Living in quake-prone California, Russ Altman (https://profiles.stanford.edu/russ-altman) is no stranger to the impending threat of natural disaster, but watching a devastating hurricane season in full force, he's wondered whether there’s anything society can do to better prepare for — or even lessen— the impact of severe storms.

Geophysicist and engineer Jenny Suckale (https://profiles.stanford.edu/jenny-suckale) says that, while there is much we do not know about the future, there are ways we can work with — and not against — nature to defend ourselves from disaster. All it takes, she says, is a better Plan B.