Hurricane Idalia shows importance of long-term planning, sustainable recovery, KU public affairs experts say

LAWRENCE — Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida on Wednesday, bringing violent winds and massive storm surges to the northern part of the state, and threatened parts of Georgia and South Carolina as well. As communities throughout the region are dealing with flooding and the storm’s effects, two University of Kansas researchers can comment on the storm, its aftermath and public response.

Ward Lyles

Lyles, associate professor of urban planning in KU’s School of Public Affairs & Administration, can discuss the hurricane, natural disasters, government planning for such storms, reducing long-term risks from natural hazards, climate change, what planners and governments can do in the wake of disasters and related topics.

Lyles has led several National Science Foundation-funded research projects on city and governmental planning and has published work on climate change, green energy, the role of compassion in public planning and the built environment. He teaches courses on sustainable land use, hazards and disasters, mitigation, adaptation and more and can comment on recent natural events like the Maui wildfires, the tropical storm in Southern California, heat waves in the Midwest and how climate change-fueled disasters are increasingly affecting everyone.

“The hard truth is that our society, including governments, businesses and individuals, have invested trillions of dollars placing homes, roads, schools and other things we care about in dangerous places. The challenge moving forward, especially in the face of climate change contributing to rapid intensification of storms, is to avoid doubling down on poor decisions from the past,” Lyles said. “The communities damaged by Hurricane Idalia will face hard choices about not rebuilding in hazard-prone areas, even as they face huge pressures to get back to normal as soon as possible.”

Christopher Koliba

Koliba, Edwin O. Steene Distinguished Professor of Public Affairs & Administration, can discuss flood planning, flood hazards and mitigation, government response to natural disasters, sustainable development, community resilience and related topics. He has conducted extensive research on critical infrastructure, including water quality, flood mitigation, public health and disaster response, among other topics.

In addition to the effects of Hurricane Idalia thus far, he can discuss how governments can both plan for natural disasters and catastrophic flooding, as well as what comes after such disasters, such as intergovernmental collaboration at state and federal levels.

“A federal disaster for the region had been declared even before landfall. It is worth noting that President Biden and Governor DeSantis, despite their political differences, can unite around addressing the critical response and recovery needs of the region — proving the enduring worth of coordinated government action both during times of crisis and ideally for all stretches in between,” Koliba said. “The small businesses impacted by the storm, on the whole, will have the hardest time recovering, as well as those vulnerable residents who were already struggling to make ends meet. The bigger picture here is that we need longer-term planning and action to move people and property out of harm’s way. Simply rebuilding after each disaster is just not going to be sustainable. Climate change is exacerbating extreme weather events. These disasters will continue to grow in number and severity, with no regions of the country or globe spared.”

To schedule an interview with Lyles or Koliba, contact Mike Krings at 785-864-8860 or mkrings@ku.edu.