feature presenters from across the United States who will speak about strategies to enhance the preparedness and resilience of communities before disasters strike, thereby minimizing the damages from extreme weather. The goal of this series is for audience members to learn more about innovative work and actionable strategies for disaster preparedness across the country and how this work is integrated into longer-term climate adaptation planning.
Session Descriptions
Session One: Enhancing the preparedness and resilience of communities before disasters strike: the case of Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico.
POSTPONED: This event will be held at a later date
SESSION DESCRIPTION
In this session, the panelists will discuss different preparedness and resilience efforts that were rooted in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and have expanded to other regions of the USA including Florida and Texas. We will explore insights on how to place communities at the heart of preparedness planning, with representatives from the Community Resilience Research Innovation and Advocacy Center (CCRIA), the Latino Resilience Hub Network, and community-based research groups in Puerto Rico.
SPEAKERS
Cecilio Ortiz-Garcia, Professor, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Marla Perez-Lugo, Professor, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Ivis Garcia, Associate Professor, Texas A&M University
José Rodriguez, Deputy Director, Alianza Center
MODERATOR
Fernando I. Rivera, Director & Professor, Puerto Rico Research Hub- University of Central Florida
Session Two: The Importance of Small Business Continuity Planning When Preparing for Extreme Weather Events
October 22, 2024 | 11:30 am – 1:30 pm PST
SESSION DESCRIPTION
Business continuity planning is a critical, and often overlooked, component of extreme weather preparedness. In this session, our speakers will describe what business continuity planning is, why it’s important to community-level resilience, and share examples from across the country.
The first presentation from Peter Plumeau will offer insights and examples from the “ClimateReadyVT” program, which helps Vermont small businesses create climate resilience strategies and action plans. ClimateReadyVT is hosted by Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) and designed and facilitated by Reframe Lab, LLC.
The second presentation from Tracie Sempier will focus on how your community can partner with local businesses to ensure they are ready for storm events utilizing a Business Continuity Plan (i.e. resources are staged before/after disaster events, flood zones are identified). Tracie will discuss planning strategies to enhance a business’s ability to recover after natural or man-made disasters including distribution of goods, cross training staff, and obtaining necessary re-entry passes.
The session will also include interactive breakout groups where attendees will discuss what goes into planning an effective business continuity workshop.
SPEAKERS
Peter Plumeau, Partner, Reframe Lab
Tracie Sempier, Resilience Engagement Lead, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium
MODERATOR
Daniella Rolle, National Adaptation Forum Program Associate, EcoAdapt and CivicSpark Fellow, CivicSpark
Session Three: More Details Coming Soon!
November 7, 2024 | 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm PST
Session Four: More Details Coming Soon!
Date TBD
Series Sponsor
This series would have not been possible without the generous support of the CO2 Foundation. We encourage you to learn more about their work.
