THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
3910 Keswick Rd., Suite N-2600
Baltimore, MD 21211
Phone: 443-997-9009 / Fax: 443-997-1006
August 30, 2017
CONTACT: Media representatives listed below
General contact: Dennis O’Shea
Office: 443-997-9912 / Cell: 410-499-7460
[email protected] / @JHUmediareps
Note: Information on broadcast-quality interviews with Johns Hopkins experts on Vyvx or ISDN can be found here.
MEDIA ADVISORY: More Hurricane Harvey Experts from Johns Hopkins University
Newswise — This is a third list of experts from the Johns Hopkins University on issues associated with the onslaught and aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. A combined list is online here. It will be updated as warranted.
ISSUE: Stormwater management
Ciaran Harman, Ph.D.
Professor, landscape hydrology, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Whiting School of Engineering
Harman is an expert in landscape hydrology, studying the movement of water through the landscape. (First name pronounced: KEER-in.) “The rainfall that has inundated Houston is unprecedented, and far above the design capacity of even very good stormwater systems. It is important to understand that, even if Houston had a world-class stormwater management system, it is unlikely to have prevented the flooding of homes and businesses built in floodways. The area is too flat and the soils too poorly drained, and there was just too much rain. Sustainable stormwater infrastructure is essential to ensuring cities can be resilient to the effects of large storms, but it is important to recognize that it has limits, and that there are some areas that will always be at risk of flooding.”
To reach Ciaran Harman, call his office phone, 410-516-7102, or email him at [email protected]. Alternate: contact Phil Sneiderman at 443-997-9907 or 443-226-0331 (cell) or email him at [email protected]
ISSUE: Urban food access after a disaster
Roni Neff, Ph.D.
Program director, Food Sustainability and Public Health, Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future; assistant professor, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health
“Disasters such as Hurricane Harvey create follow-on crises in food access, preventing food from getting to people and people from getting to places where food is available. They also lead to food safety threats, due to food spoilage and contaminated water supplies. While everyone is affected, those hardest hit include people with lower incomes, those living in areas with less food available, older adults, and those with medically necessary diets. A disaster like Harvey can have lasting impacts, as flood waters lead to blocked food distribution routes, harm to crops and livestock, food system workers who can’t get to work (including those who have evacuated from the area), and higher gas prices, which are entwined with food prices. Our recent report demonstrates a critical need to bring food experts and stakeholders into disaster preparedness and response efforts, and provides an example of the types of planning that are needed.”
To reach Roni Neff, contact Natalie Wood-Wright at 443-287-2771 or [email protected]
ISSUE: Post-disaster mass communications
Elizabeth Serlemitsos, MBA, MPH
Director of the Center for Communication Programs’ Breakthrough ACTION project and leader of CCP’s work in West Africa during and after the 2014 Ebola outbreak
“In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, good, accurate communication is one of the most effective tools we have to help. Many information needs are urgent: where to go for food, shelter and medical care. Using trusted sources of information and counteracting rumors and misinformation are also key.”
To reach Elizabeth Serlemitsos, contact Stephanie Desmon at 410-530-5876 or [email protected]
ISSUE: Training relief workers to be effective communicators
Elizabeth Serlemitsos, MBA, MPH
Director of the Center for Communication Programs’ Breakthrough ACTION project and leader of CCP’s work in West Africa during and after the 2014 Ebola outbreak
“Something that is often overlooked is that people also will likely need psychological and social support, which is not limited to where and how to access information and services. It also includes the need for improved interpersonal skills for crisis responders, to ensure that the words of responders help, and don’t hurt, people in a very stressful time. The damage from Hurricane Harvey will be with us for a long time, and communication has a critical role to play in the response to the ongoing crisis.”
To reach Elizabeth Serlemitsos, contact Stephanie Desmon at 410-530-5876 or [email protected]
ISSUE: Disaster nursing and public health preparedness
Tener Goodwin Veenema, PhD, MPH, MS, RN, FAAN Associate Professor, Department of Acute and Chronic Care, School of Nursing
Tener Goodwin Veenema is an internationally recognized expert in disaster nursing and public health emergency preparedness. She has served as senior consultant to the departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs, the Administration for Children and Families, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
To reach Tener Goodwin Veenema, contact Danielle Kress at 410-955-2840 ([email protected]) or Tammy Berwanger at 410-591-0759 ([email protected])
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