Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan

OSU is part of a FEMA Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan, which is also comprised of the City of Stillwater and Stilllwater Public Schools. The plan is motivated by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Assistance and Emergency Relief Act, which provides new and revitalized approaches to mitigation planning.

The Purpose of Mitigation Planning can be divided into four steps. The first is a Community Description, which attempts to characterize the community on the basis of climate, demographics, development trends, critical facilities, and a variety of other issues important to disaster mitigation.

Following a Community Description, the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan utilizes Risk Assessment to quantify risk associated with specific disasters. The disasters under the scope of the Stillwater Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan are:

As an example, tornadoes are a common occurrence in Oklahoma. To quantify the risk posed to the OSU campus, we have mapped the 50 year history of tornadoes in Payne County:

Tornadoes have hit the OSU campus twice in recent history, in 1990 and 1975. These events give us information on the severity of damage related to realistic scenarios. The Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan also uses Worst-Case-Scenarios to spur Continuity Planning. Part of the Risk Assessment Process is the examination of the following F5 Tornado Scenario:

The map shows the portion of the tornado that affects the main campus of OSU. It also passes through a large portion of the city of Stillwater. The F5 Tornado Scenario allows us to think through the measures we need to ensure continuity of Academics, Research, and other services the university offers.

The third step of the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan is Hazard Mitigation. This stems from the Community Description and the Risk Assessment of the 16 natural and man-made hazards. Mitigation can be divided into two categories: Structural and Non-structural Mitigation. Structural Mitigation is generally a one-time investment, such as storm shelters, wind resistant structures, and tornado sirens. Conversely, Non-structural Mitigation focuses on education and outreach.

The final stage of the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan is Implementation. Here the appropriate mitigation efforts are put in place.

OSU is currently in the Risk Assessment Phase. In addition, we are actively seeking feedback regarding our progress. Please share your thoughts by contacting us at disaster@okstate.edu