Coastal protection and debris management for hurricanes and other disasters are among
the many topics to be discussed at a conference at the University of Houston (UH)
Aug. 2, addressing preparation plans for the 2013 hurricane season.
Open to members of the community, emergency managers and industry suppliers, this
fifth-annual event – “Hurricanes, Major Disasters, Coastal Protection and Rapid Recovery
in Texas and the Gulf Coast Region” – will take place from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at
the Hilton University of Houston in the Conrad Hilton Ballroom. The event is sponsored
by the Texas Hurricane Center for Innovative Technology (THC-IT) and the civil, environmental
and industrial engineering departments at UH.
Topics include flood-related challenges, Port of Houston concerns and issues, coastal
county preparedness and protection, and emergency management planning and collaboration
in the Texas Medical Center. Power grid considerations, addressing forecast uncertainty
in hurricane response plans, loss mitigation, evacuation, transportation issues, rapid
recovery and new technologies also will be discussed, and more than 15 research posters
on various related topics will be presented.
“Attendees can expect to leave the conference with information about the latest plans
and procedures in preparing for hurricanes and other major disasters in Gulf Coast
cities,” said Cumaraswamy “Vipu” Vipulanandan, director of THC-IT and a professor
of civil and environmental engineering at UH. “There will be opportunities to network
with state, city and county emergency managers, engineers, suppliers, consultants,
researchers, educators, scientists, students and exhibitors.”
Seating is limited to the first 120 registrants. Registration is offered at the door
for $145, with students receiving a discounted price of $60 with a current UH ID and
school registration. The cost covers admission, lunch, coffee breaks and free hotel
parking. Conference attendees can earn up to five professional development hours.
For more information on THC-IT, visit http://hurricane.egr.uh.edu/.
WHAT:
5th Annual Hurricane Conference at the University of Houston
WHEN:
8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 2
WHERE:
Hilton University of Houston
Conrad Hilton Ballroom
Off Calhoun Road, Entrance 1 – parking in hotel garage
Map: http://www.uh.edu/campus_map/buildings/CHC.php
WHO:
The Texas Hurricane Center for Innovative Technology hosts a variety of well-known,
distinguished speakers.
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