In this episode of Disaster Discussions Research Project Scientist Jake Sorber joins the podcast for a discussion on why hail is an extreme loss driver across the United States, and the reasons behind why that trend is growing. Plus, an in-depth conversation about lessons learned from a case study of significant hail that fell in Rock Hill, SC and a look ahead to what IBHS scientists are aiming to learn during ICECHIP- the largest scientific field campaign in history devoted to studying hail.

This Disaster Discussions episode highlights the development of the new Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood technical standard- the first and only science-based standard that aims to meaningfully reduce the probability of a built-environment conflagration in the neighborhoods where it is applied. Guests on this episode are Dr. Ian Giammanco, IBHS Managing Director of Standards and Data Analytics and Lead Research Meteorologist and Evan Sluder, Research Project Engineer.

The conversation includes an explanation of the science behind the standard's four core principles and details how the standard can be applied in both new-build and retrofit scenarios. The episode also covers how the standard can be used in a post-wildfire setting to analyze a neighborhood's risk factors for conflagration. Plus, a discussion on the first project putting the standard into operation in Escondido, CA and how the science could be used to rebuild more resiliently in LA county.

In this episode of Disaster Discussions we're joined by Dr. Geoff Boughton, Adjunct Associate Professor at the James Cook University Cyclone Testing Station and Dr. Korah Parackal, IBHS Research Engineer and Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the James Cook University Cyclone Testing Station. This discussion looks back at the evolution and landfall of category four Cyclone Tracy that struck Darwin, Australia on Christmas Eve 1974, leaving 90% of the town's residential homes uninhabitable and tens of thousands of residents homeless. We discuss how Tracy's devastating impact sparked changes to the way Australia's housing was built, and how these changes eventually led to a nationwide building code. Today homes in Australia are structurally engineered to withstand high winds throughout the entire country and include provisions for low cycle fatigue, a continuous load path or tie-down chain, and are designed for high internal pressures.

In this episode of Disaster Discussions host Rachael Penton Gauthier is joined by Dr. Murray Morrison, IBHS Managing Director of Research and Steve Hawks, Senior Director for Wildfire for Part 2 of a discussion about the LA County wildfires. This episode details how the Palisades Fire started and the unique factors that allowed this wildfire to morph into a devastating urban conflagration. Plus, an in depth discussion on IBHS's post-event investigation of the Palisades Fire. Finally, the episode analyzes lessons learned from field observations of both the Eaton and Palisades post-event investigations and how the results will help better prepare southern California homeowners for future wildfire events.

In this episode of Disaster Discussions host Rachael Penton Gauthier is joined by Dr. Murray Morrison, IBHS Managing Director of Research and Steve Hawks, Senior Director for Wildfire. Part 1 of this discussion details the extreme meteorological conditions that allowed several wildfires to spark in early January in LA county, and details the conditions that allowed the Eaton and Palisades fires to transition into urban conflagrations. This episode highlights the working partnership between IBHS and CAL FIRE to expand wildfire research in California. Plus, learn about the logistics and operations of IBHS's post-event investigation of the Eaton Fire.

In the first episode of 2025, we take a look back at some of the memorable moments from Disaster Discussion in 2024. This episode recaps season 3, and highlights favorite clips from some of our special guests that joined us on the podcast.

In this episode of Disaster Discussions we sit down with WCNC Chief Meteorologist Brad Panovich and IBHS Lead Research Meteorologist Dr. Ian Giammanco to discuss the communication challenges of messaging for historic weather events such as Hurricane Helene. Topics discussed include: messaging seasonal tropical forecasts, communicating differences in storm intensity both before and during landfall, and messaging for systems with big inland impacts. We also discuss how best to communicate extreme weather events, such as the historic rainfall event that Helene brought to the mountains of North Carolina as well as perceptions around flood insurance for communities away from the coast.

In this episode of Disaster Discussions we highlight the partnership between IBHS, Triple-I, and the U.S. Small Business Administration with an encore presentation of the LinkedIn audio event: Weathering the Storms: Strategies for Small Business Resilience. Then, we talk with Chuck Miccolis, IBHS Managing Director of Commercial Lines, to hear more about common vulnerabilities of commercial buildings, as well as our research-backed mitigation methods for resiliency. In this episode we also help small business owners and commercial property owners better understand how they can better prepare for a range of hazards, including hurricanes, severe thunderstorms, wildfire, and severe winter weather. Plus, we highlight a few proactive mitigation strategies that business owners can use to help ensure business continuity.