EBC Connecticut Chapter Program:
Extreme Weather & Climate Change – Recovering from the Past and Preparing for the
Future
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Northeast Utilities
107 Selden Street
Berlin, Connecticut
Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New Jersey on October 29th, 2012. While the storm
caused devastating damage in New York and New Jersey, due to its size, Sandy is the
largest hurricane to make landfall along the U.S. Atlantic coast, significant impacts were felt
as far north as Connecticut and Rhode Island. Widespread power outages, coastal flooding,
and sewage overflows caused an estimated $360 million in damage to the State of
Connecticut.
Recent events such as Hurricane Sandy highlight the need for including climate change
adaptation when recovering from and planning for extreme weather events. As sea levels
rise, even relatively minor storms may cause significant damages as higher sea levels allow
storm surge and waves to propagate further inland. In addition to predicted sea level rise, the
IPCC predicts an increase in hurricane intensity under 21st century warming scenarios, and
thus an increase in the frequency of the most intense storms.
The first annual EBC Connecticut Chapter program on extreme weather and climate change
will provide overviews of recovery and resiliency efforts from local, state, and federal officials.
The utilities sector will address their response to recent extreme weather. A local consultant
will describe the success of a dune restoration project in mitigating damages during Sandy.
DRAFT AGENDA
7:30 a.m.
Registration and Networking, Breakfast
8:00 a.m.
Welcome, John Figurelli, Chair, EBC Connecticut Chapter
Team Leader, Weston & Sampson
Introduction, Kelly Knee, Program Chair
Manager – Coastal Hazards, RPS ASA
8:15 a.m.
Hurricane Sandy: Recovery and Opportunities for Building Resilience
 Impacts, Costs and Regulatory Changes in CT: Bruce Hydo, University of
Connecticut/CLEAR

Federal Funding Opportunities: Representative from USACE or HUD

Overview of Statewide Efforts: George Bradner, State Department of
Insurance and Co-Chair of the FEMA Long Term Recovery Efforts in
Connecticut

Impacts and Opportunities at the Local Level: Denise Savageau,
Conservation Director for Town of Greenwich and Co-Chair of the Statewide
Infrastructure Adaptation Committee
10:15 a.m.
Networking Break
10:45 a.m.
Building Resilient Shorelines:
Success Story - Rocky Neck State Park Dune Reconstruction
11:15 a.m.
Panel Discussion
12:00 p.m.
Adjourn
PROGRAM CHAIR
Kelly Knee, Manager – Coastal Hazards
RPS ASA
55 Village Square Drive, South Kingstown, RI 02879
(401) 789-6224 // kknee@rpsasa.com
Ms. Knee is a water resources engineer and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) specialist with
RPS ASA. Since joining RPS ASA in 2004, she has conducted sea level rise and storm surge impact
assessments for many locations around the world to support both education initiatives and
engineering analyses. Her interactive, 3-D simulations of sea level rise are currently on display at the
Wood’s Hole Oceanographic Institute, SciWorks North Carolina, and the See Science Center in New
Hampshire. Her 3D visualization of inundation at critical facilities in Hull, MA helped gain support for
an increase in freeboard requirements. Ms. Knee has performed a series of coastal risk assessments
for coastal industrial facilities and is currently in the process of evaluating the potential benefits of
using natural systems to mitigate storm surge impacts. Prior to joining RPS ASA in 2004, she
conducted an economic assessment of the impacts of sea level rise and storm surge flooding in metro
Boston and used a Fulbright Fellowship to study the impacts of sea level rise and storm surge
flooding in the country of Mauritius.
SPEAKERS
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Upcoming EBC Programs
April 26: The “State of Social” Media in the Environmental Sector
May 1: Climate Change Program, Implementation of the Global Warming Solutions Act
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