Events

"Extreme Hurricanes: The Challenges for Puerto Rico and Beyond"

Presented jointly with PRI's The World & WGBH

Six months after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, a panel of experts will assess persistent public health challenges on the island and the outlook for long-term recovery. Power restoration, health care coordination, and medical services delivery on the island are just some of the pressing issues the panelists will explore. They also will discuss the potential threats of extreme hurricanes more broadly, noting that 2017 was one of the most destructive seasons on record. What can be done to better prepare and respond to killer storms, and to build resiliency to combat such disasters? How can the public and private sectors work together? And what have we learned generally from past hurricanes -- and specifically from ongoing efforts in Puerto Rico -- to meet the many challenges ahead?

EXPERT PARTICIPANTS

Kellie Bentz, Head of Global Disaster Response and Relief, Airbnb 

Brad Kieserman, Red Cross Vice President of Disaster Operations and Logistics

Daniel Ramos, Health Programs Partnerships & Strategies Specialist, Primary Health Association of Puerto Rico

Jose E. Sanchez, Deputy Director of Research & Development, US Army Corps of Engineers, and Former Director of Puerto Rico Power Grid Restoration Program

Richard Serino, Former Deputy Administrator, FEMA, and Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

MODERATOR

Carol Hills, Senior Producer and Reporter, PRI’s The World