UCF faculty with expertise in disaster/crisis management, U.S. coastal flood risks, and tourism and economic impacts are available for interviews on what to anticipate if Florida is hit by Hurricane Irma, plus an evaluation of Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath.

Contact UCF’s News & Information team to speak with one of these sources.

DISASTER/CRISIS MANAGEMENT:

  • What does a state of emergency in Florida mean for the county and city levels?
  • What impact would a hurricane like Irma have on an inland city such as Orlando versus a coastal city?
  • What we can expect as Texas recovers in terms of transportation, communication, shelter and more, using trend data from previous major disasters?
  • Lessons learned from hurricanes Andrew, Sandy and Katrina, and how Harvey compares. Are we seeing the same mistakes repeated?

    • Contacts:

    Naim Kapucu, professor and director of the School of Public Administration

    Claire Knox, associate professor and director of the Emergency Management and Homeland Security Program

    Christopher Emrich, associate professor of environmental science and public administration

    FLOODING:

  • Why are Tampa, Jacksonville and Miami most vulnerable in Florida for heavy flooding during and post hurricane?
  • Compound flooding – the mix of heavy rainfall and storm surge seen in Houston – and how likely is it to happen on different coasts of the United States
  • The vulnerability aspect: How did poor design and planning play a key role in how Houston was impacted?

    • Contact:

    Thomas Wahl, assistant professor of coastal risks and engineering (available only by phone or email through Sept. 8)

    TOURISM:

  • How will Hurricane Irma impact tourism, hospitality, hotels and restaurants?

    • Kevin Murphy, associate professor and chair of the Department of Hospitality at Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

    THEME PARKS:

  • How will Hurricane Irma impact the theme park industry locally?
  • How may parks prepare?

    • Contact:

    Duncan Dickson, associate professor at Rosen College of Hospitality Management

    ECONOMIC IMPACT:

  • What’s the potential economic impact of Irma?
  • How will big hurricanes impact business functions in Central Florida?
  • What kind of recovery cost are we talking about with Harvey?

    • Contact:

    Sean Snaith, director for the Institute for Economic Competitiveness, who is an economic forecaster. Snaith has served as a consultant for local governments and multinational corporations such as Compaq, Dell and IBM. Before joining UCF’s College of Business, he held teaching positions at Pennsylvania State University, American University in Cairo, the University of North Dakota and the University of the Pacific.

    HEALTH:

  • What health-related issues could these communities in hurricane paths face before, during and after the storm?

    • Contact:

    Dr. Marcia Katz, associate dean for clinical affairs and professor of medicine