Seasonal forecasters predict that 2010 will produce between 14 and 23 named hurricanes -- the most active season since 2005, when Hurricane Katrina and 27 other named storms swept the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.  As economic challenges continue and oil spews from the damaged Deepwater Horizon well in the Gulf, the growing impacts to the region’s economic recovery and unique ecosystems are staggering.  What risks does an active hurricane season pose for other energy-related infrastructure, for inland areas as storm surges push oil beyond beaches and marshland, and for stakeholders dealing with flooding in coastal communities in the Gulf and along the East Coast?  Can recent advancements in hurricane prediction help manage these risks? Might related climate change impacts exacerbate them in the future? What does an increasing scale of catastrophic loss associated with hurricane activity mean for critical services provided by the insurance sector? Please join our panelists as they address these questions and discuss research results, institutions, and processes in place to help manage potential catastrophic risk of this hurricane season. 

Heidi Cullen (PDF of presentation, 692 kB) CEO and Director of Communications, Climate Central

Greg Holland (PDF of presentation, 429 kB) Director, NCAR Earth System Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research

Rick Luettich (PDF of presentation, 1.9 MB) Professor & Director, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Rowan Douglas (PDF of presentation, 7.8 MB) CEO, Global Dynamics, Willis Re and Chairman, Willis Re Research Network

Linda Rowan, AGI Government Affairs Staff

Posted: July 1, 2010;

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