After a wildfire, the impact on the geography of the burnt area undergoes changes due to not only the clearing of vegetation and structures, but also the change that happen due to the extreme heat. These impacts create conditions where debris flows can be especially intense in the months and years following the fire. In this episode, geologist Dr. Michael Lamb, who created and runs the Caltech Earth Surface Dynamics Laboratory, shares what to expect from potential debris flows based on the models he's created in his lab and what we know about the burn areas in Altadena, Malibu, and the Pacific Palisades.

In this episode, Dr. Jones shares insights on the California policy of “Zone Zero,” related to 5 feet of clearance around houses in high fire risk zones to protect them from future fire risk. She offers her interpretation of the science around this policy and what it means for Southern California.

In this episode, the podcast is joined by Dr. Keith Porter, a professor at the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, which is affiliated with Western University, London, Ontario. As an engineer, he shares his insight on what makes a home safe in the face of wildfire. For information on making a fire safe home from the ICLR, visit their Wildfire Resource Hub. 

In this episode, we're joined by Chief Steve Hawks, Senior Director of Wildfire for IBHS, to share what firesafe rebuilding looks like. During the conversation, he shares insights about the Wildfire Prepared Home program.

Welcome to a new season of Getting Though It: After the Fires where we'll be sharing insights on recovery and rebuilding with scientists and experts researching the best way to build resilience in the face of wildfires.

In this special guest episode of Getting Through It, Dr. Lucy Jones sits down with Emiliano Rodríguez Nuesch, a specialist in creative risk communication and the director of the risk communications agency Pacífico. In the wake of tropical storm Hilary in Los Angeles and reflecting on Emiliano’s hurricane preparedness work in the Caribbean, they discuss how to manage the risks we face as climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of hurricanes. They then highlight innovative approaches to effective risk communication as it relates to hurricanes. 

The devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Turkey on February 6, 2023 and its aftershocks have many people wondering if the same impacts and damage could happen in Southern California. In this episode, Dr. Jones lays out how to get from good codes to good buildings. She reminds us that buildings are only as good as the building code that was in place at the time it was constructed and the degree to which that code was enforced.

In this special guest episode of Getting Through It, Dr. Lucy Jones sits down with Keith Porter, chief engineer of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction and of the original ARkStorm scenario, to discuss the impact of the atmospheric river and subsequent flooding on the entire state of California in January 2023. They think back on what they modeled in the ARkStorm scenario and what it takes to go from where the damages are now to the worst phase as modeled in the scenario. Then, they talk through how to confront this extreme weather as an ongoing feature of weather in California. 

Whenever there is a big earthquake near the coast, people often worry about tsunamis and liquefaction. We know tsunamis happen when the shape of the sea floor changes and moves the water, but liquefaction is not quite as simple. In this episode, Dr Jones explains what liquefaction is, when it occurs, and how to know if you are at risk . 

Dr. Jones and John often discuss what it is that the listeners of this podcast can do to manage the risks you face. In this episode, they discuss what civic leaders can do to protect people with good policy. They review a new report released by the Dr. Jones Center with research from Dr. Keith Porter of the The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction and they look back on the impact of the ShakeOut Scenario with the City of Los Angeles.