May 4, 2021Ten years after the worst tornado outbreak in AL history, more must be done to strengthen our homesBy Brian Hastings and Roy Wright Ten years ago — on April 27, 2011 — Alabama suffered the largest and costliest tornado outbreak in state history. Of the 62 tornadoes that touched down in Alabama that day, eight were EF4s and three were EF5s, the most powerful possible rating. One…Resilience5 min readResilience5 min read
Nov 2, 2020A More Perfect UnionEvery Monday morning, I write to my team. As we take on election week, here’s what I’m saying… Good morning, team. (a 4-minute read) From a very young age, I’ve been enamored with politics. Not really the partisan kind, but the activities associated with governing a country. In my (nerdy)…Leadership3 min readLeadership3 min read
Oct 26, 2020This wildfire season is the worst in history. Here’s how to keep it that way.Two years ago, my parents were among the thousands of Californians who lost their homes to the Camp Fire that ravaged Paradise. I’ll never forget walking among the ashes and resolving to do everything I could to prevent future wildfire damage. I’ve spent much of my career talking to survivors…Resilience3 min readResilience3 min read
Oct 8, 2020Beacons of hope in the aftermath of Hurricane SallyAfter Hurricane Sally made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane in Baldwin County, Alabama, the post disaster scenes, in part, played out like so many other disasters. Communities and neighbors come together with incredible speed. But in the case of Sally, one thing is starkly different — embedded in these…Life4 min readLife4 min read
Jul 7, 2020When Extreme Weather and a Global Pandemic Collide: The Case for Building StrongerA destructive, deadly early spring storm hit Nashville just weeks before the country turned its attention to COVID-19. An active spring storm season across the southeast left homeowners picking up the pieces in Chattanooga, Tenn., Soso, Miss., Jonesboro, Ark. and too many other towns. Forecasts call for an above-average hurricane…Life3 min readLife3 min read
