Disasters as Turning Points

Residents survey the aftermath of Hurricane Maria on the island Dominica in September 2017. Source: Jean-Francois Manuel via Shutterstock.

Major disasters can be catalysts for change, prompting shifts in our worldviews and inspiring innovations in research, policy, and practice. The Natural Hazards Center’s Disasters as Turning Points webinar series explores events that have altered the trajectory of the hazards and disaster field through conversations with the people who studied or responded to them.

These free, one-hour panel sessions feature inspiring speakers who will revisit major disasters five, 10, 15, or 20 years later. Through retrospection, the series seeks to illuminate progress made, while calling attention to missed opportunities for change.

To learn more about this series and to receive alerts about future sessions, please subscribe to webinar updates through the Natural Hazards Center.

Webinar Series

The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

March 17, 2026, 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. MDT / March 18, 2026, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. JST

Moderator:
Shigeo Tatsuki, Doshisha University

Speakers:
Fuminori Kawami, Doshisha University
Kanako Iuchi, Tohoku University
Miwako Kitamura, Tohoku University
Taku Sugano, Osaka Metropolitan University
Tamiyo Kondo, Kobe University

The Joplin Tornado at 15

Tuesday, May 19, 2026, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. MDT

Speakers:
Coming soon!

25 Years Since 9/11

Tuesday, September 8, 2026, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. MDT