S8: Ep: 135 - When the Power Goes Out: Extreme Weather, Critical Infrastructure & Shared Intelligence — Sunny Wescott

When the Power Goes Out: Extreme Weather, Critical Infrastructure & Shared Intelligence — Sunny Wescott

A hurricane or extreme weather event does not end when the wind subsides or the rain moves away. When power, communications, transportation or supply chains are disrupted, communities can face cascading problems that continue long after the initial hazard has passed.

In this episode of HURRICANE CENTER, the hosts speak with Sunny Wescott, Chief Meteorologist and Executive Director of the Geospatial Intelligence Information Sharing and Analysis Center, GEOINT ISAC, about the hidden consequences of extreme weather and the importance of sharing information before disasters escalate.

The conversation explores how GEOINT ISAC supports collaboration by connecting decision-makers with studies, best practices, products and tools that can improve preparedness and critical-infrastructure resilience. Wescott also discusses the importance of creating open lines of communication across the emergency-management, weather and infrastructure communities, including the work of the Extreme Weather Information Network Group, Ex-Wing.

When the power goes out, the immediate impact may be obvious. But the deeper threat can involve the systems communities depend on every day: energy, telecommunications, emergency response, transportation and supply chains. Understanding those connections before a storm arrives can help communities make better decisions and recover more effectively.

In This Episode, You Will Learn

•  Why extreme weather impacts can continue long after the immediate storm threat has passed. 
•  How power outages and infrastructure disruptions can create cascading risks for communities. 
•  What GEOINT ISAC does to encourage information sharing and improve resilience planning. 
•  Why studies, best practices, mapping products and operational tools must be shared across public and private sectors. 
•  How Ex-Wing supports communication and collaboration around extreme weather risk. 
•  Why preparedness requires understanding the systems people depend on, not only the forecast itself. 

About the Guest

Sunny Wescott is a Chief Meteorologist specializing in extreme weather impacts to emergency response, supply chains and critical infrastructure. She serves as Executive Director of the Geospatial Intelligence Information Sharing and Analysis Center, GEOINT ISAC, where she supports actionable intelligence, collaborative workflows and risk analysis for critical-infrastructure and supply-chain resilience. Her current public biography also identifies her as Deputy Program Manager for FEMA’s National Hurricane Program.  Listener Takeaway

A storm’s most dangerous impacts may not end at landfall. When electrical power, communications and other critical systems fail, the consequences can affect safety, emergency response and recovery. Sharing trusted information before a disaster is one of the most important tools communities have to reduce those cascading risks.

Resources Mentioned

•  Geospatial Intelligence Information Sharing and Analysis Center, GEOINT ISAC 
•  Extreme Weather Information Network Group, Ex-Wing 
•  FEMA National Hurricane Program 
•  National Tropical Weather Conference 
•  HURRICANE CENTER podcast archive 

About HURRICANE CENTER

HURRICANE CENTER takes listeners inside the science, decisions and real-world impacts of tropical storms and hurricanes. Featuring conversations with forecasters, researchers, emergency managers and resilience experts, the podcast helps communities better understand hurricane risk and prepare before, during and after landfall.

A production of the National Tropical Weather Conference.

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Learn more about the National Tropical Weather Conference: HurricaneCenterLive.com