MIT Experts Available to Discuss What to Do About Building Resilience as 2018 Hurricane Season Begins

Business Wire

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

MIT experts that are researching hurricanes and building resiliency are available to discuss today’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 2018 hurricane forecast released today in Washington.

Recently, two studies published Earth’s Journal and Geophysical Research Letters detailed the troubling implications resulting from the increased intensity of hurricanes – and the impact they have on society. Storms that unload more rain and intensify explosively cause more destruction and suffering, as the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season made painfully clear. Harvey, Irma and Maria each ranked among the five costliest hurricanes on record. Between 1996 and 2014, damages in the US due to hazards (hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes) totaled over $377 billion, according to the National Weather Service. In 2017 alone, storms caused over $200 billion in damages making it the costliest on record.

How do towns, cities and planners deal with this new normal? Experts at the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub have been analyzing the costs and benefits of investing in preparation for natural disasters in hazard-prone areas of the U.S.


WHO:			MIT research experts led by Jeremy Gregory

WHAT:			For those of you covering hurricanes, emergency preparedness/response and building or infrastructure resilience, Dr. Gregory’s expert perspective helps frame the critical choices ahead for policymakers, building designers, communities, and vulnerable residents in hazard-prone areas.

HOW:			https://cshub.mit.edu/ OR reach out to Jeremy Gregory: jgregory@mit.edu; (617) 324-5639

BACKGROUND:			MIT’s Break-even Mitigation Percentage (BEMP) calculation provides a risk management tool for communities to determine the break-even point for investments in mitigation. The calculation provides a suggested amount to spend (expressed as a percentage of initial building costs) given the possibility of future damage. MIT’s interactive “dashboard” uses the BEMP calculation to help building designers and owners calculate the risk and level of investment needed to mitigate future building damage in their areas.