Response & Recovery Experts Take Center Stage at National Tornado Summit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 5, 2017

Response & Recovery Experts Take
Center Stage at National Tornado Summit

Event includes Disaster Symposium, Tour of Oklahoma City National Memorial

OKLAHOMA CITY – National experts in disaster response, insurance and meteorology will share critical information at the 2017 National Tornado Summit. The 6^th annual event will be held Feb. 14-15 in Oklahoma City.

“These speakers are so impressive,” said National Tornado Summit Committee Chair Kim Decker. “They’ll discuss new technologies, long-range tornado forecasts, the growing use of drones and new efforts to shrink tornado damage paths. The lessons they’ll share will help protect communities across the country.”

The National Tornado Summit gives attendees the knowledge they need to excel in their field. The conference is perfect for insurance producers, insurance adjusters, emergency managers and meteorologists. Insurance professionals who participate in approved sessions may receive 10 hours of continuing education credit if it is requested.

New this year, attendees can also choose to attend the Disaster Symposium. The preconference event on Feb. 13 focuses on response to earthquakes, wildfires and terrorist attacks. These optional sessions are for insurance professionals, emergency managers and first responders. The Symposium requires an additional fee and is only open to attendees of the National Tornado Summit.

“We’re extremely excited about the Disaster Symposium,” said Decker. “While the Summit focuses on high wind and hail events, we know our attendees deal with many other disasters as well. They’ve been asking us to branch out so we are pleased to offer these valuable sessions.”

Also new in 2017, attendees will have a chance to tour the Oklahoma City National Memorial and hear from Oklahoma Emergency Management Director Albert Ashwood and bombing survivor Terri Talley. Ashwood arrived on scene just 25 minutes after the 1995 explosion to search for victims, including his sister-in-law. Talley survived being buried in rubble. They’ll share remarkable stories of strength, courage and resilience.

For the fifth straight year, the Summit also includes the National Severe Weather Workshop. The sessions organized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) focus on the latest breakthroughs in tornado forecasting and how to best communicate the severe weather risks to the public.

The full agenda and registration information is available online at www.tornadosummit.org. For registration questions, call (405) 974-5306 or email ce@uco.edu. 

For media inquiries, contact Kelly Dexter at 405-522-0683; Kelly.Dexter@oid.ok.gov or Kesha Keith at 405-522-4066; Kesha.Keith@oid.ok.gov.

About the National Tornado Summit
The National Tornado Summit is hosted by the Oklahoma Insurance Department, University of Central Oklahoma, Oklahoma Emergency Management, NOAA National Weather Service and National Association of Insurance Commissioners. It serves as a national forum for experts to exchange ideas and recommend new policies to improve disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery in order to save lives and property.