Moderator: Robert Gilbert, PE, PhD, D.GE, University of Texas-Austin Panelists: Brian Slie, Public Assistance Deputy Infrastructure Branch Director, FEMA Region 6; John Buri, Director for Post Disaster Programs, TetraTech; Stephen Costello, Chief Recovery Officer, Houston Public Works
Hurricane Harvey tore through Texas on August 25, 2017 as a Category 4 hurricane. It caused $125 Billion in damage making it the second-most costly hurricane to hit the US since 1900. The resulting cleanup and damage repair is still underway more than a year later. This plenary panel discussion features disaster response and mitigation experts. Hear their first-hand experiences regarding the destruction and clean-up as a result Hurricane Harvey, as well as the daunting task of leveraging the recovery efforts in a way that best prepares the regional populace in the future. These panelists are “living the question” everyday as they make recommendations on what infrastructure assets to rebuild, relocate, or redesigned for improved performance during the next hurricane. This discussion will help the geosynthetic and geotechnical engineering disciplines better understand the disaster relieve process, the infrastructure related challenges to prepare for hurricanes, and the damage aftermath. Attending this session will provide valuable insights on the unique technical challenges related to the mitigation of flood waters, and the need for quick repair solutions of transportation facilities required for the distribution of relief; perhaps leading to the development of quicker, more cost-effective solutions of repair and/or improved reliability of our civil infrastructure.