Brian Bledsoe, an academic and founding head of the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems within the College of Engineering, conversed with GPB regarding the increasing frequency of natural calamities in Georgia.

Bledsoe stated that Georgia requires a comprehensive state-level strategy to unify disaster response, which has, to date, been overseen by numerous agencies with varying levels of resource availability.

“The recent series of storms illustrates that we no longer inhabit a ‘one hazard’ environment,” Bledsoe noted. As flooding and extreme weather patterns grow more frequent in the South, he remarked that “spontaneous gestures of goodwill” will prove inadequate.

Several measures can be pursued to enhance the state’s infrastructure for disaster management.

“Many individuals discuss, ‘we need capacity,’” Bledsoe explained. “Then, it’s crucial to inquire, ‘what constitutes capacity?’ It encompasses numerous elements. It includes personnel capable of writing grants. … It comprises staff integrated across various sectors. Additionally, it requires a state-level strategic vision for resilience.”

The article Professor warns of more natural disasters in the state was originally featured on UGA Today.