Wichita, Kansas is a moderately sized city, population just over 372,000 (www.city-data.com, 2011) in the heart of America and was established in 1870 at the junction of the Arkansas Rivers. The railroad arrived in 1872 and the flow of beef and grain from the region to the east began. Today the city is known for another modern transportation enterprise: aviation. The first Cessna Comet airplane was manufactured there in 1917 (www.wichita.gov, 2011). Currently there are many airports and landing fields in the surrounding area including McConnell Air Force Base, Wichita Mid-Continental (major terminal) and regional airports, Colonel James Jabara and Augusta Municipal Airport. Currently, Wichita’s four largest aircraft manufacturers are Boeing Co., Cessna Aircraft Co., Bombardier Learjet Inc., and Raytheon Aircraft Co. (www.city-data.gov, 2011). Due to the city’s location along the Arkansas River and the predominant aircraft manufacturing industry in the area, two of the most likely hazards the city faces are major flooding and a major accident at one of the airports. An internet search revealed very little about either of those hazards impacting Wichita in the recent past but what was found is the city is prone to severe thunderstorms, hail and tornados. The most recent string of storms and tornados to make its way across Kansas was in May 2011, which resulted in a request from Kansas Governor Brownback for a Presidential Disaster Declaration (Kansas Adjunct General, 2011). That storm system did not cause wide-spread damage in Wichita although according to the web site, www.city-data.com, two tornadoes that did impact the area were: • On 4/26/1991, a category 5 (max. wind speeds 261-318 mph) tornado 17.1 miles away from the Wich... ... middle of paper ... ... high risk and vulnerability of the city to storms and tornadoes. References: Bissell, R. (2010). Catastrophic Readiness and Response Course, Session 6 – Social and Economic Issues. Accessed at http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu/crr.asp City-data.com. (2011). Wichita, Kansas. Accessed 9/27/2011 at http://www.city-data.com/city/Wichita-Kansas.html City of Wichita. (2011). Wichita’s History at a Glance…. Accessed on 9/27/2011 at http://www.wichita.gov/Residents/History/ Kansas Adjunct General’s Office, (2011). Kansas receives federal Disaster Declaration. Accessed on 9/27/2011 at http://kansastag.gov/press_release_detail.asp?PRid=889 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), (2001). U.S. Tornado Climatology. Accessed on 9//27/2011 at http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/severeweather/tornadoes.html#deadly
Although the tornado of 10 June 1938 has been known about, at least anecdotally, within the scientific community since it was brought to light in 1939 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, this potentially rich source of historic information has lain fallow. It is within this rich field of mobile, American thinking that we undertake this effort. A team of scientists with courage, brains, and even heart brought the resources to bear on the challenge.
In the article by Jeff Piotrowski and the article on the Joplin Tornado: Evil Swirling Darkness, explains that the Joplin tornado took out the city of Joplin, Missouri. The tornado came into the town of Joplin on May 22, 2011 and was about a mile wide. Fires were attacking the city and homes from broken gas lines, and many people were buried alive in their houses. The fire department was gone and no one could find any police to help. Neighbors helped neighbors, pulling each other out of the ruble. Over 125 people had died all from being trapped and suffocated, to be cut open by sharp objects that fell. In the end many people had died and were injured during the tragic tornado that came through and left Joplin in horror and terror.
what it looked like after the tornado struck up the street). More than 25 auto
According to Webster’s Dictionary, a tornado is a rotating column of air accompanied by a funnel shaped downward extension of a cumulonimbus cloud and having a vortex several hundred yards in diameter whirling destructively at speeds of up to three hundred miles per hour. There are six classifications of tornadoes, which are measured on what is known as the Fujita Scale. These tornadoes range from an F0 to an F5, which is the most devastating of all. Abnormal warm, humid, and oppressive weather usually precede the formation of a tornado. Records of American tornadoes date back to 1804 and have been known to occur in every state of the United States.
Both man-made and natural disasters are often devastating, resource draining and disruptive. Having a basic plan ready for these types of disaster events is key to the success of executing and implementing, as well as assessing the aftermath. There are many different ways to create an emergency operations plan (EOP) to encompass a natural and/or man-made disaster, including following the six stage planning process, collection of information, and identification of threats and hazards. The most important aspect of the US emergency management system in preparing for, mitigating, and responding to man-made and natural disasters is the creation, implementation and assessment of a community’s EOP.
On May 4, 2007, the town of Greensburg, Kansas was devastated by an exceptionally strong tornado. With maximum winds estimated to be in excess of 205 miles per hour, and leaving a damage path as wide as 1.7 miles, the storm would go on to be rated a rare EF5, the first recorded in the United States since 1999. When the storm finally subsided, 95 percent of Greensburg had been destroyed, killing eleven people.
After the attack, the United States hastily constructed the Department of Homeland Security and downgraded FEMA, whose main duty was civil protection. This attracted criticism from some public administration experts that the U.S. government concentrated too much on terrorism…[After Hurricane Katrina] Critics… charged that too many government officials were not familiar with the “National Response Plan” which was implemented in December 2004 after 9/11 terrorist attack. Planning and training for large natural disasters were insufficient after the implementation of the plan. In short, too great a focus on counter-terrorism undermined capacities for natural disaster mitigation, response, and recovery in the post-9/11 United States (para. 7,
The St. Louis Tornado or The Great Cyclone of 1896 took place on Wednesday, May 27, 1896, just after 5:00 pm. This tornado was not only the single worst disaster in St. Louis history but the St. Louis Tornado was one of the most destructive and deadliest tornados in United States history. The storm caused approximately one hundred million dollars in damage to the City of St. Louis and East St. Louis. In today’s dollars this would equal about two point nine billion dollars in damages. It would take decades for St. Louis and East St. Louis to fully recover from the devastation.
Winds rushed through the west county from the joplin tornado.The winds were going about 200 hundred miles per hour.If the tornado goes to fast it can cause more damage to Joplin.It took about five seconds to take down a building.Maybe people were in these buildings or houses.It was a EF-5 on power and intensity.
The reasons why there was such a high number of fatalities was because of the magnitude of the tornado, its path through a heavily populated area, the people having a desensitized attitude toward the tornado warnings, the lack of safety facilities, and the mistake by the National Weather Service. First, the magnitude was just so large that it wiped out everything in its path. EF5 tornados winds exceed 200 mph which are deadly. Second, Joplin has thousands of residents and could have killed many people. Third, the people did not react to the first siren that went off because they were ...
Tornadoes are one of the most deadly natural disasters in the United States. This tornado was classified as environmental, meaning nothing could have stopped it besides the weather itself. Tornadoes are never anything we can prepare for besides getting to safety quickly. This tornado was also classified as an EF4 tornado, resulting in the third deadliest tornado event in the United States since 1950. Governor Bentley declared state of emergency on April 27, 2011.
Tornadoes are one of the deadliest and most unpredictable villains mankind will ever face. There is no rhyme or reason, no rhythm to it’s madness. Tornados are one of the most terrifying natural events that occur, destroying homes and ending lives every year. April 29th, 1995, a calm, muggy, spring night I may never forget. Jason, a buddy I grew up with, just agreed to travel across state with me so we could visit a friend in Lubbock. Jason and I were admiring the beautiful blue bonnets, which traveled for miles like little blue birds flying close to the ground. The warm breeze brushed across the tips of the blue bonnets and allowed them to dance under the perfectly clear blue sky. In the distance, however, we could see darkness. A rumbling sky was quickly approaching.
According to Source 3, tornadoes have winds that are 300 miles an hour. According to Spencer Adkins, West Virginia gets about like 3 tornadoes each year. According to Source 2, tornadoes mostly occur in northern Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. According to Source 2, there are about 1,000 tornadoes that hit the United States each year. According to Source 2, the cost in damage
To understand the tools properly, the importance of hazard mitigation to the public must be understood. The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 is very important to the planning process. The act “provides the legal basis for FEMA mitigation planning requirements for State, local and Indian Tribal governments as a condition of mitigation grant assistance.” (FEMA, 2010). This act enacted by Congress, is to ensure that the assistance would lend to any state in need of it. The idea that the government would take this type of initiative for disaster planning can have very positive results for society. Essentially the federal government will help State and Local government, suffering from disasters, anyway possible. This is where hazard mitigation comes into play, since the state and local governments must first prepare themselves with the essentials tools necessary to ensure that devastation will not be the outcome of a disaster. A prepared community will not have to worry about...
Tornado safety and preparedness are key to protecting your loved ones during a tornado. So far there has been no evidence that tornadoes pick up objects and move it to Oz, but we do know they can lift enormous objects and cause billions of dollars in damage. It is important to remember that two percent of all tornadoes are severe and most well built homes can withstand the brutal punishment. The next time nature’s fury strikes in your city, you will be well aware of the raw power of the tornado. Nothing is guaranteeing your survival but since you are ready for impact, you have just tripled your chances. In the words of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, “there is no place like home, there is no place like home.” If you are prepared!