Hurricane Dorian wreaked havoc in the Bahamas, where it killed more than 40 people and destroyed thousands of homes and buildings. Then it hit North Carolina, where it stranded 800 people on Ocracoke Island because of storm surges that flooded roads, houses, and businesses. And a tornado spawned by Dorian on North Carolina’s coast leveled countless trailers and mobile homes that once dotted the beach town of Emerald Isle, making it uninhabitable for many longtime residents.
Stephen Flynn, who directs the Global Resilience Institute at Northeastern, says scientists, engineers, and city planners need to work together in order to prepare communities to withstand and recover from natural disasters of this magnitude. He discussed how the institute is helping cities, states, and Caribbean nations prepare for the next catastrophic storm.