Civil Engineer, Certified Consulting Meteorologist
Contact this Expert Witness
- Company: ICC Forensics
- Phone: 612-542-8210
- Website: iccforensics.com/
Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness
General Specialties:
Civil Engineering and MeteorologyKeywords/Search Terms:
Wind, Storm Damage, Tornado, Hail, Snow, Precipitation, Roof, Rebuttal, Hurricane, Thunderstorm, Wind Tunnel, Structural, Building Damage, Radar, Insurance, Forensic Engineering, Damage Analysis, Commercial, Residential, DisasterEducation:
BS Meteorology, Valparaiso University; MS Meteorology and Physical Oceanography, University of Miami; PhD Civil Engineering, Colorado State UniversityYears in Practice:
10Number of Times Deposed/Testified in Last 4 Yrs:
75Additional Information
Dr. Alfano has been performing forensic evaluations for over ten years starting with her doctoral research when she analyzed damage and researched mitigation techniques for wood-frame construction subjected to tornado loading. Upon graduation, she researched full-scale building performance under wind loads and wildfire/ember exposure in a large-scale wind tunnel. Over the last ten years, she has inspected and assessed damage to hundreds of properties including residential and commercial structures. Additionally, she has participated and collaborated in several large-scale post-disaster surveys for tornadoes and hurricanes as part of broader research initiatives. Dr. Alfano remains involved in research and code committees and is an associate member and secretary of the SEI/ASCE/AMS Wind Speed Estimation Standards Committee. This standard is in development as a joint collaboration between engineering and meteorology communities and will provide a consensus document on the estimation of wind speeds in tornadoes and other windstorms by direct measurements (in situ and radar) or by indirect techniques (the Enhanced Fujita Scale, tree fall, etc.). She has written and published many articles on tornadoes and resultant damage in peer-reviewed literature. Dr. Alfano frequently presents topics related to the intersection of meteorology and the built environment at regional, national, and international conferences. She is able to distill complex engineering and scientific principles to both technical and lay audiences. Dr. Alfano is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. However, she performs work across the country and is currently a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in ten states including North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and South Dakota. She also received the Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM) designation in 2021, making her the only person in the country who is a PE and CCM. The dual background allows her to offer expertise in both the fields of civil engineering and meteorology. She has provided expert testimony in depositions and trials on numerous occasions over the years.