Disciplines
Geographic Information Sciences
Abstract (300 words maximum)
On May 20th, 2013, the Newcastle-Moore tornado carved a 14-mile-long path of destruction through Oklahoma City, McClain, and Cleveland Counties. This event led to the deaths of 24 people, more than 200 injuries, and at least 2 billion dollars in damages. Tornadoes like the Newcastle-Moore are sporadic and technological advances have provided an extra layer of protection against them. However, researchers have found that one of the best methods for bolstering the safety of a community when facing such severe weather threats is developing a hazard mitigation plan. As such, the focus of this particular project was to identify the risks posed to Oklahoma City under tornadic conditions using ArcGIS software. The research takes place in three parts: A historical analysis to pinpoint the locations of previous hazardous events, a network analysis to create service areas for critical facilities, and a spatial analysis to identify which city zones would be impacted today if a tornado of the same size as the Newcastle-Moore tornado were to touch down within the city. The results showed tornadoes tend to occur closer to the center of Oklahoma City, potentially making inner-city emergency and infrastructure systems more vulnerable. The study also indicated that if a tornado like the Newcastle-Moore touch down near the center of Oklahoma City, most impacted areas would belong to single-family homes and residential facilities like schools. While this information provides valuable insight for short-term tornadic disaster preparations, future research is needed to explore specific potential damage costs and losses.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - Geography & Anthropology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Uli Ingram
Included in
Community Resilience: Conducting A Tornado Risk Assessment for Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
On May 20th, 2013, the Newcastle-Moore tornado carved a 14-mile-long path of destruction through Oklahoma City, McClain, and Cleveland Counties. This event led to the deaths of 24 people, more than 200 injuries, and at least 2 billion dollars in damages. Tornadoes like the Newcastle-Moore are sporadic and technological advances have provided an extra layer of protection against them. However, researchers have found that one of the best methods for bolstering the safety of a community when facing such severe weather threats is developing a hazard mitigation plan. As such, the focus of this particular project was to identify the risks posed to Oklahoma City under tornadic conditions using ArcGIS software. The research takes place in three parts: A historical analysis to pinpoint the locations of previous hazardous events, a network analysis to create service areas for critical facilities, and a spatial analysis to identify which city zones would be impacted today if a tornado of the same size as the Newcastle-Moore tornado were to touch down within the city. The results showed tornadoes tend to occur closer to the center of Oklahoma City, potentially making inner-city emergency and infrastructure systems more vulnerable. The study also indicated that if a tornado like the Newcastle-Moore touch down near the center of Oklahoma City, most impacted areas would belong to single-family homes and residential facilities like schools. While this information provides valuable insight for short-term tornadic disaster preparations, future research is needed to explore specific potential damage costs and losses.