Reimagining Flood Risk and Protection: Moving Beyond Legacy Systems

Reimagining Flood Risk and Protection: Moving Beyond Legacy Systems is coming to Jordan Hall Addition, Room 1216 on Friday, October 23, from 3:00 to 4:30 PM. It's a panel discussion put on by the Geospatial Forum, which is co-organized by the Center for Geospatial Analytics and the Climate and Sustainability Academy. The session is also part of Research Week at NC State, the university's annual campuswide initiative sponsored by the Office of Research and Innovation that showcases its research, scholarship, and innovation.

The conversation centers on a pretty specific, high-stakes problem: the U.S. flood-risk management framework is largely built on regulatory standards from the late 1960s. The panel argues that floodplain mapping, insurance requirements, and building codes still reflect assumptions from more than half a century ago. They'll be asking whether those legacy systems are still adequate given how fast climate, land use, and exposure are changing, and how risk can be managed more equitably, proactively, and effectively.

To cover that ground, the panel brings together people from a few different worlds. Moderating is Mary Smith, an investigative reporter with CBS 17. The panelists include Katherine Anarde, an NC State assistant professor of coastal engineering; Steven Koller, who works with Insurance for Good and Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies; and Gian Tavares from the NC Department of Environmental Quality. Between them, they're pulling from insurance, economics, hazard modeling, communication, governance, and policy.

It's a hybrid event, so you can catch it in person at Jordan Hall Addition, Room 1216, 2720 Faucette Dr., Raleigh, NC 27695, or tune in virtually. Admission is free.