“Surviving Natural Disasters,” a forum on how to prepare for and react during severe weather in Georgia, will take place from 10-11 a.m. Feb. 24 in Room 137 of the Tate Student Center. The event, which is open free to the public, features experts from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency and UGA.
“There seems to be more and more news stories about severe weather events from the extreme cold, snow, mud slides, flooding, tornadoes and more,” said John Newton, event coordinator and emergency operations manager in UGA’s Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness. “This forum will discuss why these events occur and what we in Georgia need to worry about.”
Pam Knox, assistant state climatologist, will deliver a brief overview about the causes of severe weather. The State Climatology Office is located in the department of biological and agricultural engineering, part of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
“Severe weather can happen in Georgia in any season and at any time of day or night. Understanding how severe weather forms and what types of impact it has on people and their environment is the first key to preparing and planning for its effects on those you guard and protect,” Knox said. “In my part of the talk, I plan to discuss types of severe weather, when and where it happens, and what types of effects you can expect from each type of severe weather.”
After Knox speaks, Chris Walsh, the hurricane and earthquake program manager at GEMA, will talk about how to best prepare for dangerous weather conditions.
“Basically I will be focusing on two subjects,” he said. “I’ll speak on some hazards facing our state, some things we need to be prepared for, such as earthquake- and hurricane-related hazards. And I’ll follow that up with guidance on personal preparedness and individual resiliency, mentioning some things we can do to be better prepared and offer some resources we can use to prepare ourselves.”
As part of the Academic-Professional Security Series, the forum is sponsored by UGA’s Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness and the Center for International Trade and Security.
