Please raise your hand if you remember where you were when two planes crashed into the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001. About probably 90% of you, you may lower your hands. Thank you.You may notice that I did not raise my hand. And no, not because I'm up here speaking, but because I was still in diapers. Yet, that event, which created so much loss and changed the fabric of our society forever, also marks the first major tragedy of my lifetime.Now, please raise your hand if you remember where you ...

were when two planes crashed into the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001. About probably 90% of you, you may lower your hands. Thank you.You may notice that I did not raise my hand. And no, not because I'm up here speaking, but because I was still in diapers. Yet that event which created so much loss and changed the fabric of our society forever also marks the first major tragedy of my lifetime.Now please raise your hand if you remember where you were when you discovered a gunman had killed 20 child ...

Hey, I asked him, "You want to unpack that? Put the clothes in your dresser so I can put the suitcase up in the closet with everybody else's." "No, I'm good," he said. He was 16. A year later, he was 17, and the case was still right there, unmoved."You want a hand unpacking that? I could help." I'm all right," he said as though I had asked him how he was feeling as opposed to asking him about his abandoned suitcase still by his door. At 18 years old, I thought I'd try one more time. It had been two full yea ...

Wildfire Risk & Santa Ana Winds - The industry highlights the destructive power of Santa Ana windstorms in driving wildfires, emphasizing their unmatched ability to instill fear and cause widespread damage [4] - The report underscores the lack of a standardized scale for measuring Santa Ana windstorms, unlike the scales used for hurricanes and earthquakes, hindering public understanding of the severity of these events [7][8] - The industry proposes the creation of a windstorm scale to better communicate the potential impact of these events to the general public and decision-makers [9] Windstorm Scale & Impact Assessment - The proposed windstorm scale includes a Class 5 event, characterized by 80 mph winds in suburban areas, intended to be as rare as a Category 5 hurricane [11][12] - The industry uses the windstorm scale to analyze past events, noting that the January 2025 windstorm, which caused significant damage, was barely a Class 4 event, highlighting the scale's ability to communicate the intensity of such events [12] - The industry emphasizes the importance of precise language in weather forecasting, noting that vague terms like "strong Santa Ana winds" are insufficient for conveying the true potential for destruction [14] Localized Wind Patterns & Vulnerability - Research indicates that certain neighborhoods are more vulnerable to wind events than others due to localized wind tunnels [21][22] - A map created in April 2024 accurately predicted the burn area of the Eaton fire, demonstrating the ability to identify areas at high risk based on wind patterns [23][24] - The industry suggests that understanding these localized wind patterns can help fire battalion chiefs and other officials make informed decisions about resource allocation and fire containment strategies [26]