Silence is never neutral. When official information lags during an emergency, something rushes in to fill the void, and it is rarely anything an agency would have chosen.

In this DisasterSmiths episode, our guests, Nancy Leuenhagen, Communications Director for Washoe County, Nevada, and Stephanie Tennyson, Chief Communications Director at IEM, make the case that the most consequential communications work happens on blue sky days. Blue sky time is construction time, when relationships get built, andagencies earn the right to be believed. Together with our hosts, they explore how agencies build credibility before an emergency ever occurs, why consistent communication matters when there is no immediate threat, and how to makepreparedness resonate with people who assume disaster will never reach them.They also examine common pitfalls in preparedness messaging, the challenge of competing voices, and practical ways to adapt when misinformation spreads faster than facts.

Whether you lead a communications shop or wear every hat in a one-person office, you will come away with ideas for building credibility, countering misinformation, and reaching the people who need your message most.

In this episode of DisasterSmiths, we explore one of the most significant changes to disaster recovery policy in decades. The newly enacted 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act establishes a more predictable framework for Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding, with the goal of accelerating recovery, reducing administrative burdens, and helping communities rebuild faster after major disasters. Joining our hosts is Marion McFadden, IEM Vice President of Disaster Recovery and former HUD Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning andDevelopment, to discuss what this landmark legislation means for state, local, tribal, and territorial governments.

Together, we unpack the authorization of CDBG-DR, new expectations for planning and accountability, and the steps communities can take today to be better prepared for tomorrow’s disasters. Whether you’re responsible for housing, recovery, resilience, or grants management, this conversation offers critical insights into how the new lawcould reshape long-term disaster recovery nationwide.

When disaster strikes, recovery is not just about roads, bridges, and programs. It is about people. In this episode of DisasterSmiths, Chris and Diana explore the evolving role of disaster case management and why local relationships, community-based organizations, social services, nonprofits,faith-based partners, and long-term recovery groups are essential to helping survivors move from crisis to stability.

With humor, candor, and decades of recovery experience, they unpack how communities can prepare before the next disaster, build coalitions that are ready to act, and meet survivors where they are before unmet needs become long-term setbacks. From the power of local trust to the need for more recovery exercises, this conversation makes the case for disaster case management as one of recovery’s most human and impactful tools.

This episode of DisasterSmiths spotlights how resilience is built long before disaster strikes. Featuring Elizabeth Sanchey, Emergency Environmental Management Director for the Yakama Nation, and Yolanda Jackson, IEM’s Manager of Mitigation and Resilience Program, the conversation explores how FEMA’s BRIC program supported proactive wildfire mitigation efforts that helped protect homes, infrastructure, and culturally significant resources during the Slide Ranch Fire.

When disaster strikes, one federal program stands between a community and collapse — yet most leaders don't fully understand it until they desperately need it. FEMA's Public Assistance program moves billions of dollars into shatteredcommunities, but its rules, tradeoffs, and limitations can make or break a recovery. In this episode of DisasterSmiths®, two of the most experienced voices in the field pull back the curtain on how the program works and why the gap between policy and reality matters more than most people realize.

This is a rare, unfiltered conversation that goes far beyond the basics. From the impossible tension between speed and accountability, to the extraordinary challenge of applying an infrastructure-built program to a global pandemic, our guests don't shy away from the hard questions. They distinguish the fair criticisms of FEMA Public Assistance from the myths and offer the kind of high-level strategic perspective that state and local leaders rarely get to hear. If your jurisdiction has ever struggled to navigate federal recovery dollars, this episode will inform how you approach the process. 

Featured Guests

Tod Wells, Former Deputy Director, Public Assistance Division, FEMA

Howard Stronach, Senior Advisor, Recovery, IEM

You sent the alert. You issued the order. You did everything right. So why didn’t they leave?

In this episode of DisasterSmiths™, a local emergency manager and a resiliency officer get honest about one of the hardest problems in emergency management: the gap between the message that goes out and the decision that gets made.

They break down why fear-based messaging often backfires,how trust built on blue-sky days determines who listens when it matters most, and why the most effective evacuation order sometimes comes from the most unexpected voice. It’s a conversation about communication, community, and thedeeply human reasons people make the choices they do under pressure. Because closing that gap doesn’t start in the EOC. It starts long before the storm.

When a severe storm tears through a mountain community in Tennessee, the real work begins the moment the rain stops. In this episode of DisasterSmiths, we sit down with a mayor who experienced recovery firsthand, from the coordination, the critical decisions, and what it takes to move a community from disaster declaration to meaningful progress through FEMA’s Public Assistance program.

He’s joined by IEM subject matter experts and former FEMA officials who examine what it takes to translate federal guidance into practical results at the local level. Our guests break down how disaster funding flows, why documentation and communication are essential at every stage, and what local leaders can do to position their communities for the strongest possible recovery. This is a candid, informed conversation about what Public Assistance looks like when it’s working and what it takes to get there. 

The award letter arrives. The headlines hit. The community exhales. Your agency has been allocated CDBG-DR funds. Now what?
In this boots-on-the-ground episode, we sit down with Chuck Lane, Director of Disaster Recovery Resources for Pasco County, Florida, recently awarded its CDBG-DR allocation, alongside IEM leader and subject matter expert Tim Lagudi. Together, they unpack what happens after the celebration fades: navigating public outreach, untangling the regulatory maze, managing expectations, and building compliant programs that serve real people in real time. They also share how strategic planning, data analysis, partnerships, and capacity building before the award became the blueprint for success after the award.
Because the myth is that funding solves the problem. The truth? Funding exposes your readiness. If your community has received—or hopes to receive—CDBG-DR dollars, this conversation is your roadmap for what comes next. Less theory. More reality. Fewer assumptions. More strategy. The money is just the beginning.

As Season 2 of the DisasterSmiths™ comes to a close, we sit down with IEM leadership to reflect on a defining year for emergency management. In 2025, shifting federal priorities, expanding responsibilities, heightened accountability, and accelerated expectations tested the sector at every level – federal, state, local, and territorial – forcing the profession to adapt while continuing to deliver results amid the demands of disaster recovery.

Looking ahead to 2026, our conversation turns to the future. IEM leaders share how emergency management is evolving and where the focus must be next: integration, implementation, stabilization, and optimization. This season finale offers a clear-eyed look at where the profession has been and what it will take to meet the moment ahead.

As a pre–New Year’s gift to our DisasterSmiths listeners—and as fans of Netflix’s Stranger Things ourselves—we’re heading straight into the Upside Down to tackle a question no one in Hawkins seems to ask: who would run their Incident Command? (Spoiler warning: we assume you’ve made it past Season 1.)
In this special episode, we put a fun (and slightly chaotic) spin on real Incident Command System (ICS) principles, blending our love of the show with our emergency management instincts as we assign Stranger Things characters to key ICS roles. From Chief Hopper in Command, to Joyce leading Safety, Dustin in Logistics, and maybe even Eleven as a very unconventional tactical resource, we build out a Hawkins ICS capable of managing interdimensional threats, missing persons, government secrecy, and one very persistent gate to the Upside Down.
Because when strange lights appear, communications fail, federal agencies show up uninvited, and monsters start roaming Main Street, someone still must establish command, set objectives, and keep the incident from spiraling completely out of control.
Consider this another end-of-year thank-you for listening, and a little professional fun from fellow ST fans. Light spoilers ahead—nothing from the Upside Down you can’t handle.