Detailed Schedule
Tuesday, February 24
General Session 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
National Guard CAT Response
During this session you will learn how the National Guard responds to natural disasters and catastrophes, how the guard is activated, chain of command and ultimately how the Guard can facilitate search, rescue and recovery. This session includes a panel discussion between the highest ranking Guard commander in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri.
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Breakout Session One 9:40 AM - 10:25 AM
Catastrophes: Building Your CAT Plan for Optimal Results
During this dynamic session we will take an in-depth look at the CAT process and get critical insight from veteran CAT managers on what it takes to respond efficiently and effectively to best serve your customers and communities. This session will discuss what successful CAT teams do and how you can improve your CAT skills before your next deployment.
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Pricing Tornadoes: Using CAT Models for Granular Risk Underwriting
This talk will discuss the needs and solutions for enhancing the EF-scale, including increased differentiation of construction quality and improved critical archival procedures, greatly improving the applications of the scale and historical record for modeling.
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Mobile Disaster Hospital
On April 28, 2014, twenty-three tornadoes impacted Mississippi. One of those tornadoes was an EF-4 tornado that seriously crippled the health care sector of Louisville, Mississippi. This presentation will review the impacts on health care for this community, one of the state’s most successful health care evacuations, as well as the first ever deployment of a mobile hospital. Hear details on how the plans were made and what went into the new hospital equipped with operating rooms, ER beds as well as X-rays.
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Building Better Housing
Discussion will center on how to better construct new houses as well as strengthening existing houses to resist strong winds from tornadoes and hurricanes. It’s all about the A, B, C’s folks: Anchors, Braces, and Connections!
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A Review of Significant U.S. Weather Events in 2014
This is a unique opportunity to see the significance of 2014’s extreme weather events from a meteorological perspective. Hazardous weather episodes that impacted life and property in the United States during 2014 will be reviewed. Selected events will be presented in quasi-chronological order and described with photos, maps, and loops of satellite and radar data. Given the national scope and responsibilities of the NWS Storm Prediction Center in Norman, OK, high impact weather events are analyzed and forecast regularly.
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Breakout Session Two 10:45 AM - 11:30 AM
GIS & Claims: The role that weather and mapping play in the insurance claims process
During this session we will explore how to utilize the ESRI ArcGIS server mapping solution and the impact it can have on the claims handling process. Not only can the real-time, historical data predict potential property claims it can also enable insurers to validate a claim or map damage areas to better respond to catastrophes.
The Development of the City of Moore – New Building Code for Tornado Resistance
This presentation reviews the lessons learned concerning residential construction, due to the May 20th 2013, Moore Oklahoma tornado. It identifies two methods of progressive collapse, discusses the lateral load bearing system for residential structures and behavior of storm shelters. It presents the motivation and development of the City of Moore, New Building Code for Tornado Resistance and how the insurance industry can play a pivotal role in reducing the impact of tornadoes.
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Challenges Posed by Public Shelters and Real Life Examples of the Dangers They Pose in Metropolitan Areas
Discussion of public storm shelters and the challenges they pose for both the citizens seeking shelter and the businesses overrun during severe weather. We will explore the legal ramifications of each side and discuss real-life scenarios and solutions.
Performance Demonstration of Impact Resistance of Tornado Shelter Doors
During this session, Dr. Kiesling will offer a forensic analysis of the door failure in Mayflower, AR that resulted in a death and a serious injury. Guidance will be provided on tornado shelter door specification and selection.
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The Good, the Bad and the Irresponsible: Making Sense of Severe Weather Information on Social Media
When it comes to storm prediction seconds count. In this session we will explore the critical role social media plays in informing people before, during and after storms and discuss how meteorologists are using it to save lives.
General Session 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Leading and Increasing Certainty for Natural Catastrophes
Recent natural catastrophes demonstrated the need for increased collaboration among key stakeholders to enhance preparedness efforts, increase consumer financial literacy and provide certainty after an event. By working together at the local, state and federal levels and leveraging technology we can strengthen our nation’s resiliency, help save lives and help communities mover forward faster after an event.
Doing 40 Years to Life with Mother Nature: Major Tornado Events; The Media and Emergency and Public Response
A review of major tornado events with lessons learned and suggestions offered. Media behavior during weather emergencies and the so-called new media. And changes in the wind.
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Breakout Session Three 1:15 PM - 2:00 PM
When the F5 Has Passed…the Danger is Not Over
Tornado claims can be challenging and difficult to resolve. The pressure is to make sure claims are promptly, fairly and objectively handled. This program will discuss factors commonly—and uncommonly—seen in handling tornado claims, and what to watch out for in making sure the claims are properly handled.
Tornado Resistant Construction: Design Issues, Pros and Cons of Various Building Systems
This presentation will review design guidance being proposed for an appendix to the American Society of Civil Engineers Standard 7, "Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures." It will focus on both wind loads and windborne debris impact criteria. The potential benefits of using different building systems will then be reviewed using that design guidance.
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Arkansas Strong: April 27, 2014 Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes
Challenges and lessons learned from the 2014 severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that impacted several Arkansas counties including Faulkner, Pulaski, and White Counties.
Presentation Materials
A Review of Significant U.S. Weather Events in 2014
This is a unique opportunity to see the significance of 2014’s extreme weather events from a meteorological perspective. Hazardous weather episodes that impacted life and property in the United States during 2014 will be reviewed. Selected events will be presented in quasi-chronological order and described with photos, maps, and loops of satellite and radar data. Given the national scope and responsibilities of the NWS Storm Prediction Center in Norman, OK, high impact weather events are analyzed and forecast regularly.
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Discussion of Results from Post-Tornado Surveys of the Public
In May of 2013, three deadly tornadoes tore through central Oklahoma. In one instance an unusually high number of motorists were trapped on the highway as the storm bore down on them resulting in several fatalities. During this session we will hear details from nearly 100 surveys collected and highlight personal stories from during and after these tornado events.
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General Session 2:10 PM - 3:10 PM
Hospital Code Black
During this session you will hear about the night an F5 took a direct hit at St. John’s Regional Medical Center on May 22, 2011 as well as the impact the May 20th tornado had on the Moore Medical Center. Each hospital received a direct hit. Hear about what they did before, during and after and hear details of the construction, including storm hardening features, of St. John’s hospital set to re-open in 2015.
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Breakout Session Four 3:45 PM - 4:30 PM
Trends in Homeowners Insurance
This presentation will review key trends in the frequency and severity of homeowners insurance claims, both countrywide and in individual states. The role of catastrophe losses and the volatility of claim outcomes also will be explored.
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Don’t Get Blown Away: Mitigation Measures to Minimize Losses in Catastrophic Events for Commercial Business
During this session we will be discussing how to make sure your customers are prepared for a disaster. The Hazard Vulnerability Analysis will be reviewed as it applies to facility construction, ongoing facility assessments and maintenance. Also discussed will be the key components of a strong disaster recovery and business continuity plan.
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Severe Weather U
OU’s Office of Emergency Preparedness regularly plans for and prepares for life threatening weather events including thunderstorms, hail and tornadoes. After the May 2013 tornados the University revisited its tornado protocol and looked for ways it could better serve the 6,200 students that live on campus as well as the rest of the OU family. This presentation will outline the steps taken by OU after the May 2013 tornados and how OU is addressing the problem of weather threats to its campus, specifically in extreme weather events like tornados and plans to spend 12 million dollars on building 3 tornado shelters on campus for residents.
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Faith Based Organizations in Disaster Response and what they can do to help
During this session we will take a look at aid provided by the Baptist Disaster Relief organization and how they can assist immediately following catastrophes from feeding those displaced and responders to debris removal.
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Severe Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, and Climate Change: What We Do and Don’t Know
As the planet warms, some theorize a correlation between global warming and increased weather events such as tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and hail. During this session Dr. Harold Brooks will take a look at the research and discuss what we DO and DON’T know regarding global warming and the effects on our weather.
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Wednesday, February 25
General Session 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners and Natural Disaster Response
Senator Nelson will discuss the role the NAIC plays when natural disasters strike and the assistance they can provide to states in times of stress and need.
Disaster Readiness and Mitigation: A Discussion Among Insurance Regulators
During this session we will hear from several insurance commissioners on the risks their state faces and discuss the effects recent storms and modeling pose for the insurance industry as a whole.
Speakers:
James Donelon
Mike Chaney
Sharon Clark
Fred Karlinsky
Paula Pallozzi
Breakout Session Five 9:45 AM - 10:30 AM
Advanced Wind and Hail Assessment: Identifying Loss Causes to Better Make Claims Decisions
This 45 minute course will focus on the analysis of property damage following wind and hail events. This session will give you expert know-how that you can apply to future field inspections as we take you step-by-step through several case studies. Learn to recognize even the most subtle differences in loss causes so you can make more confident claim decisions.
Insurance to Value: Replacement Cost Valuation in the Current Residential Marketplace
During this session you will gain better understanding and the ability to recognize and assess the proper valuation for real property and insurance needs. This seminar will cover the various types and benefits of home appraisal and various valuation methods, and the differences between market value and replacement cost. Also included are real life loss and claims examples, to help producers with talking points around the need for proper insurance to value for homeowners.
An Overview of Mobile Damage Assessment using the ESRI Collector for ArcGIS Application
This session shows the benefits and ease of mobile and real-time data collection using ArcGIS. The main focus will be how the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency utilizes the Collector App to perform mobile damage assessment after an event or disaster.
An Assessment of School and Commercial Facility Performance Due to the May 20th 2013, Moore, Oklahoma Tornado
This presentation reviews the lessons learned concerning School and Commercial Facility Performance due to the May 20th 2013, Moore Oklahoma tornado. It discusses Briarwood Elementary School, the Moore Medical Center and several other commercial structures. It presents possible improvements for the structural engineering design field and the construction industry and points out possible risk exposure that the insurance industry may not be aware of.
What Building Performance Should We Expect from the 2014 Enhanced Building: Code Approved by City of Moore, Oklahoma?
Following the deadly May 20, 2013 tornado the city of Moore, Oklahoma became the first municipality outside of hurricane-prone regions to implement enhanced building codes. This presentation will examine the provisions of the Moore building code amendment in light of recent research at the University of Florida undertaken to predict tornado loads on buildings.
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Breakout Session Six 11:00 AM - 11:45 AM
Insurance Disputes and the Appraisal Process: The Good, The Bad, and Sometimes Ugly Consequences
This session will focus on the appraisal process as an alternative dispute resolution tool: what is it, how it works, who can start the process and, ultimately, when should it be used.
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Building a Severe Thunderstorm Risk Model for the United States
AIR Worldwide has released a comprehensive update to its U.S. severe thunderstorm model, featuring significant enhancements to all model components. This loss estimation model for tornadoes, hail, and straight line wind is of particular interest to the (re)insurance industry. The improvements are based on a decade’s worth of new data and research. We will discuss advances in supplementing the limited and potentially biased raw historical severe storm reports with information from radar and reanalysis data using AIR’s “smart smoothing” methodology. We will also describe the advances in wind engineering and the wealth of new data from recent events (including the 2013 Moore tornado) which formed the basis for the enhancements to modeling vulnerability of structures to thunderstorms. Finally, we will discuss how the model has been validated using insurance industry losses and insurance company claims experience.
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Social Media: State Agency - University Partnership
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) have forged a mutually beneficial relationship by establishing a social media team of college students. IDHS provides training, mentoring and experience that few students or professionals encounter. In return, IDHS has assembled a team that is ready to assist quickly with monitoring and strategy implementation, and the agency is able to leverage the inherent knowledge of students have with continually evolving social media.
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Challenges Posed by Public Shelters and Real Life Examples of the Dangers They Pose in Metropolitan Areas
Discussion of public storm shelters and the challenges they pose for both the citizens seeking shelter and the businesses overrun during severe weather. We will explore the legal ramifications of each side and discuss real-life scenarios and solutions.
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StormReady: Mutual Benefits to the Insurance Industry and Weather Enterprise
A discussion on how the National Weather Service's StormReady Program can strengthen the Insurance Industry and improve the efforts of the Weather Enterprise.
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General Session 11:55 AM - 1:15 PM
Building a Weather-Ready Nation by Focusing on the "Last Mile"
NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) has responsibility for providing official forecasts and warnings the United States and its territories, for the protection of lives and property. The United States has become more vulnerable to the impacts of extreme weather, water, and climate events over the last 30 years. Recent billion dollar weather-related disasters resulting from tornado outbreaks and Hurricane Sandy have highlighted the need to not only improve our understanding of the physical sciences that enable more accurate forecasts and warnings, but to also improve the ways people receive, respond, and react to those forecasts and warnings. The increasing integration of social sciences into the ‘last mile’ of the process, from issuing a warning to the public taking action, is vital to the success of creating a nation that is ready, responsive, and resilient; a Weather-Ready Nation. This presentation will focus on recent advances toward building a Weather-Ready Nation, including programs which are developing impact-based warning language, more detailed and graphical depiction of coastal surge hazards, and increasing interaction with partners from the national to local scale.
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Traumatic Stress in the Aftermath of Catastrophic Events: Managing the Emotional Trauma in Survivors and Responders
Disasters are sudden unexpected events, causing extensive destruction, injury, death, and widespread community disruption. During times of crisis, we are quick to address “physical trauma” by rescuing survivors and stabilizing injuries. Unfortunately, a “hidden trauma” is often ignored. This trauma leaves the deepest scars and changes people forever – traumatic stress.
Survivors, as well as First Responders, have the potential to experience traumatic stress reactions in the aftermath of catastrophe. This is a time when individuals are perhaps most vulnerable to traumatic stress. Understanding the nature of traumatic stress, as well as immediate intervention strategies greatly lessens the overall impact of the event leading to a healthy recovery. Responders, upon first contact can quickly provide this assistance to survivors. Pre event training to responders can prepare them to assist survivors as well as recognize and manage traumatic stress in themselves.
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Breakout Session Seven 1:45 PM - 2:20 PM
Regulatory Perspectives on Managing Catastrophe Risk: Working with Insurance Adjusters and First Responders
A regulators’ take on Catastrophe: During this session we will explore the role of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and the NAIC’s role before and after a catastrophe.
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Midwest Climate Research and Post-Catastrophe Healthcare Utilization
Highlights of the Actuarial Climate Index with focus on the Midwest and Plains States Wind Power index values; Effects of healthcare cost and utilization in the wake of severe wind and precipitation events.
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Safe Room Standards and Guidelines; Commonalities, Differences
Currently the ICC 500 Standards, the FEMA P320 and FEMA P361 guidelines are all undergoing revisions. During this session Dr. Ernst Kiesling of Texas Tech University will examine the commonalities and differences between each as well as quality control efforts being discussed by National Storm Shelter Association, States and FEMA regions.
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OSHA in Emergency Response
Explore the capabilities OSHA can provide as well as examples of the response OSHA provided following the Moore, Quapaw and Vilonia tornadoes.
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Addressing the Emergency Management Challenges of Debris Removal from Farmland in the Wake of a Tornado
Debris management is always a challenge following tornados. During this session we will explore the unique challenge of debris removal from U.S. farm lands and offer solutions and aid.
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