The Science of Storm Recovery

The Science Panel for the Lessons Learned from Storm Response and Hurricane Recovery workshop brought Ralph E. Moon, PhD and Jeremy D. Beagle, CIH to center stage.

Ralph shared his wealth of knowledge in being called to projects for cause and origin. When he is conducting a claims inspection, he seeks to allow the conditions of the structure to speak for themselves.

Jeremy followed up with a practical discussion of some of the ways third-party consultants can miss the mark by not approaching the structure with a scientific process that leads them to make evidence-based conclusions. This process includes asking, “Why am I doing this?” as well as, “Is this accomplishing what it is intended?”
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Ralph and Jeremy worked together in a supervisory capacity. We sat together during one of the FOP (Friends of
G. Pete Consigli, CR, WLS) Dinners and I had the joy of hearing more about their mentorship relationship. Ralph discussed at the workshop, echoing what Joseph Lstiburek also shared during the Andrew Ask Building Science Symposium, that seasoned professional must do their part to pass the torch to the next generation. Ralph stated that this process is about empowering young professionals to learn to do things the right way as they gain knowledge and independence in their processes.