Welcome to Natural Disasters Expo Houston! For its fifth year, Natural Disasters Expo USA comes back to Houston on October 14–15, 2026, at the George R. Brown Convention Center. And there’s no better place for it. This city knows what it takes to prepare for disasters, respond, and rebuild afterward. For two days, industry leaders, government agencies, first responders, and resilience professionals will come together with one shared goal: helping communities’ weather the next storm stronger than the last. Explore new solutions and technology, learn from experts who have been on the front lines, and meet the partners who will help you turn preparedness into action. Whether you’re here to learn, share, or collaborate, you are part of the effort to build a more resilient nation.
In this speaker series, Tom Fox interviews Dr. Joseph Colaco on Reducing Hurricane Damage in Houston’s Expanding High-Rise Environment.
Dr. Colaco is a tenured University of Houston architecture professor and president of Dr. Colaco Engineers. He visits with Tom about his upcoming presentation on reducing hurricane damage in Houston’s growing high-rise environment. Dr. Colaco describes assessing building performance during Hurricane Alicia in 1983, including firsthand observations downtown, documentation of facade damage, and visits to the Galleria area and Galveston. He explains that Houston’s increased density and taller buildings create new wind-flow conditions, making some older wind tunnel results less applicable; he notes Houston began wind tunnel and window-wall facade testing in the 1970s to inform design and construction. Dr. Colaco values conferences for networking and for transferring lessons learned across generations, and cites Chicago’s periodic inspection requirements for tall buildings as a model for improving building safety and living conditions in Houston.
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