Federal Emergency Response and Operations Support Chief Meteorologist Sunny Wescott

Ms. Wescott will speak on extreme weather trends from an upper-level atmospherics view down to the regional impacts and implications for the healthcare sector and the critical infrastructure required to operate it. Topics will include barometric pumping, extreme heat and stormwater risks due to amplified rainfall rates, flash drought and subsequent wildfire triggers from water cycle changes, and cascading failures from the various hazards underway such as increasing lightning strikes. As weather hazards continue to worsen damages to key systems, attendees will learn how changes in longevity, intensity, and seasonality will present unique challenges requiring innovative solutions.

Chief Meteorologist Sunny Wescott specializes in extreme weather events impacting emergency response, supply chain, and critical infrastructure. During her time in the US Air Force as a Lead Meteorologist, Ms. Wescott trained on continental and oceanic weather as the Top Forecaster for her support region and is considered a subject matter expert for multiple climatological events such as drought, subsidence, wildfires, tropical cyclones, and winter storms. Ms. Wescott also graduated top of her class for her degrees in Homeland Security Management, Public Safety Administration, and Atmospheric Sciences. Ms. Wescott focuses on operational forecasting by providing focused impact reports for regions, sites, security, and key interdependencies such as energy and telecommunications before, during, and after disasters.