Tornado Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Planning in Texas

Introduction

Natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and volcanic activity cause extensive loss of life and property. They can impact the economy and the prosperity of a region tremendously. In recent times, the extent of damage from natural disasters was made evident when Hurricanes Wilma, Katrina, and Emily struck the United States in 2005.

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) makes provisions for federal funds to be provided on a high-priority basis to help mitigate hazards at local levels. In addition, the Act calls for the identification and assessment of natural disasters that can disrupt the normal functioning of governments and communities, and adversely affect individuals and families with great severity. The Act defines an "Emergency" as any occasion or instance for which, in the determination of the President, federal assistance is needed to supplement state and local efforts and capabilities to save lives, to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in any part of the United States (FEMA.gov, 2003).

Many states have been working toward defining and creating an emergency plan for disaster preparedness, warning, and relief. The Governor of each state can recommend to the President those local governments in the state that may need to establish an emergency plan for disaster relief. The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 mandated that each state's Governor appoint a State Emergency Response Commission (SERC). Key factors that states must include in their plans are the methods they will use to prepare for a disaster. This includes the type of public alarm and warning systems that a state might use. The use of modern technology and expertise to help identify and evaluate conditions most conducive to a natural disaster — such as a tornado or hurricane — is important. Expert manpower and infrastructure are also required to provide necessary warnings with sufficient lead times to enable evacuation from the region. The best option available in these situations is to train and educate people about the disaster (USGS.gov, 2001).

This study offers a clear and concise overview of the problem as it exists and the options available to governments and communities to manage and prevent disasters wherever possible. It is practically impossible to comprehensively evaluate and eliminate many types of disaster, especially natural ones. Developing advance-warning systems, however, can at the least prevent extensive loss of life, and in some cases precautionary measures can be undertaken to prevent damage to property.

Tornado Trend Analysis in Texas

Tornadoes are an unfortunate fact of life in the Midwest. Commonly referred to as Tornado Alley, this region extends from northern Texas to South Dakota, and every part of it has been affected at some point by a violent tornado. This paper studies the effect of tornadoes on Texas and the disaster-preparedness methods that the Texas government has undertaken to reduce damage to life and property.

Texas experiences its tornado season between March and May, and the threat of tornadoes never completely disappears during the rest of the year. Tornadoes are generally a part of severe thunderstorms. "Thunderstorms develop in warm, moist air in advance of eastward-moving cold fronts. These thunderstorms often produce large hail, strong winds, and tornadoes. In the Texas panhandle, thunderstorms frequently form as air near the ground flows 'upslope' toward higher terrain" (NOAA, Tornadoes, 2007). Tornadoes are more commonplace in Texas than in any other state in the U.S.

Scientists note that a change in wind direction and an increase in wind speed create a horizontal spinning of air in the lower atmosphere. An updraft gradually shifts this horizontal spinning into a vertical spinning motion. Tornadoes generally tend to move from southwest to northeast, but they can change direction at any time based on wind speed and direction. While flying debris is the most significant danger in a tornado, other equally deadly conditions exist. Lightning strikes, flash floods, hail, and high winds can be very destructive and can easily occur simultaneously alongside a tornado. Tornadoes move at speeds between 10 and 20 miles per hour, though they can travel faster at times; they rarely cover more than six miles of ground (National Geographic, 2007).

While tornadoes generally occur on plains, they are not restricted to those regions and can occur even in mountainous areas. In 1980, a tornado swept through Yellowstone National Park, leaving a wave of destruction in its path. The United States is the most tornado-active country in the world, experiencing an average of approximately 1,000 tornado touchdowns per year. The central United States allows cold, dry, polar air from Canada to meet warm, moist, tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico during spring and summer, creating a highly unstable air mass. Tornadoes form at the front where these two air masses meet. While tornadoes are generally caused by severe thunderstorms, they can also result from hurricanes in which the air mass is already spinning or rotating. Tornadoes generally occur during afternoon and evening hours, with minimum frequency around dawn (NOAA, 2006). May is recorded as the most active month for tornado activity in the U.S. NOAA also identifies Texas as the state that sees the highest number of tornadoes in any given year (NOAA, 2006).

Theodore Fujita ranked tornadoes based on the damage they inflict along their path. Referred to as the Fujita scale, or F-scale, it ranks tornadoes from F0 to a theoretical F6. There are significant concerns about this scale: it measures only the destruction caused, not wind speed directly. Therefore, a very strong and intense tornado could travel over open farmland and be classified as F0, while a relatively modest tornado causing heavy destruction in a densely populated area could be rated F5. Approximate wind speeds stated within the F-scale are generally estimates; in reality, the speed has never been precisely measured (NOAA, Fujita Tornado Damage Scale, 2007).

Scientists speculate that wind speed can differ significantly at different heights within the funnel, creating varying damage patterns along the tornado's path. There can be very small, intense single-vortex tornadoes that inflict significant damage, or there can be multi-vortex tornadoes that distribute the force of spinning air over larger distances. Ordinary, everyday objects can become dangerous projectiles when airborne and may be carried over very long distances due to significant wind speeds and the spinning motion of the funnel cloud. Cars, trains, and even bridges can be carried off by a tornado's winds. Poor information and faulty precautions can often cause more harm than good. On average, tornadoes kill about 60 people per year — most from flying or falling debris.

Humans have learned to live with disasters and have become skilled at understanding the risks and shortcomings of different situations. "New risks worry us more than old ones," and people are more adept at living with familiar, well-known risks compared to new ones (Achenbach, 2004).

Fatalities, Injuries, and Emergency Planning

A plan for rendering aid before, during, and after a disaster is essential. Disaster relief agencies should provide accurate information to the public, as incorrect information may cause panic and be unhelpful when a disaster actually occurs. Safe structures such as churches, schools, and public buildings should be accessible in cases of emergency. The public should also be informed about the dangers of using bridges, tunnels, and ferry services during a disaster.

Unlike hurricanes, tornadoes do not allow for long warning times, and scientists and meteorologists can only offer best-guess estimates of potential dangers based on observed air mass behavior. The very uncertainty surrounding tornado development makes them difficult to predict and pinpoint. Emergency planning personnel should have the expertise to model and simulate disasters using computer software to determine the effectiveness of their plans. Many modern software packages are used in conjunction with one another to determine the validity and effectiveness of a plan, and all variables and parameters must be evaluated to determine their direct and indirect impact.

A clear chain of command and defined information-flow channels should also be established. A decentralized control structure helps ensure that if the disaster directly affects one area, sufficient redundancy is built into the plan. There should be more than one command center, preferably located at different points within the city or county, all linked to the main center via television, radio, and satellite. Each center should have a personnel leader, and second- and third-in-command personnel should also be designated in case the primary decision-maker is incapacitated.

People react differently when faced with disaster. Some may follow the disaster response plan without issue; others may forget key instructions and act independently. The most dangerous situations arise when individuals freeze and fail to act when disaster strikes. Response before, during, and after a disaster can be the difference between life and death (Bridegan et al., 1997). Failure to heed a tornado warning while in an open space can be disastrous, as no plan can help someone who refuses to follow instructions. Risk-takers and adventurers — tornado chasers, for example — can be at high risk due to their fascination with the phenomenon.

Efficient and reliable plans for rescue and relief operations must be in place. In reality, most rescue and relief efforts are implemented after the occurrence of a disaster. Due to high levels of emotional and mental trauma at such times, plans and rescue efforts may not always be optimally executed. Foresight and the use of empirical, real-world data are essential for developing a sound plan. It is conceptually very difficult to identify all the different scenarios that can result from any single catastrophic event. While planning is important, it is essential to recognize that a plan serves as a road map only, and people will ultimately have to use their judgment and instincts to protect themselves and their loved ones in an emergency.

Researchers in disaster prevention and planning focus their efforts on the disasters most likely to occur in the future. It is practically impossible to plan for every disaster and eventuality, as the cost of planning and implementation can be prohibitive. Even within a single natural disaster, a chain of related secondary disasters may occur for which the original plans prove ineffective.

Communication is critical to saving lives during disasters. A number of research and development programs have focused on isolating and predicting disasters. The ability to save lives depends on how quickly and effectively warnings are transmitted to the general public. A good and efficient support system is required to transmit and record information in a manner that can be easily retrieved and documented for future use. Giving people enough time to find shelter can be the difference between life and death in the case of a tornado, and post-disaster evaluation can assess the timeliness of warnings relative to when the disaster struck.

Conclusion

The best defense that humans have against natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, hurricanes, and storms is public awareness. At this point in time, offering the public sufficient time for evacuation in the case of a natural disaster is the most effective available strategy. Human life is considered invaluable, and any effort that can be made to save lives should be undertaken.