by: Kara Dixon

Posted: May 20, 2021 / 07:51 PM EDT / Updated: May 20, 2021 / 10:59 PM EDT

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY)- The Hampton Roads Community Foundation and Old Dominion University are partnering up to educate the community before hurricane season kicks off.

On Tuesday, May 25 at 6 p.m., the live online event, “Hurricanes: Before and After the Storm,” will discuss what residents can do to prepare pre-storm, as well as in the storm’s aftermath.

“It’s really the long view or preparing for a hurricane because we have not had a major hurricane hit us directly,” said Dr. Linda Rice, who is the foundation’s vice president for grantmaking. “I think we’re a little complacent about the realities that evolve from the realities of a hurricane.”

Rice says she works with a number of community foundations nationwide that are also located in coastal communities. They always stress the importance of being prepared to her.

“They’ve been through Harvey. They’ve been through Katrina. They keep reminding me like Joshua Behr at ODU, it’s not if it’s when,” she said. “The more prepared we are, the more we understand what it takes to be prepared, not your bag to evacuate, not knowing your route but that is extremely important. There are things to prepare our houses and to understand the complexity of recovery. It’s critically important to learn those things.”

During the event, ODU will also discuss the new technology they’re working on to respond to hurricane recovery faster.

In 2020, the foundation awarded the ODU Education Foundation $500,000 for researchers at the Virginia Modeling, Analysis, and Simulation Center. That grant went toward establishing Recover Hampton Roads, which is developing a first-of-its-kind management platform to help with emergency response and recovery efforts.

The event will be moderated by Dr. Jessica Whitehead.

It starts at 6 p.m. It is free but you must register to attend.