An investigation of social vulnerability and storm resource availability for tornado hazards in Lubbock, Texas

Date

2016-10-24

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Abstract

The United States has the most tornado activity on the globe. These storms cause many losses of lives and property each year. Despite importance, there has been little research completed on the preparedness of a city prior to a tornado event. There are also gaps in research regarding storm resource access (storm shelter, warning technology, and educational outreach access) and social vulnerability. The goal of this study was to determine if sufficient storm resources are in place for a future tornado event in Lubbock, Texas and to offer suggestions and recommendations for improving preparedness if found. The methods involved the creation of a social vulnerability scale, citizen surveys, and regression analysis in order to assess numerous interactions between social vulnerability and resource access. As a result, it was shown that the variable of income plays a large role in readiness and resource access. It was also shown that the high vulnerability regions are located in north and east Lubbock and also feature the worst scores of preparedness and readiness. It was recommended that emergency management officials attempt to administer more shelter, technology, and educational outreach access in these communities to improve the city’s ability to withstand and recovery from a tornado event looming in the future.

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Keywords

Social vulnerability, Tornado resource access, Emergency management application, Tornado preparedness

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