In this episode host Rachael Penton Gauthier sits down with IBHS General Counsel Michael Newman and Public Policy Associate Manuela Ekowo, who together make up the IBHS public policy team. Learn how they're working to advance science-based public action to build resiliency for homeowners, businesses, and communities. Topics of discussion include building codes, wildfire policy, science-backed construction retrofits, disaster recovery, affordable housing, and meeting the need for investment so that resilient housing can become standard and accessible to all populations. Plus, hear the economic benefits of investing in resilient communities and highlights from some success stories.

In this episode of Disaster Discussions, host Rachael Penton Gauthier sits down with the IBHS wildfire research team to discuss insights from research projects past and present. The researchers examine some of the reasons behind the growing issue of conflagration in the Wildland Urban Interface. They also define the three the types of fire ignition mechanisms, and discuss the research that has informed mitigation methods homeowners can use to help protect their properties from embers and flames, including the importance of the non-combustible zone zero. They also highlight the wind-driven building-to-building fire spread project that is underway at the research center, and look ahead to how this project will inform wildfire mitigation strategies at the community level.

In this episode of Disaster Discussions we dive into the science behind the FORTIFIED standard, the series of construction and roofing upgrades that work together to create a system proven to strengthen homes against severe weather. Guest Fred Malik, Managing Director of the FORTIFIED program, gives us an in-depth explanation of the construction components that make up the standard, explains how homeowners can participate, outlines the benefits of using the science to protect a home, and current grant programs available for homeowners. We also dive into the research insights that support the FORTIFIED program based on decades of research by IBHS. Plus, we reflect on the history of FORTIFIED, and look ahead to forecast growth.

In this episode of Disaster Discussions we sit down with IBHS research scientists Dr. Ian Giammanco, Brenna Meisenzahl, and Jake Sorber to recap this year's hail field study. We discuss this year's active weather pattern that led to a record number of operating days and the characteristics of some of the storms teams were able to survey. We also discuss the nomadic elements of the trip and the logistics of operating a multi-day scientific operation. Plus, we highlight some of the unique field opportunities teams were able to participate in this year, including cross-sectioning and 3D scanning giant hailstones and assisting with verifying a possible new record hailstone. We also discuss how the data collected on the trip will inform current and future hail research at the IBHS lab.

In this episode of Disaster Discussions we sit down with Bill Read, former director of the National Hurricane Center, to talk all things tropics as the Atlantic hurricane season kicks off in the month of June. Read reflects on accomplishments during his time as director, discusses some of the challenges he faced, and highlights the successes. We also discuss the active hurricane season forecast, changes coming to the "cone of uncertainty" this season, and how a hurricane expert prepares his own home for hurricane season. Read also discusses his experience installing a FORTIFIED roof on his own home in south Texas.

Now in its fifth edition, IBHS’s Rating the States  report evaluates the 18 states along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts based on residential building code adoption, enforcement, training, education and contractor licensing. In this episode of Disaster Discussions, we’re joined by Dr. Ian Giammanco, IBHS Managing Director of Standards and Data Analytics and Dr. Milad Shabanian, IBHS Codes and Standards Engineer, to discuss the results of the latest report. The episode covers the history and mission of Rating the States, the methodology used to calculate state scores, and a deep dive into the results. We highlight several states and what they’re doing right to achieve high scores, as well as looking at ways low-scoring states can improve their scores in the next report.

In this episode of Disaster Discussions our guest host Dr. Ian Giammanco sits down with Dr. David Roueche from Auburn University to discuss where we are in our effort to reduce the damage caused by extreme winds. The two discuss the success story of the modern building codes used along the hurricane-prone coast but also the lack of progress in areas which primarily deal with the impacts of severe convective storms, including tornadoes. During this Disaster Discussions we also delve into what damage modes in tornadoes are the greatest threat to life safety, how different building attributes can act as damage amplifiers leading to even more damage, and the vulnerability of manufactured and mobile homes to tornadoes.

On this episode, meteorologists and wind engineers head to Bamberg, South Carolina to survey tornado damage after a January severe weather event. Join the discussion to explore an example of the operational application of wind engineering during a tornado survey from John Quagliariello and Matt Gropp with the Columbia, SC National Weather Service office. IBHS’s Ali Merhi joins the conversation as well to share research perspectives from the ground as IBHS builds its partnership with local NWS offices and the broader weather enterprise.