National Disaster Resilience Conference Begins Tomorrow in Clearwater

Experts and leaders in engineering, science, policy, and practice will gather to innovate and improve the protection of people and property in the face of deadly, costly natural disasters

News provided by

Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)

Nov 19, 2019, 10:30 ET

CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla., Nov. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2019 National Disaster Resilience Conference (NDRC19) opens tomorrow in Clearwater Beach, FL, bringing together representatives from public, private, and nonprofit organizations. From drones, and smartphone technology to new building products and recently-passed federal legislation, each day of the conference will feature best practices and solutions while attendees explore ways to make communities stronger in the face of earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires.

"This year is the fifth consecutive year that ten or more billion-dollar weather and climate events affected the United States," said Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) President and CEO Leslie Chapman-Henderson. "This week we are convening the best minds in the disaster-safety movement to improve our ability to save lives, protect homes, and preserve quality of life in future disaster events."

Day one of the NDRC will feature panelists and keynote speakers focused on resilience public policy. Some of the keynote speakers include:

Angela Gladwell, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Risk Management Directorate - FEMA
Eric Letvin, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Mitigation - FEMA
Brock Long, Executive Chairman - Hagerty Consulting & former FEMA Administrator
Dennis Ross, former U.S. Congressman, and Florida Legislator

Day two of the NDRC will focus on new research, technology innovation, and initiatives that drive disaster resilience. Some of the featured speakers include:

Craig Fugate, Chief Emergency Management Officer - One Concern & former FEMA Administrator
Kevin King, Executive Director - Mennonite Disaster Service
Edward M. Laatsch, P.E., Director, Planning, Safety & Building Science Division, FIMA – FEMA
Dr. Matthew Sitkowski, Executive Producer - The Weather Channel

Day three, the final day of the NDRC, will feature speakers who will highlight Hurricane Dorian from a building performance, meteorological, and survivor perspective, an update on the Camp Fire recovery, the NDRC call to action, and more. Some of the featured speakers include:

Ken Graham, Director - National Hurricane Center
Dr. Rick Knabb, Former Director – National Hurricane Center and Tropical Program Manager & On-Air Hurricane Expert - The Weather Channel
Bill Read, Former Director – National Hurricane Center
Gary White, Vice President, Services - Lowe's Companies, Inc.
Roy E. Wright, President & Chief Executive Officer – IBHS

The full agenda is available by clicking here.

NDRC19 attendees will also hear from BASF Corporation, BuildStrong Coalition, CEMEX, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, International Code Council, MIT, NOAA, Southern California Earthquake Center, State Farm, University of Florida, University of Notre Dame, USAA, U.S. Small Business Administration, Verisk, and more.

NDRC19 is proud to announce that FLASH Legacy Partner International Code Council is serving as the Titanium Sponsor alongside fellow Legacy Partners and Gold Sponsors BASF Corporation, Lowe's, USAA, and first - time NDRC sponsor Home Advisor, Silver Sponsor ISO, Bronze Sponsors Assurant, Floodproofing.com, IBHS, IEM, and Nudura, and General Sponsors BlockUp, Comfort Block, and Stantec.

The FLASH Partnership welcomes NDRC "Presenting Partners," including the American Meteorological Society, Central United States Earthquake Consortium, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, National Hurricane Conference, National Weather Association, National Storm Shelter Association, and Southern California Earthquake Center.

About FLASH

The nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) is the country's leading consumer advocate for strengthening homes and safeguarding families from natural and manmade disasters. The FLASH partnership includes more than 100 innovative and diverse organizations that share a vision of making America a more disaster-resilient nation including: BASF Corporation, FEMA, Florida Division of Emergency Management, Huber Engineered Woods, International Code Council, ISO - Verisk Analytics, Lowe's, National Weather Service, Portland Cement Association, Simpson Strong-Tie, State Farm, and USAA. In 2008, FLASH, and Disney opened the interactive weather experience StormStruck: A Tale of Two Homes, in Lake Buena Vista, FL. Learn more about FLASH and access free consumer resources by visiting www.flash.org, calling toll-free (877) 221- SAFE (7233), following @federalalliance on Twitter, on Facebook.com/federalalliance, and the FLASH blog – Protect Your Home in a FLASH.

SOURCE Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)