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In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, stakeholders and decision-makers are responding to and examining the storm’s impacts on Florida. To facilitate this discussion, the Center for Urban & Environmental Solutions (CUES) at Florida Atlantic University convened a summit, Lessons from Hurricane Irma for  Increasing Resilience: From Practice to Revising Plans and Policy on Tuesday, November 28, 2017–1:00-5:00 pm, in Fort Lauderdale.

Panel Discussions & Powerpoints  Panelists |  Videos

KEY TAKEAWAYS

South Florida will continue to be exposed to major hurricanes, therefore we need to continually engage stakeholders to refine plans and continue to develop a culture of preparedness.

We still have a long way to go to ensure that the most vulnerable members of society are included in evacuation and sheltering plans. This includes the elderly. Planning also needs to consider the large segment of the population that have pets and are not willing to abandon them during an emergency.

The more we can think holistically about how communities and buildings are designed, the more resilient we will be in the aftermath of disasters.

Nonprofits like  Evacuteer.org  based in New Orleans and  KeysStrong.org  in the Florida Keys recruit and involve citizen volunteers for preparedness and response to disasters. Many more communities could benefit from involving these and other nonprofit organizations into their planning efforts.

Interested in further collaboration?

Contact us  to learn more about how FAU can help make your community more resilient.

Hosted by FAU’s Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions in partnership with:

  • FAU Harbor Branch
  • Institute for Healthy Aging and Lifespan Studies
  • Florida Center for Environmental Studies (CES)
  • Freight Mobility Research Institute

Sponsors:

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