9th Annual NC Hurricane Conference Set for May 22

The 9th Annual North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM)/East Carolina University (ECU) Hurricane Conference will take place on May 22, 2018. This year’s conference focuses on continuing recovery from Hurricane Matthew, planning for this year’s tropical season, forecasting tools, and severe weather communications. Mike Sprayberry, Director of NCEM, and Jamie Kruse, Director of the ECU Center for Natural Hazards Research, will host the event.

Featured speakers include Brian Barnes, Branch Manager, NCEM Emergency Services and Brigadier General Todd Hunt, of the North Carolina National Guard discussing the work of North Carolina emergency responders and the National Guard to provide emergency support missions in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico.

Nick Burk, NCEM Assistant Director for Resilience and Dr. Maria Dillard, Research Social Scientist, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Community Resilience Program will address continuing community recovery efforts following Hurricane Matthew. SBA Recovery Assistance. Ariana Billingsley, Director of the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) at ECU will provide information about Small Business Administration programs designed to support recovery.

David Maurstad, Deputy Associate Administrator for Insurance and Mitigation for FEMA, will keynote the conference at 12:45 to discuss the role of emergency management in preparedness, including the importance of flood insurance.

Erik Heden, Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Newport, will present on local forecasting products and give the 2018 Hurricane Forecast.
A panel discussion of severe weather forecasting and communication includes Matt Engelbrecht, Chief Meteorologist, WITN; Lauren Mink, Continuity/Emergency Planner, ECU; and Donna Kain, Associate Professor of technical communication, ECU.

Erik Heden, Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Newport, will present on local forecasting products and give the 2018 Hurricane Forecast. Katie Webster, Meteorologist, NCEM Natural Hazards Branch Manager will update the group on Hurricane Evacuation Zones.

The event is hosted by the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management and East Carolina University’s Center for Natural Hazards Research. Co-sponsors include North Carolina Sea Grant, and the ECU Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences.

For more information, please contact Donna Kain at kaind@ecu.edu, 252-717-9330, or Nick Duncan at 252-328-5718.