By Paul Guzzo and Cassidy Delamarter, University Communications and Marketing [Photos by Jessica Villemure, Office of University Community Partnerships]
Emergency management leaders from throughout Tampa Bay joined a panel discussion about the recent hurricanes
With hurricane season officially over, the 哔咔漫画 hosted leaders from across Tampa Bay for a series of panel discussions about how the area responded to Debby, Helene and Milton and how they could be better prepared in the coming years.
鈥淚t's a bit surreal to even be saying three hurricanes,鈥� said Wren Kral, executive director of the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council. 鈥淏ut today, it's about recovery and how we move forward as a region.鈥�
The event, 鈥淒ebby, Helene, and Milton: Post-Hurricane Impacts and Recovery Session,鈥� was a joint effort between USF鈥檚 Office of University Community Partnerships and the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council.
Elected officials in attendance included U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and Hillsborough County Commissioner Harry Cohen.
鈥�USF faculty are collaborating with local governments across Tampa Bay on applied research projects addressing vulnerabilities to flooding, heat resilience, storm surge impacts and other future climate hazards affecting populations,鈥� said event facilitator Taryn Sabia, the assistant dean for research in the College of Design, Art & Performance. 鈥淭he session aimed to outline actionable next steps for future development as part of the region鈥檚 resilience plan.鈥�
Topics discussed during panels included supply chain demands, community impacts, hazardous debris and contaminants and post-storm redevelopment strategies to enhance resilience.
鈥淚 never thought in my lifetime I would see police officers patrolling gas stations,鈥� Castor said during her remarks. 鈥淎 lot of that was because the grid failed. They couldn't refuel because the electrical grid was down. We have to tap the new technology that connects distributed energy to solar microgrids and battery storage to our critical infrastructure.鈥�
One panel discussion brought together emergency management leaders from each of the six counties. They agreed that a top priority must be continued messaging reminding residents that the storms can be deadly.
鈥淲e told you what the risks are,鈥� Pinellas County Emergency Management Director Cathie Perkins said during her remarks. 鈥淏ut there were still people who chose to stay.鈥�
Issues should be addressed through continued collaborations, said panelist Elizabeth Dunn, a USF College of Public Health instructor who specializes in global disaster management, humanitarian relief and homeland security.
Elizabeth Dunn, USF College of Public Health
鈥淭his hurricane season has revealed significant vulnerabilities to our infrastructure and emergency response systems across the Tampa Bay region,鈥� Dunn said. Faculty throughout the 哔咔漫画 system are convening with community leaders from various sectors to engage in the dialogue necessary for identifying and addressing issues of concern. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, we can leverage diverse expertise to identify innovative solutions to fail points within the system that led to unexpected challenges due to the back-to-back hurricanes and unprecedented rainfall in the area.鈥�
Dunn is also director of the USF Community Emergency Response Team, which activated before Hurricane Helene moved into the region, and remained fully engaged throughout the recovery from Hurricane Milton. In collaboration with the Hillsborough County Emergency Operations Center, she helped coordinate hundreds of volunteers to help in several initiatives, such as transporting individuals to evacuation shelters and providing aid at Comfort and Hygiene Support Stations.