6 weeks, 15 institutions, 4 international partners, and as many hailstorms as possible- that's the mission of the In-situ Collaborative Experiment for the Collection of Hail In the Plains (ICECHIP). In this episode of Disaster Discussions we hear from some of the scientists involved in the historic project as it kicks off in Boulder, Colorado.

In this episode of Disaster Discussions Research Project Scientist Jake Sorber joins the podcast for a discussion on why hail is an extreme loss driver across the United States, and the reasons behind why that trend is growing. Plus, an in-depth conversation about lessons learned from a case study of significant hail that fell in Rock Hill, SC and a look ahead to what IBHS scientists are aiming to learn during ICECHIP- the largest scientific field campaign in history devoted to studying hail.

This Disaster Discussions episode highlights the development of the new Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood technical standard- the first and only science-based standard that aims to meaningfully reduce the probability of a built-environment conflagration in the neighborhoods where it is applied. Guests on this episode are Dr. Ian Giammanco, IBHS Managing Director of Standards and Data Analytics and Lead Research Meteorologist and Evan Sluder, Research Project Engineer.

The conversation includes an explanation of the science behind the standard's four core principles and details how the standard can be applied in both new-build and retrofit scenarios. The episode also covers how the standard can be used in a post-wildfire setting to analyze a neighborhood's risk factors for conflagration. Plus, a discussion on the first project putting the standard into operation in Escondido, CA and how the science could be used to rebuild more resiliently in LA county.