Introduction
New Light Technologies team member, Douglas Rose, recently attended the annual Earthquake Summit, a premier event that brings together hundreds of professionals to explore the latest insights on earthquake risks, preparedness strategies, and recovery planning in the Midwest. Featuring expert-led sessions on best practices in earthquake response, transportation resilience, healthcare readiness, communication strategies, and utility impacts, the summit provided invaluable knowledge for communities and organizations striving to enhance their disaster preparedness. With a diverse lineup of speakers and sessions, this free event also offered professional development opportunities, reinforcing its role as a crucial gathering for those dedicated to seismic resilience.
Event Overview & Key Takeaways
The Earthquake Summit provided critical insights into the risks posed by the New Madrid Seismic Zone and strategies for preparedness, response, and recovery. A historical perspective on the 1811-12 earthquakes highlighted the immense potential impact of a major seismic event in the Midwest. Sessions covered a wide range of essential topics, including post-earthquake sheltering for vulnerable populations, the structural risks to mines and caves, and transportation lessons learned from recent disasters. Experts also unveiled new data on regional earthquake impacts, offering a clearer picture of potential damage to infrastructure and public services. Discussions emphasized the importance of mass care planning, insurance mitigation strategies, and resilient communication methods like PACE planning and ham radio in disaster scenarios. The event concluded with a preview of an upcoming mass fatality exercise, underscoring the need for coordinated response efforts.
The overarching message of the Earthquake Summit was clear: be prepared. Experts stressed that while we cannot prevent earthquakes, proactive planning can significantly reduce their impact. From reinforcing infrastructure and securing insurance to establishing emergency communication plans and ensuring communities have access to essential resources, preparation is key to resilience. By taking steps now, individuals, businesses, and local governments can improve their ability to respond effectively and recover more quickly when the next major quake strikes.
Looking Ahead
NLT has been at the forefront of earthquake risk modeling for over a decade. NLT has been a pioneer in developing and operationalizing predictive and real-time earthquake damage solutions for FEMA and is currently launching a new web-based platform for assessing seismic risk and improving resiliency for U.S. defense facilities worldwide. Additionally, NLT’s IMPACT platform is a powerful tool that can significantly enhance earthquake response and recovery efforts. By providing real-time data integration, mapping, and advanced analytics, IMPACT enables emergency managers, first responders, and decision-makers to assess damage, coordinate resources, and streamline response efforts more effectively. Its capabilities in situational awareness, risk assessment, and logistics planning make it an invaluable asset for earthquake preparedness and disaster response. As highlighted throughout the Earthquake Summit, having the right tools in place before disaster strikes is crucial, and IMPACT offers the data-driven solutions needed to build resilience and improve outcomes when facing seismic events..
About New Light Technologies (NLT)
NLT is a leading provider of integrated science, technology, and mission services with over 20 years of experience serving government and commercial organizations. Offering renowned expertise in cloud, agile software development, cybersecurity, data science, geospatial, and remote sensing, NLT provides comprehensive consulting, research, digital transformation services, and fit-for-purpose analytics solutions for various industries, from emergency management to economics to health. NLT offers distinctive capabilities in delivering secure cloud-native platforms and web-based decision support tools and has pioneered predictive disaster risk analytics in support of homeland security missions. To learn more, visit www.NewLightTechnologies.com.
