Renaissance Computing Institute

Focus Areas Main

Biosciences & Medicine

Disaster & Environmental Research

Exploratory Technologies

HydroMet

LEAD

NCEMA Collaborative Workspace

High Performance Computing

Humanities, Arts & Social Science

Visualization & Collaborative Environments

Completed Projects

Disaster & Environmental Research Initiatives

Overview
Disasters – from hurricanes and floods in eastern North Carolina to landslides in the mountains to ice storms in the central Piedmont – are a prime example of a multifaceted issue that no single discipline can effectively address. And they are costly: Between 1980 and 2005, North Carolina suffered more than 20 weather-related disasters that caused at least 1$billion in damage, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s National Climate Data Center. It is one of four states, along with Florida, Georgia and Alabama, to endure more than 20 billion-dollar weather disasters during that time.

RENCI’s disaster and environmental research efforts bring together disparate technologies and communities to better comprehend the processes of our natural environment, including atmospheric and marine sciences, and address the challenges related to disaster: scientists who develop atmospheric hydrologic and storm surge models; agencies that put together evacuation plans; topographical and historic data; transportation models; wireless and sensor technologies and high-end computers that model scenarios in real-time.

Funding
State of North Carolina
Federal Emergency Management Agency

RENCI Team
Ken Galluppi, Disaster Research Projects Lead
Jessica Proud
Erik Scott
Mats Rynge
Mark Reed
Kevin Gamiel
Howard Lander
Dan Evans
Dan Bedard
Josh Coyle
Ray Idaszak
Jason Coposky
Warren Ginn
Scott Madry

Partners
North Carolina Division of Emergency Management
North Carolina Emergency Management Association
University of North Carolina Marine Sciences Institute
State Climate Office of North Carolina
National Weather Service