AIC's 46th Annual Meeting

During this day-long workshop, participants will learn about the damage caused by the hurricanes that have affected Galveston Island – from the storm of 1900 that fundamentally shaped the city to the most recent damage caused Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Rosenberg Library staff member Casey Edward Greene, author of “Through a Night of Horrors: Voices from the 1900 Galveston Storm,” will address how that historic storm changed the city of Galveston. FAIC’s National Heritage Responders will speak about their response efforts following Hurricane Ike in 2008. Team members responded to damage at the Rosenberg Library, Moody Mansion, the Lone Star Flight Museum, Open Gate, and sites managed by the Galveston History Foundation, including the Ashton Villa and the 1861 Custom House. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to tour some of these sites.
The workshop will provide an opportunity to evaluate how a city has historically responded to threats of natural disasters, look at the response and recovery efforts of FAIC’s National Heritage Responders as well as other efforts on Galveston Island following Hurricane Ike, and a review of preparedness measures put in place for Hurricane Harvey. In looking at the longer process of recovery and how it informs future preparedness, this workshop allows for a more thoughtful analysis of the success of the current response protocols, as well as the prioritization of tasks in during that extended period of recovery. As collecting institutions are encouraged to do what they can to mitigate risk, the long view of recovery can provide helpful clues for what actions will translate to successful mitigation strategies. Participants will not need a background in emergency protocols in order to benefit from this analysis of the recovery process and how it informs preparedness measures.
Transportation will be provided between the Marriot Marquis Houston and Galveston Island.