Media Contact:
For help contacting the experts listed below, contact NC State News Services at 919/515-3470.

Aug. 29, 2005

NC State Experts Can Discuss Hurricane, Disaster Issues

Media looking for information on a variety of hurricane topics can contact the following North Carolina State University experts:

Care for Pets and Farm Animals During and After Disasters
Dr. Kelli Ferris, assistant professor of clinical sciences, has been instrumental is saving animals during natural disasters. She and her team—a 4th year student, a CVM shelter medicine intern, and area veterinarian technician are currently in Baton Rouge, La., helping care for animals stranded after Hurricane Katrina. Dr. Ferris directs the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Community-Campus Partnership, which provides a range of veterinary services to communities around the Research Triangle. Dr. Ferris is no stranger to disaster relief: Utilizing a mobile veterinary hospital, she cared for hundreds of animals in the aftermath of Hurricane Floyd in 1999. She can be reached at 919/513-3418.

Dr. Dianne Dunning is the director of NC State’s Animal Welfare, Ethics and Public Service Program. She is coordinating NC State’s Hurricane Katrina animal relief efforts; specifically, Dr. Dunning is supporting the companion animals that have been evacuated to the Raleigh shelter with their owners. She says those pets came to Raleigh in relatively good condition, though many were dehydrated. She can discuss these efforts and can talk about how to care for animals and animal survival during disasters. She can be reached at 919/513-6267.

Dr. Barrett Slenning, associate professor of ruminant health and production medicine, epidemiology and environmental health, is a part of the CVM Hurricane Katrina response effort and can speak to large-animal care and bio-security issues. He can be reached at 919/513-6324.

Physics of Hurricanes
NC State meteorologist and State Climatologist Dr. Sethu Raman has studied hurricanes for more than 20 years, and can discuss the structure of hurricanes, the paths they take and their interaction with the environment. Raman is compiling a history of storms in North Carolina, their tracking and rainfall distribution. He can be reached at 919/515-1440 or 515-3056.

Storm Surge and Flood Prediction
Coastal meteorologists and oceanographers Drs. Leonard Pietrafesa and Lian Xie (pronounced Leon Zhay) can discuss their research on hurricane formation. Specifically, they can talk about hurricane climatology and seasonal prediction; storm surge and coastal flooding forecasting; and ocean-hurricane interaction.

Xie is at 919/515-1435; Pietrafesa can be reached at 919/515-7777.

Hurricane Formation and Function
Meteorologist Dr. Al Riordan can discuss the ways hurricanes form and function. Riordan’s number is 919/515-7973.

Hurricane Numbers and Conditions
Associate State Climatologist Ryan Boyles is a weather and climate specialist who can explain why there have been so many hurricanes this year and discuss the conditions necessary to spawn them. He can be reached at 919/513-2816.

Evacuation Planning
Civil engineer Dr. Billy Williams can talk about his research on detailed analyses and modeling of traffic operations during evacuation situations, including lane-reversal plans. He can be reached at 919/515-7813.

Agricultural Effects
Crop scientist Dr. Jim Dunphy can discuss the effects high winds, heavy rainfall and prolonged flooding have on crops. He can be reached at 919/515-5813.

Water Quality
Dr. Greg Jennings is an expert in water quality. Jennings can discuss a hurricane’s effects on drinking water quality and on pollution from farms and urban runoff. He can be reached at 919/515-6771 or 919/218-0137.

Effects on Children and Parents
Dr. Karen DeBord can discuss the effects of disasters, like hurricanes, on children and parents, and how to help parents assist their children in preparing for and recovering from a disaster. She can be reached at 919/515-9147.

Home Cleanup and Restoration
Dr. Sarah Kirby can talk about a variety of topics on storm damage to homes, including furniture cleaning, minor structural repairs, and moisture on wood or wood products. She can be reached at 919/515-9154.

Food Safety
Dr. Angela Fraser can discuss home food preservation and other food safety issues. She can be reached at 919/515-9150.

Effect on Trees and Timber Resources
Forestry and Environmental Resources extension specialist Dr. Robert Bardon, can discuss the economic damage to the timber industry and how any salvage operations might be conducted. Rick Hamilton, extension leader, can talk about how damage to stands of trees is assessed. Bardon can be reached at 919/515-5575, and Hamilton can be reached at 919/515-5574.

Impact on Local Wildlife
Dr. Chris Moorman and Dr. Chris DePerno, assistant professors of forestry and environmental resources, are experts in wildlife and fisheries, and can discuss the hurricane’s impact on wild animals. Moorman is at 919/515-5578, and DePerno is at 919/513-7559.

Environmental Concerns
Environmental technologist Dr. Elizabeth Nichols studies the movement of pollutants move through the ecosystem. She can discuss ways for dealing with the pollution resulting from a hurricane, and how long environmental recovery may take. Nichols can be reached at 919/513-4832.

Plant pathologist Dr. Robert Bruck can explain the effects of the hurricane on forests and plant life, and the types of plant diseases that may occur after a hurricane causes changes to their environment. Bruck can be reached at 919/515-2086.

Tourism Impacts
Dr. Larry Gustke, a professor of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management, can discuss the hurricane’s long-range impact on tourism. He can be reached at 919/515-3276.

On the Web
A State Climate Office Web site with real-time access to weather information collected from nearly 250 stations around the state and bordering regions can be accessed at www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu/cronos.

A list of N.C. Cooperative Extension personnel with expertise in disaster-related issues can be accessed at www.cals.ncsu.edu:8050/agcomm/writing/disaster/.

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