DETAILED AGENDA

Storm surges, wind, inland flooding, and tornadoes are all products of a hurricane. The 2017 and 2018 hurricane seasons reminded us there are many hazards when it comes to land-falling hurricanes.

That is why it is prudent that residents in the path of the storm understand their risks and vulnerabilities. New lessons can be learned from these billion dollar storms. The National Weather Service/National Hurricane Center has new products and messaging to ensure residents are taking the appropriate preparedness actions. This discussion will focus on best practices, including the need for a personal hurricane plan and flood insurance before the storm.

Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc in southeastern Texas in August 2017, bringing strong winds and flooding rains, and it caused an estimated $125 billion in damage. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety deployed a damage assessment team to study the wind damage caused by this storm. This presentation will highlight the data collected which demonstrate the building systems, components and design features that are more resilient in high winds. These lessons learned can be translated to improve construction and wind performance in Oklahoma and other communities that are faced with other wind hazards, such as tornadoes, microbursts, and straight-line winds.

CrowdSource Rescue started in the midst of Hurricane Harvey as a small platform to help organize rescues in a flooded Houston neighborhood. It wound up helping rescue nearly 30,000 people by connecting them to nearly 8,000 spontaneous volunteers. It has since been used in Irma, Maria, Florence, and Michael, as well as a number of other disasters, as a way to coordinate spontaneous volunteers and help them work alongside first responders rather than against.

President Trump signed the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 into law as part of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018. FEMA worked with Congress as they considered and ultimately passed the reforms to federal disaster programs. During this session we will discuss the changes and what it will ultimately mean for you and your state or community.

Severe weather and tornadoes that impacted life and property in the United States during 2018 (and early 2019) will be reviewed. Selected events will be presented in chronological order and described with photos, maps, and loops of satellite and radar data. Given the national scope and responsibilities of the National Weather Service, Storm Prediction Center in Norman, OK, high impact weather events are analyzed and forecast regularly.

A report from Car and Driver found as many as one million cars were destroyed by the August 2017 natural disaster, ruining more vehicles than "any single event in America." This caused a massive event where car owners attempted to salvage anything they could from their flood-damaged vehicles. Get a detailed look at what it takes to recover one million cars and what happens to them after they are recovered.

“Hit the Bricks” as we take a journey through the rich history and renaissance of Oklahoma City! Enjoy a stroll through the award-winning Myriad Botanical Gardens, explore historic buildings, and learn about the iconic moments, people, and places that have shaped Oklahoma City from pioneer settlement to the modern streetcar. Walk along the sidewalks and canal of Bricktown with our expert tour guide, and take in the grandeur of the sights, sounds, and surprises you’ll find there!

Lightning, while very common, may result in significant damage to residential structures beyond the electrical systems. This presentation will discuss conditions that have been observed to exterior finishes including siding and brick veneers, impacts to framing and sheathing, windows, flooring, and roofing.

After the 2011 historical severe storm outbreak, the City of Birmingham, AL engaged in a massive public involvement effort with the residents, stakeholders and others who were affected by the storm to discuss mitigation options from severe wind events. The need for individual and community safe rooms as well as the locations and type was birthed out of this public involvement process. Therefore, the City submitted several applications to the Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation Grant Program for funding to construct community safe rooms throughout the area. This presentation will provide background information on the storm event, public involvement process, identify key partners and stakeholders and the process for the development and utilization of the Operation and Maintenance Plan for the City’s Community Safe Rooms.

Often when disasters strike communications can be a paramount concern. Power may be out, consumers are flooding the system trying to reach loved ones and first responders need a clear communications pathway to coordinate immediate response needs. During this session, we will discuss FirstNet, a program that provides a nationwide wireless broadband network dedicated to public safety.

We'll take a look at the latest products and strategies that are being developed by National Weather Service to inform decision makers and help mitigate losses from extreme rainfall and flash flooding.

In the days following a disaster, basic needs must be met. Along with care providers, fraudsters also race in to take advantage of those in need. Insurance fraud costs Americans more than $80 billion every year. Are we taking the time to really understand the impact of insurance fraud when disasters occur? We will address that topic and much more. Insurance fraud you will see is a much bigger problem in our nation than you probably believe.

The partnership between communities and the private sector is integral in times of crisis. During this session, we’ll hear how Home Depot prepares for and responds to all types of disaster. The retail giant will discuss how they ramp up their supply chain to move products and supplies into the hands of first responders and recovery workers and how they work with the community’s leaders to aid in recovery.

This 2-hour walking tour will trace thedevelopment of Oklahoma City from the 1889 Land Run, to the Urban Renewal project of the 1960’s through MAPS, and into the journey to become a “Big League City.” Follow along as our guide takes you through the re-development of downtown Oklahoma City, and the inspirational transformation of Bricktown. Follow the scenic Bricktown Canal along the path of history, honoring the native peoples of Oklahoma, and visit the Land Run Monument, one of the largest bronze sculptures in the world! Get to know the people, the neighborhoods, the tragedies and triumphs that have made Oklahoma City a city of hope and industry, and the perfect home for one of the NBA’s most dynamic teams, the Oklahoma City Thunder! Finish the tour with a stop by the Chesapeake Energy Arena to learn more about our home team and to visit the corporate offices and store of the Oklahoma City Thunder!

Donan has extensive experience investigating properties after catastrophes. This course will take you through important lessons learned from Hurricane Irma which brought widespread damages across the state of Florida in 2017. Learn the differences in how wind and water affect a property, and how you can recognize these differences during a site study.

Running an enterprise like Disney is a massive undertaking. With millions of visitors each year at multiple park locations, being prepared in no easy task. During this session, Scott Nethero will discuss how his team prepares for and responds to incidents both large and small. He will talk about how his team works within their internal environment and the external setting including outside first responder teams.

Our world is driven by technology, which makes it crucial for emergency managers to use social media to carefully disseminate information to the public. This session will discuss how Hennepin County (MN) Emergency Management uses social media before, during, and after a disaster. It will cover how emergency managers can use different social media platforms, come up with a social media strategic plan and display a couple case studies of uses. Our world is driven by technology, which makes it crucial for emergency managers to use social media to carefully disseminate information to the public.

Occasionally it can be difficult to analyze complex damage situations from the ground. A storm outbreak in 2017 proved to be particularly hard to discern, but drone footage was able to verify a multi-vortex tornado. This session will focus on complicated cases like this and how to use technology to make assessment and analysis easier.

During the evening of May 23, 2017, a series of fast-moving severe thunderstorms moved across portions of south-central and southeast Texas. The strongest storms produced straight-line wind damage with significant wind damage and large hail. A downburst near Sealy, TX (just west of the Houston) produced a swath of wind damage nearly two-miles wide and several miles long which is near the threshold of the micro- or macroburst definition established by Fujita. This event resulted in some of the most significant straight-line (or non-tornadic) wind damage ever surveyed by the authors, with the Damage Assessment Toolkit estimating winds in excess of 100+ mph. A similar but different storm caused extensive damage with 81 mph winds measured at the Beeville Airport Automated Surface Observing System. Large hail - larger than golf ball size - was also reported from both storms. This presentation will examine the environmental factors contributing to such intense downburst winds at multiple locations from multiple storms. In particular, we will discuss the utility and limitations of the EF-scale and the Damage Assessment Toolkit in estimating straight-line wind speeds in events where wind duration may exceed the 3-second estimate in the EF-scale such as during a derecho or land-falling hurricane.

The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation has been described as “The Tip of the Sword” when it comes to disaster recovery. While first responders run in to put the fire out, DFR is there to help families and businesses start putting their lives back together. This presentation will demonstrate proven and effective tools to help agencies engage with the public before, during and after a disaster. It will stress the importance of insurance as a financial resiliency tool and part of everyone’s emergency preparedness plan. You will also learn the common questions consumers ask when impacted by a disaster and how to effectively resolve their concerns.

During this session we will take an interactive look at the power of air, weather forecasting methods, anticipating weather hazards and the proliferation of smartphone weather apps.

Drones increasingly are being used to provide visual imaging and 3D mapping for large-scale disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and flooding. The use of drones to map disaster areas has advantages in terms of cost and time. During this session, we will see real-life case studies on how drones were used to assist relief workers and communities to get a better idea on how they can be used in the future.

Twice in less than two years, catastrophic flooding affected the community of Ellicott City, MD, and surrounding areas. This area has unique geographic features which enhance the flood risk. Although images and video from the two floods looked very similar, the events that occurred were quite different. This presentation will review and analyze both events, and consider two extreme events occurring in such a short period of time -- are there reasons, or is it simply bad luck?

This session will discuss the use of GIS in emergency management, and how it can simplify the FEMA disaster recovery and mitigation processes. GIS is one of the most important and readily available tools for disaster management and risk assessment. Accurate online risk databases allow community officials to better understand and communicate risk. GIS tools can streamline damage assessments during both small and large-scale events and offer a more rapid transition from response to recovery. Participants will have a better understanding of how GIS can increase emergency management capability in their community.

Severe thunderstorms accompanied by tornadoes, hail and damaging winds cause more than $5 billion in damage each year across the U.S. This overall economic and casualty risk -with more than 600 severe thunderstorm-related deaths in 2011 - has prompted public and scientific inquiries about the impact of climate change on tornadoes. This session will show how national annual frequencies of tornado reports, negative tendencies of tornado occurrences and significant tornado parameters are used to increase confidence in the tornado report results.

Catastrophic wildfires have ravaged parts of the U.S. recently causing historic damage. During this session, we will look at the data to see an estimate of loss and impact of the damage as well as what the analytics say about the future and ways to best mitigate damage in the future.

Visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum Symbolic grounds at night, and experience the peaceful serenity of this award-winning memorial, illuminated. Take a path of remembrance through downtown Oklahoma City towards the hallowed grounds, experiencing along the way all the history and revival that make Oklahoma City great. Learn first-hand what we mean by the “Oklahoma Standard” as you walk the path of remembrance for this national tragedy.

In the spring of 95, Oklahoma City was thrust into the spotlight when the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was bombed in what would be one of the largest acts of terrorism in U.S. history. During this session we will hear from the honorable Governor Frank Keating on how the leaders onsite responded to the disaster and paved the way for what has become known as the “Oklahoma Standard”.

Federal and countless state and local officials worked tirelessly in 2018 to respond to massive natural disasters such as Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael and the unprecedented wildfires on the west coast. Preparation and resiliency is the key to preparing for the future disasters that are sure to come.

During this session, FEMA Administrator Brock Long will talk about what he has seen as the head of FEMA and what is needed to better prepare us all for the next big catastrophe.

In the aftermath of ¬severe windstorms, rapid and reliable identification of structural damage can provide valuable information for rescue and recovery operations. However, forensic analysis requires significant time and access to critical damage evidence, may NOT be available to field researchers. Site access also exposes field assessors and inspectors to hazardous and dangerous environments. This presentation highlights the optimal use of remote-sensing technologies for investigations of structural damage with a focus on deployment, best practices.

A sizable percentage of the monetary impact of hailstorms is driven by damage to roofs, both for residential and commercial structures. This panel brings together experts in the academic, insurance, and roofing communities to explore the question: can we reduce hail damage to roofs through improved products and testing? We’ll explore the risk of hailstorms, field observations of performance, and what can be done to provide more resilient options for consumers.

Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) has been in use for many years and has greatly enabled states to mutually pull together for the aid of one another in times of need. But with the proliferation of disasters and massive storms like Hurricane Harvey, Michael, Irma and the daunting wildfires that have plagued our country the past two years it can put a strain on the system. During this session, we will discuss how EMAC works, see real-life examples of its use plus discuss how it will be used moving forward.

NOAA's Weather-Ready Nation is about readying communities for extreme weather, water, and climate events. This effort requires not only accurate and timely forecasts and warnings but also building the capacity, by working with key public and private partners, to respond effectively to these high-impact events. The NWS Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has built a statistical framework, Integrated Machine-based Predictive Analytics for Convective Threats to Society (IMPACTS), to simulate potential societal impacts of tornadoes. IMPACTS consists of two separate components: a weather generator, based upon SPC's Convective Outlooks, that simulates the number, location and strength/intensity of potential tornadoes, and a method of assessing the potential societal impacts from these simulation(s). A primary outcome of IMPACTS is the creation, sharing and use of transformational datasets that enhance emergency managers' abilities to recognize the potential and prepare, for high-impact tornado events. This presentation will give a brief overview of IMPACTS and its initial operating capacity.

Record flooding impacted many parts of the U.S. in 2018. During this session, we’ll discuss recent flood analysis, predictions for the future and what it means for the insurance market.

Unlike conventional structures on land, boat docks are intended to move due to the wind, low-speed impacts from docking boats, waves, lake elevations, and other factors. This movement may alter the patterns of damage that occur to a boat dock during a severe weather event. This presentation will be focused on understanding how boat docks are constructed and the way they respond to imposed severe storm and other loads.

The cost of suppressing wildfires across the United States continues to climb each year. In 2017 more than 2.9 billion dollars were spent fighting wildfires. 2018 is on track to eclipse that amount. This presentation outlines causal factors for the increasing costs and ideas for reducing costs in the future.

During this case study we’ll look at a devastating fire that nearly erased the city of Paradise, California. Neighboring cities were also affected by the fire and city officials had tremendous difficulty managing donations and volunteers. See what innovative techniques were used to help manage volunteers and donations, plus how spontaneous volunteers were called in to help alleviate some of the post-fire chaos.

Have you wanted to be a forecaster at a National Weather Service National Center? Now's your chance to put your forecasting skills to the test. In this interactive session experts from the Weather Prediction Center and Storm Prediction Center will be forced to make a forecast of severe thunderstorms, flooding or both based on a set of national weather maps that he or she has not seen before. NWS experts will walk you through their forecast rationale in an attempt to make the correct forecast. Audience participation and interaction is encouraged as we all attempt to make the correct forecast. Attendees will gain valuable insight into the challenges faced by national forecasters on a routine basis.

FEMA’s National Integration Center and Technical Assistance Program and Argonne National Laboratory analyzed current community resilience research to provide a data-driven basis to prioritize locations for technical assistance investment and to inform community resilience technical assistance content. The program provides specialized expertise and services to the state, local, tribal, and territorial partners to improve emergency management capabilities based on greatest need, risk, national priorities, and resources available This session will cover FEMA’s and Argonne’s methodology and findings as well as applications of the results.

Walmart has a long history of providing aid in times of disasters, and helping communities prepare and recover by donating emergency supplies, such as food and water, home and personal products. This session will discuss the role of the private sector during disaster response. A look at how Walmart not only provides for residents, but aids first responders to speed up recovery to communities affected by disaster.

This 4-hour tour will take you on a special VIP journey to some of Oklahoma City’s most famous residences. Visit the home of “The Father of Oklahoma City,” Henry Overholser, and take a look inside this grand 12,000 square foot Châteauesquestyled mansion. We’ll also stop at the 100-year old Greek Revival Style Hefner Mansion at St. Luke’s; newly renovated and housing fascinating tidbits from one of Oklahoma’s most powerful and philanthropic citizens, we are sure you will be impressed. From there, you’ll enjoy a special VIP access tour of the stately Oklahoma Governor’s Mansion! Finish your journey with a walk through living history at the 10-acre Harn Homestead. Let Destination Oklahoma be your guide beyond the velvet ropes to visit these beautiful one-of-a-kind houses that so many great Oklahomans have called home.