EVANSTON, Ill. --- As Hurricane Lane pounds the Hawaiian Islands with heavy rain, concerns are rising about catastrophic flooding and the potential for mudslides, landslides and other severe weather-related issues. Northwestern University has several experts who can speak about the potential impacts of the hurricane on Hawaii.

James Hambleton is an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering in the McCormick School of Engineering. He is available to discuss aspects of mudslide prevention, prediction and the difficulty of identifying early warnings for such disasters. Hambleton can be reached at 847-660-4256 or [email protected].

Quote from Professor Hambleton

“Wherever there is topographic relief and heavy rainfall, there is a strong likelihood of landslides and debris flows, and regrettably we are seeing this play out with the hurricane passing over Hawaii.” 

Joseph L. Schofer is a leading academic specialist on transportation policy and host of “The Infrastructure Show” podcast. He can speak about management of disruptions caused by severe weather and infrastructure failures. Schofer is a professor of civil and environmental engineering in the McCormick School of Engineering and a transportation committee member for the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. He can be reached at 847-220-7925 or [email protected].