What Forces Are At Work Making This Hurricane Season Different Than Others?

What can we do to better prepare for a hurricane and protect our homes?

Get answers to these and other questions at our next CSI Honolulu Member’s Meeting

Guest Speaker: Dennis Hwang, Faculty, University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program, NOAA and author of the Homeowner’s Handbook to Prepare for Natural Disasters

Dennis Hwang combines his science and law background to concentrate on implementing science into decisions of the community so that hurricane, tsunami, flood, erosion, wind and earthquake impacts are mitigated.  He authored the Hawai’i Coastal Hazard Mitigation Guidebook, which is used in the land use process in Hawai’i.  A similar version was produced for Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. He co-authored the Homeowners Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards, which is now in its fourth edition and being produced for several states. Mr. Hwang is also Counsel at the Office of O’Connor Playdon and Guben and his clients include government agencies and planning departments dealing with coastal, hazard, and land use issues.

Hwang is a member of the NOAA National Focus Team for Hazard Resilient Communities, Hawaii State Hurricane Advisory Committee, American Society of Civil Engineers, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, Hawaii State Bar Association and is a Court Appointed Arbitrator. He believes in implementing science using a flexible approach based on a continuum of key elements. These concepts are being applied for portions of the Pacific Region to address hazard and sea-level rise issues.

Dennis says, “They say you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink.  But if we lead 100 horses to water and a fraction of them drink then the outcome will be better than if nothing was done.  Over the last few years, the challenge has gotten easier as the frequent news about hazards has gotten people to think it can happen.  Fifteen years ago, it was very difficult to talk about some of these preparation and hazard risk issues.”

Mahalo to our tabletop sponsor: Simpson Strong-Tie Company

NEW LOCATION

5:00 pm – Registration & Dinner

6:00 pm – Presentation

Sorry, no parking validation will be provided. Flat fee after 5pm