Taken by Storm: UH Offers Hurricane Experts for Array of Topics
Summary
Survivors Struggling with Post Trauma While it will take years to fully understand Hurricane Ike’s profound effects on locals’ mental health, post-traumatic stress disorder likely will play a significant role.He can talk about why residents in coastal counties need separate policies for windstorm damage, about FEMA’s national flood insurance program and tips on steps to take before a hurricane or tropical storm hits and what to do after if property damage is sustained.Keeping Anxieties at BayFor many Houston-area residents who survived Hurricane Ike, another round of storms brings another round of anxieties.Bishop also can address changes in public policies and people’s behavior in the face of hurricanes, as well as society’s fears of natural disasters and how those fears trigger reactions such as the massive evacuation during Hurricane Rita.Food Safety When Power is OutJay Neal and Nancy Graves, professors with the College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, can answer questions about how long food can go before spoiling without refrigeration and what steps can be taken to protect food in your freezer in the event of an extended power outage.Shelter from the StormIn times of crisis the hospitality industry recognizes a responsibility to those escaping the storm.She also can address issues that face employers, including the areas of crisis management training and post-crisis learning.Legal Matters Associated with StormsRichard Alderman with the UH Law Center can discuss topics such as price gouging before hurricanes and consumer complaints about repairs, landlords, insurance issues and other legal matters involving damage to homes, trees and businesses in the aftermath of a storm.Beach ReplenishmentGeosciences professor Donald Van Nieuwenhuise says that while beach replenishment is touted to bring in tourist dollars, it is a short-term solution to protect Galveston from hurricanes.He can discuss past sand replenishment efforts, including what occurred with Hurricane Ike, and explain why even a Category 2 hurricane could easily remove all beach replenishment sands.Economics of Disaster ReliefEconomics professor Thomas DeGregori has written the article “The Do’s and Don’ts of Disaster Relief.” He is an economic development expert, who has been an adviser on disaster relief.Mitigating DamageCumaraswamy Vipulanandan, chair of civil and environmental engineering and director of the Texas Hurricane Center for Innovative Technologies, deals with how to mitigate damage to structures and pipelines on and offshore, and how to protect coastal areas during extreme weather conditions.### Contact Information University of Houston Lisa Merkl 713-743-8192 www.uh.edu Click here to view the list of recent Press Releases from University of Houston Promote Your Business Press Release Pricing Email this page to a friend