Insurance professionals, policymakers, and weather experts will be among those attending the second annual National Tornado Summit, which takes place from March 10 to 12 in Oklahoma City, Okla.
The primary goal of the summit is educating the public on virtually every aspect of tornado safety, awareness, response, and recovery. This second iteration will feature the National Severe Weather Workshop (NSWW). The breakout sessions, organized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will focus on crisis communication, emergency response analysis, significant weather events of 2012, tornado ratings, and how social media impacts the effectiveness of severe weather watches and warnings.
“Teaming up with the Tornado Summit seems like a natural fit for the National Severe Weather Workshop,” says Greg Carbin, warning coordination meteorologist for the NOAA SPC and NSWW chair.
This year's event will also include a three-day tradeshow and a tour of the National Weather Center and the NOAA Storm Prediction Center (SPC), which issues all tornado watches for the contiguous United States.
See related article: U.S. Tornadoes As Deadly, Costly As Hurricanes
According to Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak, the summit offers the public an “inside look at storm prediction and response and how it affects them.”
On March 10, the public will be able to roam the family friendly Weather Fair, where attendees can step in a tornado simulator, speak with a TV meteorologist or hear professional storm chasers relive the close calls encountered on the job. Canine search and rescue teams, as well as disaster response vehicles will also be on-hand to facilitate interactive learning.
The Oklahoma Insurance Department, Oklahoma Emergency Management, National Weather Center, NOAA, SPC and National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) are sponsoring this year's event, which is intended to provide a forum for national and state experts to exchange ideas and recommend new policies. Indeed the beginning of storm season is an opportune time to explore how to improve disaster mitigation and response in order to save lives and property.
For more information about the event or to register online, visit www.tornadosummit.org.
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