NHERI Deploys Resources in Advance of Hurricanes with Dan Zehner

Disaster Podcast

The National Science Foundation NHERI (Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure) organization had teams out in advance of the recent hurricanes to strike Florida. They set up for the Sentinel Program from the University of Florida to use sensor platforms to detect all the various forces from incoming storms. This was the first full deployment of the Sentinel system.

The teams were struck by the destruction to the communities when they returned to collect the Sentinel sensor platforms. While their storm sensors were in pretty good shape, the surrounding communities hadn’t fared as well, with some totally destroyed.

Dan also talked about the new planned Wind-Wave research facility with the NICHE Project (National Full-Scale Testing Infrastructure for Community Hardening in Extreme Wind, Surge, and Wave Events). This new multi-story laboratory will be able to do full scale materials and structural testing based upon wind and flood water events.

Scroll down for Podcast Discussion Summary

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Thank you as always to Paragon Medical Education Group for their long-term support of the Disaster Podcast. Dr. Joe Holley and the team at Paragon continue to provide excellent and customized disaster response training to jurisdictions around the U.S. and internationally as well.

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Podcast Discussion Summary

Joe’s FEMA Deployment Experiences

In the meeting, Sam and Jamie welcomed back Joe from his FEMA deployment and discussed his experiences during Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. Joe shared that his team was deployed to North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Florida, where they conducted rescue operations and located remains for families. They also discussed the challenges and stress of the deployment. Sam expressed interest in conducting a longer podcast with Joe and Kimberly, who was also deployed. Dan was also present, and it was mentioned that he would be discussing some research information related to the article Sam received.

Sentinel Project Enhances Hurricane Data

Sam and Dan discussed the Sentinel project, a research initiative by the University of Florida to set up store monitoring equipment that collects data on wind, storm surge, waves, and water equality before, during, and after a hurricane. The Sentinel is a 33-foot tall device that reports data back to researchers in real time, providing valuable insights into environment, structural, and human survival. Dan highlighted the project’s collaboration with other teams, including the University of Washington, and the use of various technologies such as Lidar and drones. The Sentinel’s ability to withstand 16 feet of storm surge and provide accurate wind speed measurements, even over terrain, was emphasized as a significant improvement over traditional wind towers. The data collected by the Sentinel was used by Noah in an official update, demonstrating its immediate impact.

Hurricane Impact and Coastal Infrastructure

In the meeting, Sam, Dan, Joe, and Jamie discussed the aftermath of Hurricane Florence and the impact of storms on coastal communities. They highlighted the importance of data collection and analysis to improve infrastructure resilience and inform rebuilding efforts. Dan mentioned the role of new sensor platforms in gathering valuable data, and Jamie expressed interest in the relationship between field work and lab work. They also discussed the potential for learning from inland flooding events and the importance of understanding coastal erosion and sediment movement. The conversation ended with Dan sharing some data sets from Hurricane Helene, which included high water marks from North Carolina and Virginia.

NSF Invests in Extreme Weather Facility

Dan discussed the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) investment of 12.8 million dollars in a Mid-scale research infrastructure program, the first of its kind for a natural hazards laboratory. The program, called Niche, aims to design and test structures to withstand extreme wind and wave events. The facility will feature 20 fans capable of generating wind speeds of up to 200 miles per hour and a 500-meter-long wave flume that can generate waves up to 5 meters tall. Jamie and Sam expressed their excitement about the project, with Jamie noting that the facility will include a full-scale two-story home for testing storm surge and wind effects.

World’s Largest Wind and Wave Facility

The team discussed the development of a world’s largest wind and wave research facility, similar to Japan’s e-defense facility for earthquake engineering. Dan explained that the facility is currently in the design phase, with 11 universities and organizations involved. The team is also upgrading several facilities, including the Wall of Wind at Fiu and the Oregon State University wave flume, to test various parts of the niche design before spending more money on the actual build. The team agreed that full-scale testing with all three elements of the structure (wind, waves, and structure) is necessary due to the increasing intensity and number of storms. Dan also mentioned that the collected data is freely available for researchers to use in their investigations and to inform their tests in wind tunnels or wave labs.

Natural Hazards Research and Support

In the meeting, Sam, Dan, Joe, and Jamie discussed the ongoing research and collaborations in natural hazards, particularly in the context of recent storms. Dan highlighted the support from the US National Science Foundation and the importance of the network provided by Mary. Joe mentioned his upcoming training sessions in Florida and the opportunity for others to attend the Urban Search and Rescue Medical Specialist Operations Conference. Jamie encouraged listeners to subscribe to the Design Safe Radio podcast for updates on Neri’s work. The team also discussed Dan’s colleague, Marty Lashanz, who is the communications director at Neri. Dan shared that his wife, Tracy, is undergoing surgery for breast cancer treatment, and the team expressed their support and well wishes.