The Sea Grant Role in Storm Events: Short-, Mid- and Long-term Crisis Response and Preparedness
Natalie SpringuelPulaski
(cont.) Sea Grant staff throughout the country have been experiencing an increasing number of weather-driven emergencies in the last decade or more. Challenges facing the people that Sea Grant serves have included unusually powerful storms, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and more. While many of our programs have been taking leadership roles in severe weather preparedness, Sea Grant is increasingly facing the need for crisis response. The Sea Grant network collectively contains critical knowledge and expertise amplified by on-the-ground experience in past crisis events. In addition to ensuring the safety of their own staff, programs have had to respond to events by rapidly deploying tools to help support recovery, undertaking needs assessments to help drive mid-term response, and providing on-the-ground capacity in coastal communities struggling to move forward in the long-term. Peer to peer learning within our network is unique and incredibly valuable to the success of the national Sea Grant network. This session will include a panel of SG staff from several programs around the country outlining their response to and lessons learned from disastrous weather events. Participants will then, through a facilitated work session, begin to develop an emergency plan for their own program that is inward facing (supporting program team members) and outward facing (supporting the people Sea Grant serves) based on the most likely weather events for their region. We will work from a common template to ensure a comprehensive plan.