Living with Extreme Weather Workshop: Summary and Path Forward

The Symposium on Societal Applications has long recognized the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to studying extreme weather. In an effort to explore new research challenges and questions in the multifaceted area of extreme weather, and consider multiple methods and approaches in which they can be addressed, Living With Extreme Weather: A Workshop to Integrate Understanding and Improve Societal Response was held in May, 2015 in Norman, Oklahoma. The workshop, supported jointly by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Oklahoma, brought together researchers and practitioners from the social, behavioral, and economic sciences, as well as those from the physical sciences, engineering, technology and operational domains, to chart a bold and innovative course for addressing one of society's greatest challenges: Reducing mortality associated with extreme weather. This effort built upon and expanded the previous (and ongoing) work of the Weather and Society*Integrated Studies (WAS*IS) and NOAA's Weather Ready Nation programs. This paper will summarize the discussions resulting from the workshop, as well as research, collaborations, projects, and efforts to build infrastructure and facilitate the network and community around studying human and societal dimensions to living with extreme weather.