Disaster Discussions Podcast

Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)

Disasters like hurricanes, hailstorms, tornadoes, and wildfires can be devastating and frightening. They displace families, drive financial loss, and destroy communities. Join us as we sit down with science, insurance, and building industry professionals who will help us explore the intersection of these hazards with the built environment and steps being taken to prevent future devastation.

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S3E9: Weathering the Storms: Small Business Resilience and Commercial Lines Mitigations

S3E9: Weathering the Storms: Small Business Resilience and Commercial Lines Mitigations

In this episode of Disaster Discussions we highlight the partnership between IBHS, Triple-I, and the U.S. Small Business Administration with an encore presentation of the LinkedIn audio event: Weathering the Storms: Strategies for Small Business Resilience. Then, we talk with Chuck Miccolis, IBHS Managing Director of Commercial Lines, to hear more about common vulnerabilities of commercial buildings, as well as our research-backed mitigation methods for resiliency. In this episode we also help small business owners and commercial property owners better understand how they can better prepare for a range of hazards, including hurricanes, severe thunderstorms, wildfire, and severe winter weather. Plus, we highlight a few proactive mitigation strategies that business owners can use to help ensure business continuity.

Episodes

S3E9: Weathering the Storms: Small Business Resilience and Commercial Lines Mitigations

S3E9: Weathering the Storms: Small Business Resilience and Commercial Lines Mitigations

In this episode of Disaster Discussions we highlight the partnership between IBHS, Triple-I, and the U.S. Small Business Administration with an encore presentation of the LinkedIn audio event: Weathering the Storms: Strategies for Small Business Resilience. Then, we talk with Chuck Miccolis, IBHS Managing Director of Commercial Lines, to hear more about common vulnerabilities of commercial buildings, as well as our research-backed mitigation methods for resiliency. In this episode we also help small business owners and commercial property owners better understand how they can better prepare for a range of hazards, including hurricanes, severe thunderstorms, wildfire, and severe winter weather. Plus, we highlight a few proactive mitigation strategies that business owners can use to help ensure business continuity.

S3E8: From Science to Solutions: Advancing Resilience Through Public Policy and Investments

S3E8: From Science to Solutions: Advancing Resilience Through Public Policy and Investments

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.

S3E7: Breaking the Chain of Fire: Wildfire Research & the Pathway to Wildfire Ready

S3E7: Breaking the Chain of Fire: Wildfire Research & the Pathway to Wildfire Ready

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.

S3E6: Using Science to Defend Your Home: The FORTIFIED Standard

S3E6: Using Science to Defend Your Home: The FORTIFIED Standard

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.

S3E5: One Hail of a Trip: Recapping the 2024 Hail Field Study

S3E5: One Hail of a Trip: Recapping the 2024 Hail Field Study

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.

S3E4: Hurricane Ready with Bill Read

S3E4: Hurricane Ready with Bill Read

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.

S3E3: Rating the States 2024

S3E3: Rating the States 2024

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.

S3E2: Unacceptable Loss - Demanding More from Building Performance

S3E2: Unacceptable Loss - Demanding More from Building Performance

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.

S3E1: Research and Operations: On a Tornado Damage Survey Together

S3E1: Research and Operations: On a Tornado Damage Survey Together

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.

S2E12: 1-Year Anniversary Podcast Top 5

S2E12: 1-Year Anniversary Podcast Top 5

As we celebrate just over one year of our Disaster Discussions Podcast, our staff chose their Top 5 favorite episodes of our podcast so far. These conversations stood out to us as informative and engaging, and we invite you to go listen to each episode in its entirety! Thank you to all of our listeners for making this year plus of our podcast a success. We're looking forward to bring you more insightful interviews from a variety of guests across the industries served by IBHS!

S2E11: Water, Water, Everywhere: Pioneering Observations of Wind-Driven Rain

S2E11: Water, Water, Everywhere: Pioneering Observations of Wind-Driven Rain

Wind-driven rain is not only a nuisance, but a damage amplifier, generating costly water intrusion claims each year. On August 30, 2023, Hurricane Idalia slammed into the Florida panhandle as a Category 3, and IBHS's Research Scientist, Ali Merhi, joined the University of Florida deployment team to deploy IBHS's wind-driven rain observing tower. This presented an opportunity to learn how rain drop size, distribution, and wind affect how water penetrates the building envelop. In this episode, Ali shares his experience on this deployment and how it is only the second such observational dataset of its kind, and we'll learn how these deployments further our understanding of weather's impact on the built environment.

S2E10: Wildfire Risk Rising - There's More To Be Done

S2E10: Wildfire Risk Rising - There's More To Be Done

We speak with Yana Valancovich from the University of California about her work in educating communities across California and the Western U.S. about the risks of wildfire. Different landscapes have different fuels that can make a community vulnerable to wildfire, so understanding your community and personal risk are key in preparing your home properly. Her on-the-ground perspective from studying events like the Paradise, CA Camp Fire and the Marshall, CO wildfire can be used to educate people how wildfires can evolve. We also discuss how California has heavily focused on wildfire from a codes & policy perspective, but we've still got more work to do.

S2E9: On the Radar - Insights on the Lahaina Wildfires

S2E9: On the Radar - Insights on the Lahaina Wildfires

Our second edition of the 'On the Radar' podcast series focuses on the early insights IBHS and the fire communities have gained on the devastating Lahaina wildfires. Our experts break down how a grassland fire evolved into suburban conflagration that destroyed nearly 2,700 structures and how the building components and vegetative landscape likely contributed to the rapid progression of this fire throughout the community. We'll also discuss the importance of holistic mitigation approaches and the benefits of not only parcel mitigation, but community-level mitigation. Resilience to wildfire requires efforts from multiple agencies and participation on local and state-levels to ensure the safety and preparedness of communities at risk to wildfire.

S2E8: The Fifth Season: How Hurricane Forecasting Informs Industries

S2E8: The Fifth Season: How Hurricane Forecasting Informs Industries

With the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season well underway, Dr. Phil Klotzbach, Senior Research Scientist with the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University, joins us to explain the importance of seasonal hurricane forecasting.We begin with a history lesson, including the contributions and legacy of legendary CSU professor William Gray. Additional topics we discuss include: the process of predicting how busy a hurricane season will be, climate change's impact on hurricane predictions, what seasonal forecasting can and cannot do, and misconceptions about Phil's work. He also tells us how seasonal forecasting informs the insurance industry.

S2E7: Dollars & Disasters: The Value of Resilience

S2E7: Dollars & Disasters: The Value of Resilience

This episode explores the cost-effectiveness of resilience with professor, author, and economist Dr. Kevin Simmons. Using data from decades of research, he explains how catastrophic weather events like Hurricane Andrew and the Moore, OK tornado can bring about public policy changes. He also shares details on how mitigation reduces damage, and he shows us the ways in which resilient construction has a positive return on investment.

S2E6: On the Radar - Extreme Weather of 2023

S2E6: On the Radar - Extreme Weather of 2023

It’s been an extraordinarily turbulent first half of 2023. A steady string of storms has caused death, destruction, and displacement. In a new segment, “On the Radar,” IBHS experts give their take on recent severe weather and its impact on the built environment. In this episode, IBHS Lead Research Meteorologist Dr. Ian Giammanco and Senior Meteorologist Sarah Dillingham join us with their observations and analysis on why severe convective storms have caused so much havoc this year. They also provide mitigation strategies and share details on how we can build better to prevent avoidable suffering and loss. We wrap up with a look ahead to the 2023 hurricane season and offer tips on how you can be hurricane ready.

S2E5: Committed to Resilience: Alabama and the FORTIFIED Program

S2E5: Committed to Resilience: Alabama and the FORTIFIED Program

IBHS’ FORTIFIED Program is celebrating 50,000 designations. No state has been more committed to resilient construction than Alabama. Close to 80 percent of all FORTIFIED designations are located there. To mark the 50,000 milestone, this month’s episode of the Disaster Discussions Podcast features Alabama Department of Insurance (ALDOI) Commissioner Mark Fowler. Commissioner Fowler joins us to add context to the extraordinary milestone. He also shares how ALDOI identified FORTIFIED as a proven way to reduce risk, and he explains how Alabama’s belief in FORTIFIED serves as a model to the rest of the country.

S2E4: Reducing the Risk: Strategies and Solutions for Wildfire Mitigation

S2E4: Reducing the Risk: Strategies and Solutions for Wildfire Mitigation

For more than three decades, Steve Hawks has been instrumental in helping communities adapt to the threat of wildfire. He recently joined IBHS as Director of Wildfire Policy, advancing our work to give homeowners the tools to meaningfully reduce their wildfire risk.In the April episode of the Disaster Discussions Podcast, Steve opens up on why the 2018 Camp Fire was so personal to him. Drawing from his more than 30 years in the wildfire service space, he also explains the work he’s doing with IBHS, and offers insights on wildfire preparedness and mitigation strategies.

S2E3: Home Resilience and Real Estate: What's It Worth to You?

S2E3: Home Resilience and Real Estate: What's It Worth to You?

A core mission of IBHS is delivering top-tier science with the goal of strengthening homes. But there’s a key and perhaps overlooked piece to that mission that should be explored. That is the role of those who help us buy and sell homes: real estate agents. The March episode of the Disaster Discussions Podcast focuses on how realtors can help educate homeowners toward building resilience. We sit down with real estate broker Scott Wurtzbacher to discuss how realtors and appraisers account for mitigation in the home buying process and how homeowners are affected and empowered.

S2E2: Are We Setting Ourselves Up for Disaster?

S2E2: Are We Setting Ourselves Up for Disaster?

For generations, disasters have often been described as unpredictable, unexpected, and unavoidable. But are these terms accurate? How should these events be characterized? And what's really causing them? In the February episode of the Disaster Discussions Podcast, author, researcher, scientist, and professor Dr. Ilan Kelman of University College London joins us to dispel, describe, and discuss.