From Forecast to Action: Closing the Gap in Extreme Event Response - Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate Spring Meeting 2026
Forecasts for weather and extreme events have improved dramatically, yet hundreds of lives are still being lost per year in the U.S. The gap between what we know and how people actually respond during events remains a highly consequential challenge at the intersection of science, technology, and public safety. The National Academies’ Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate is holding a virtual session that continues a series exploring a central question: How do we ensure that advances in forecasting extreme weather events translate into lives saved?
Building on prior Board meeting sessions examining resilience and lessons learned through case studies of extreme heat, flooding, and wildfires (May 2025), extreme event considerations in the insurance sector (November 2025), and a workshop on advancing risk communication for extreme events (February 2024), this session turns its focus to understanding successes and key challenges in the “critical mile” of the forecast-to-action chain. Discussions will explore how emergency managers, planners, first responders, and communicators translate forecasts into timely, effective action across a range of hazards—with particular attention to the behavioral and social dimensions of response: trust, relationship-building, and community preparedness.
As we move into a new season that often brings an increase in weather-related extreme events, join us for a discussion about emergency management, planning, first response, and communicating forecasts into timely, effective action across a range of hazards. There will be particular attention to the behavioral and social dimensions of response: trust, relationship-building, and community preparedness.
When:
Monday, June 1, 2026, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM (UTC-04:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Where:
Attend virtually:
You will receive the relevant link(s) to attend virtually via email.