1994 and 1998 Albany Flood Effects on an HBCU Campus

Introduction

Disasters have co-existed with humanity and nature since the beginning of time. Despite this long history, the term disaster has had an indefinite and circumstantial definition in the relative studies conducted over the years. However, the most commonly accepted definition is that disasters are a single event or series of events that require external help to manage or resolve.

Another critical aspect of disasters — and perhaps the most important aftermath — is the rehabilitation that follows due to the displacement or destruction of property and human life. According to a study conducted by Norris and colleagues, Red Cross records show that outside of deaths reported from disasters, an average of 5 million people within the U.S. alone are rehabilitated annually (Norris et al., 2004).

There are categories of disasters that bring varying degrees of harm to the human race. One of the biggest concerns in the 21st century has been the growing imminence of heightened floods in coastal regions of the world, both in developed and underdeveloped nations. Floods not only lead to the destruction of property and life but also cause long-term problems for local and national governments, which must step up to provide victims with permanent relocated housing. One of the most prominent examples of such displacement is the 2005 Hurricane Katrina, which struck the U.S. Gulf Coast and left the government struggling to provide timely assistance (Appleseed, 2006). The displacement in Louisiana alone saw more than 250,000 people permanently leave the state in search of housing, as recorded in the Louisiana Health and Population Survey (Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, 2006). As noted by the U.S. Flood Control Corporation, "90% of flood damage in the United States, with totals of over $30 billion in damage, occurs in less than 1 meter of water."

Floods are considered the most destructive of all natural disasters — primarily because they are the most commonly occurring, cause the greatest number of deaths, and result in the most widespread damage (Miller, 1999). The city of Albany, Georgia, experienced two major floods, in 1994 and 1998. The floods resulted from Tropical Storm Alberto (TSA) in July 1994 and a regional storm in March 1998. According to Musser and Dyer (2005), the 1998 event is estimated to have a reoccurrence interval of seventy to ninety-five years, with a flow of eighty-six thousand cubic feet per second and a flood elevation of approximately 187 feet. This was considerably less severe than the July 1994 event, which had a flow of 120,000 cubic feet per second and an elevation of 193 feet.

The university at the center of this study was founded on the banks of the Flint River in 1903 by Dr. Joseph W. Holley. Dr. Holley purchased fifty acres of land on the east banks of the Flint River, situated in the middle of an agricultural transportation hub in Albany, Georgia, for less than $50.00 per acre. It remains a significant question why the institution was founded in a known flood-prone area continuously threatened by the rising waters of the Flint River.

Major disasters such as the floods of 1994 and 1998 follow unpredictable patterns and definitively affect people, ecosystem balance, and social and physical structures. Government bodies — including the Board of Regents — are greatly affected in their policy-making and regulatory decisions as they attempt to minimize the negative effects of flooding.

These disasters had a profound impact on society and the environment throughout the Flint River basin. During the 1994 flood, more than 75,000 residents had to be evacuated. In 1998, nearly 20,000 people were evacuated.

Natural disasters impact communities around the world. The major problem addressed in this study is the effects that the floods of 1994 and 1998 had on the university campus and on Albany, Georgia, as well as the responses that each flood event received. The question of what impact major disasters have on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) — especially given that HBCUs are typically more economically challenged than peer institutions — is worthy of serious investigation. Disaster response strategies must also be examined to determine the best path toward full recovery during and after a major disaster.

Both floods had a severe economic impact on the institution. Over 70% of the lower campus sustained major damage from the 1994 flood, and significant damage again in 1998. Since then, the campus has nearly tripled in size, student enrollment has more than doubled, faculty and staff numbers have doubled, and the institution's economic impact on the city has nearly tripled (Humphrey, 2007).

The two floods had a serious impact on the environment, health, and economy of the university and Dougherty County. Environmentally, economically, and culturally, these events offer opportunities to evaluate both the effects and the response efforts. Although the university is the primary research focus, Albany and the surrounding area also felt the effects of the 1994 and 1998 floods directly and through the collateral consequences of a major financial and social institution undergoing a difficult recovery. Everyone in the university–Albany community was affected in some way.

The responses developed in the wake of these disasters may serve as a prototype for future events. Response efforts can be divided into three main categories: immediate response, short-term aid, and long-term response planning. Long-term responses include the construction of levees, implementation of a floodplain analysis system, land use legislation to prevent improper development, and the creation of a flood tracking system as conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Short-term responses include the provision of alternative housing, consolidation of sustainability funds for affected individuals, and EPA safeguards for contaminated flood areas. Immediate responses include, but are not limited to, provision of basic needs, evacuation and resettlement, emergency aid, and the overall elimination of hazards through emergency mitigation efforts.

Statement of Problem

The purpose of this study is to examine the significance of the effects of the 1994 and 1998 floods on the university and Albany, Georgia, and to evaluate future disaster and flooding response plans being created and implemented in the area.

1. What were the effects of the 1994 and 1998 floods on the university and the Albany, Georgia, community?

2. What future disaster and flooding response plans are being created and implemented in the area?

With regard to the effects of the 1994 and 1998 floods, the hypotheses are as follows:

Research hypothesis: The effects exposed weak infrastructure and poor government planning and response.

Null hypothesis: The effects revealed a strong infrastructure and effective government planning and response.

With regard to future disaster and flooding response plans, the hypotheses are:

Research hypothesis: A comprehensive strategy is in place for future responses.

What Are Floods? Analysis of the Flint River Basin

Null hypothesis: A comprehensive strategy is not in place for future responses.

The dependent variable is the "strategic initiatives for flood protection" taken by the government. The independent variables are: (1) minimizing social and economic impact; (2) effective responses; and (3) protecting critical infrastructure.

This study carries significant value for university policymakers, as it thoroughly covers the concept of creating and maintaining an effective flood protection system and disaster recovery plan. The findings can expand knowledge about effective flood responses, provide valuable data for policymakers to make informed decisions and set higher standards where necessary, and contribute to the body of existing research on natural disaster response planning.

Floods are natural disasters that occur due to a rise in water levels that submerge land and disrupt normal human activities and operations (Schneid, 2007). Their severity is determined by water levels, the force of the water, and the materials the water carries along (Geological Abstracts, 2008). Floods are considered the most destructive of all natural disasters because they are also the most common.

The Coastal Plain region historically supported large expanses of pine forest. Constant environmental degradation through logging and the harvesting of other forest products has left the land exposed and highly prone to natural disasters and irregular weather patterns. Increased precipitation leads to storms that affect neighboring regions, including the Flint River basin, putting all communities in the area — including the university — at heightened risk.

The Flint River basin is clearly marked and demarcated by the government as river basin land, which is selectively offered for development. Before the 1994 flood disaster, land acquisition in the county was poorly controlled, leading to haphazard residential and infrastructural development within the Flint River floodplain (Leavesley, 2007). The university itself, founded in 1903 on the banks of a known flood hazard, is a prominent example of this pattern.

The primary attractive force for development was the low cost of land. Fifty acres — which later became the institution's campus — were purchased for less than $2,600. The result was rapid development of social amenities and residential structures on acquired floodplain land. Attempts to warn residents of the looming dangers of an imminent flood went largely unheeded until the 1998 flooding made the risks impossible to ignore (Coppola, 2007).