Posted on website 6/25/2007

Chapter 3:The Planning Process

The City of Ada and Ada City Schools Multi-Jurisdictional Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan is a citywide effort to direct the multi-hazard planning, development, and mitigation activities of the City of Ada. The City of Ada was responsible for overall coordination and management of the study.

Simply stated, a mitigation plan is the product of a rational thought process that reviews the hazards, measures their impacts on the community, identifies alternative mitigation measures, and selects and designs those that will work best for the community.

This plan addresses the following hazards:

  • Floods
  • Tornadoes
  • High Winds
  • Lightning
  • Hailstorms
  • Severe Winter Storms
  • Extreme Heat
  • Drought
  • Expansive Soils
  • Urban Fires
  • Wildfires
  • Earthquakes
  • Fixed Site Hazardous Materials Events
  • Dam Failures
  • Transportation Hazards

The planning for the City of Ada followed a ten-step process, based on the guidance and requirements of FEMA. The ten steps are shown in the graphic to the right, and described below.

3.1Step One: Organize to Prepare the Plan

(September 2005 – December 2005)
Citizens, community leaders, government staff personnel, and professionals active in disasters provided important input into the development of the plan and recommended goals and objectives, mitigation measures, and priorities for actions.

The planning process was formally created by a resolution of the governing body of Ada. The resolution designated an Ada Citizens’ Advisory Committee (ACAC) to oversee the planning effort.

The Ada Citizens’ Advisory Committee consists of individuals invited by the Project Manager or City Council to participate, including representatives from East Central University in Ada.

Ada Citizens’ Advisory Committee
/ Charles Etier (KC5TGA)
Certified pipe fitter/welder, scuba diver, and CERT trainer. Extra class Examiner AARL and W5IY, Salvation Army Disaster Team. Graduated from Byng High School, 1967 and attended ECU. Trained in Salvation Army ICS, Storm Spotter, NWS school, and OK-First. President of Ada Amateur Radio Club. Assisted with multiple disasters, including the May 1999 OKC tornadoes, the 2000 ice storm, Hurricane Katrina, and wildfires.
Joe Mankin
Business Owner
Deputy Sheriff/Paramedic, Los Angeles, retired.
BS in Criminal Justice. Certified in HazMat response, BTLS, ACLS, Pediatric Life Support, Aeromedical transport, Emergency Medical Dispatcher. Member of Ada City School Foundation board and Ada Chamber of Commerce. Served as Incident Commander during Northridge Earthquake. Represents Ada Schools on the TAC /
/ Guy Sewell
Professor of Environmental Health Science, East Central University
PhD in Microbiology from Oklahoma State University. Certified at Supervisor Level in HazWOPER.
Doug Weirick
Professor of Environmental Health Science, ECU
Ph.D. in Environmental Science, University of Oklahoma. Member of Ada Recycling Coalition, Lake Scissortail Advisory Committee, and Pontotoc County Chapter, American Red Cross (Chair of Service Delivery Committee). Certified in HazWOPER. /
Supporting the ACAC is the Ada Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC), which includes representatives of departments that have roles in hazards planning, response, protection, and mitigation. The AAC consists of the following staff and consultants:
AdaTechnical Advisory Committee
/ Gene Linton
Emergency Manager
Project Manager
BA in Education from East Central University, Ada. Member of Oklahoma Association of Emergency Managers and NIMS/ICS Instructor.
Carl Allen
Asst. Chief, Police Department
BA in Criminal Justice, East Central University. University of Tulsa “Police Executive Development and Leadership” and CLEET Advanced Law Enforcement certification. With Department for 21 years. /
Mike Anderson
Federal Programs Director, Ada Public Schools
Kermit Bennett
Ada Police Department, Captain
Richard Carson
Chickasaw Nation
Emergency Manager, Security Services Supervision
Member of Oklahoma Association of Emergency Managers, Oklahoma InterTribal Emergency Managers Coalition, Oklahoma Sheriffs & Peace Officers Association (Board Member). Certified as NIMS/ICS instructor and Mitigation for Tribal Governments.
/ Bennie Cope
9-1-1 Communications Manager
BS in Industrial Arts from East Central University. Retired Asst. Chief of Ada Fire Dept.
Marion Harris
Chief, Fire Department /
/ Pat Harrison
Superintendent, Ada City Schools
BA. Ed and MA. Ed in Education Administration from East Central University, Oklahoma.
Hathcoat, David
Ada City Manager
David Hendricks
City Engineer
Public Works Director
BS in Civil Engineering from Texas Tech University. /
/ Chad Letellier
Pontotoc County Emergency Manager
Also serves as Pontotoc County Safety Director and on Pontotoc County FPA.
The TAC met periodically during the year’s planning process. TAC members also attended meetings of the Citizens Advisory Committee and meetings with elected officials.
/ Consultant:
Ronald D. Flanagan, CFM
Principal Planner
R.D. Flanagan & Associates
Planning Consultants
2745 E. Skelly Dr., Ste. 100
Tulsa OK 74105

The ATAC and ACAC met monthly at the Ada City Hall during the planning process to review progress, identify issues, receive task assignments, and advise the consultants. A list of ACAC meetings, ATAC meetings, and meetings and dates with governing bodies is shown in Table 3-1, below. Refer to Appendix C for meeting agendas.

Table 3–1:ACAC and ATAC Meetings and Activities

Date / Activity
Oct. 5, 2005 / Consultant meets with Program leads, John Burchett and Gene Linton, to begin process.
Oct. 17, 2005 / City of Ada approves and executes Contract Agreement with R. D. Flanagan & Associates, Planning Consultants, to assist the City of Ada in the development of a Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Dec. 20, 2005 / Presentation to the ATAC, explaining Intro Packet and process of plan development, timeline, and importance of citizen involvement.
April 27, 2006 / Reviewed Chapter 1 corrections/additions. Looked at development and warning systems.
June 22, 2006 / Reviewed Chapter 3, Planning Process and Chapter 4, High wind, tornadoes, & earthquakes.
July 27, 2006 / Reviewed Chapter 1 and Chapter 4: extreme heat, winter storms, hail and lightning.
August 24, 2006 / Reviewed Chapter 1 and Chapter 4: drought, expansive soils, and transportation (including hazmat)
Sept. 28, 2006 / Reviewed Urban Fires, Wildfires, and Fixed Site Hazardous Materials Incidents
Oct. 26, 2006 / Presented Flooding and Dam Break from Chapter 4. Reviewed Chapters 1, 2 and 3
Dec. 12, 2006 / Public Meeting to present Phase I of the plan, Identification of Hazards.

3.2Step Two: Involve the Public

(October 2005 – Ongoing)

In addition to the ACAC, the management team of ATAC undertook many projects to inform the public of this effort and to solicit their input. All meetings of the ACAC were publicly posted as required by ordinances and rules of the jurisdiction. Public meetings were held at the beginning of the planning process. The Technical and Citizens Advisory Committee meetings were advertised and posted, and were open to the public. The public had opportunities to review the plan and participate in the planning process throughout the development of the plan. Workshops were held to review the hazards and to develop and identify mitigation measures for each natural and technological hazard.

3.3Step Three: Coordinate with Other Agencies and Organizations

(October 2005 – December 2005)
Many public agencies, private organizations, and businesses contend with natural hazards. Management team members contacted them to collect their data on the hazards and determine how their programs can best support the Ada multi-hazard mitigation planning program. A list of agencies contacted and a sample letter are included below.

The Emergency Operations Plan is administered by Ada’sEmergency Management Agency, with thePublic Works and Planning Departments often playing key roles.

Federal

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

US Army Corps of Engineers

National Weather Service (NWS)

Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)

US Fish and Wildlife Service

US Geological Survey

National Non-Profit

American Red Cross, Pontotoc County Chapter

Big Five Community Service

State

Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management

Oklahoma Water Resources Board

  • State National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Coordinator
  • State Dam Safety Coordinator

Oklahoma Conservation Commission

Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

Oklahoma Department of Labor

Oklahoma Geological Survey

Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality

Regional

Southern Oklahoma Development Organization

County

Pontotoc County Commission

Pontotoc County Assessor

Pontotoc City/County Health Department

Pontotoc County Emergency Management Agency

Local

Office of the City Manager

Department of Community Development

Department of Public Works

Ada Public Schools Superintendent

Ada Police Department

Ada Fire Department

3.4Step Four: Assess the Hazard

(January 2006 – March 2006)
The management team collected data on the hazards from available sources. Hazard assessment is included in Chapter 4, with the discussion of each hazard.

Table 3–2:How and Why Hazards Were Identified

Hazard / How Identified / Why Identified
Dam Failures /
  • Input from US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
  • Input from Oklahoma Water Resources Board, (OWRB), Dam Safety Division
/
  • Population and buildings below dams are vulnerable in event of release or dam failure
  • Dam break/release contingency plan needs updating
  • Warning systems need to be updated and refined
  • Various dam release rates should be GIS mapped, and properties at risk identified

Drought /
  • Historical vulnerability to drought, the “Dust Bowl” era
  • Recent (2002) drought and water shortages in Bartlesville, just north of Tulsa
  • Widespread Oklahoma drought of 2005-2006.
/
  • Continuing mid-west and western drought and impacts on Oklahoma communities
  • Over the past 10 years, three major drought events with an estimated crop damage of $558 million have affected Pontotoc County

Earthquakes /
  • Historic records of area earthquakes
  • Input from Oklahoma Geological Survey
  • Input from USGS
/
  • Pontotoc County has a history of mild earthquakes
  • Pontotoc County has experienced earthquakes on the average of 2¼ per year since 1977

Expansive Soils /
  • Review of Natural Resource Conservation Service data
  • Input from City Building Inspections Department
  • Input from Oklahoma Department of Transportation
/
  • Expansive soils are prevalent in the City of Ada
  • Damage to buildings from expansive soils can be mitigated with public information and building code provision

Extreme Heat /
  • Review of number of heat-related deaths and injuries
  • Review of data from National Climatic Data Center and National Center for Disease Control
/
  • High percentage of poor and elderly populations at risk
  • 49 heat-related deaths in Oklahoma in the last 10 years, 8 in Pontotoc County

Floods /
  • Review of FIRM maps
  • Buildings in the floodplains
  • Historical floods and damages
/
  • Total of 40 city structures located within the 100-year floodplain
  • Over $14 million of property at risk

Hailstorms /
  • National Climatic Data Center and State Disaster Declarations
/
  • Twenty hail events in Ada over the last 10 years

Fixed Site Hazardous Materials Events /
  • Input from Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)
  • Input from Oklahoma Dept. of Environmental Quality
  • Input from Ada Emergency First Responders
/
  • Six hazardous materials sites scattered throughout the community
  • A total of six Hazardous Materials Incidents within the last 10-year period.

High Winds /
  • National Weather Service data
  • Loss information provided by national insurance companies
/
  • 38 high wind-related events in Ada in the last 10 years, with over $889,000 in damage

Lightning /
  • National Climatic Data Center information and statistics
/
  • Oklahoma ranks 15th in the nation in lightning related casualties with 88 deaths and 243 injuries over 36 years
  • Over $121,000 in damage from lightning strikes in the last 10 years

Severe Winter Storms /
  • Review of past disaster declarations
  • Input from Pontotoc County Emergency Management Agency and Ada Emergency Management
  • Input from area utility companies
/
  • Severe winter storms are an annual event in the Ada area
  • Winter storms can cause wide-spread economic disruption and massive public utility outages
  • Sixteen winter storm-related events in the past 10 years causing over $75 million in property damage

Tornadoes /
  • Review of recent disaster declarations
  • Input from Emergency Manager
  • Review of data from the National Climatic Data Center
/
  • Ada is located in “Tornado Alley”
  • An average of 52 tornadoes per year strike Oklahoma
  • Recent disaster events and damage
  • OKC tornado of 1999 killed 42 people and destroyed 899 buildings
  • All citizens and buildings are at risk

Urban Fires /
  • Input from State Fire Marshal
  • Input from Local Fire Department
/
  • Older, deteriorating frame homes with substandard heating
  • Severe winter storms can encourage unsafe home heating methods
  • Continuing loss of life and property due to house fires

Wildfires /
  • Input from area Fire Departments
  • Input from State Fire Marshal
/
  • Fires of the urban/rural interface threaten Ada properties
  • Several miles of Ada’s perimeter are exposed and vulnerable to wildfires

Transportation /
  • Input from Oklahoma Department of Transportation
  • Input from Bureau of Transportation Statistics
  • Input from Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
  • National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) database
/
  • Population and Property in transportation corridors are vulnerable to HazMat incidents
  • Pipelines transporting hazardous chemicals are in the Ada area
  • Plane crashes can occur at any location near airports or other air corridors. Ada has had 3 accidents in the last 6 years with 3 fatalities

3.5Step Five: Assess the Problem

(April 2006 – July 2006)
The hazard data was analyzed in light of what it means to public safety, health, buildings, transportation, infrastructure, critical facilities, and the economy. Some of the work for Steps 4 and 5 had been initiated by Southern Oklahoma Development Organization. They prepared several analyses using their geographic information system. The discussion of the problem assessment is addressed for each hazard in Chapter 4.

DAMAGE ESTIMATION METHODOLOGY

The following methodologies were used in the development of damage cost estimated for buildings and contents for flooding and tornado/high wind damage, used in the City of Ada’s Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan:

Structure Value: Value of buildings within the City of Adawas obtained from the Pontotoc County Assessor’s office.

For critical facilities, non-profit properties with structural improvements, such as churches, which are tax exempt and where no county assessor valuation was available, the buildings’ footprints were measured using aerial photography, GIS, and field investigation to determine size, in square feet. The value of structure was obtained by calculating the square footage times the value per square foot obtained by using FEMA publication, “ State and Local Mitigation Planning: Understanding Your Risks: Identifying Hazards and Estimating Losses”, August 2001, Average Building Replacement Value per square foot, p. 3-10, source: HAZUS

Contents Value: Value of contents for all buildings was estimated using “Contents Value as Percentage of Building Replacement Value” table, page 3-11, Understanding Your Risks.

Depth of Damage: Flooding damage estimates for building and contents were based on actual structures’ estimated flood depth, determined by aerial topographic mapping, and field investigations. Maps of the floodplains are included in Chapter 4.

Flood damage curves, for structures (single-family, multi-family, office, commercial, industrial), and contents were estimated using Table A-3, Damage Factors, Economics Branch, Tulsa District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Flood depth of damage curve estimates were used for riverine flooding and dam failures (Chapter 4).

Tornado Damage: Damage estimates for the tornado scenario were based on:

  1. Structure value: Pontotoc County Assessor.
  2. Contents: FEMA’s Contents Value, Understanding Your Risks.
  3. Damage to structure: based on percent damage experienced during typical events, using the Fujita Scale, damage characteristics, Table 4-1.

Damage estimates were based on a “worst case” scenario, assuming about 25% of the buildings in the tornado path would experience substantial damage or total destruction; 35% would suffer 50% damage, and 40% would suffer slight to moderate or average 25% damage.

3.6Step Six: Set Goals

(August 2006 – September 2006)
Project and community hazard mitigation goals and objectives for the City of Ada and Ada City Schools were developed by the ACAC and ATAC to guide the development of the plan. The hazard mitigation goals for the City are listed in Chapter 5 and Annex B.

3.7Step Seven: Review Possible Activities

(October 2006 – November 2006)
Wide varieties of measures that can affect hazards or the damage from hazards were examined. The mitigation activities were organized under the following six categories. A more detailed description of each category is located in “Chapter 5: Mitigation Strategies.”

  1. Public Information and Education—Outreach projects and technical assistance
  2. Preventive Activities—Zoning, building codes, stormwater ordinances
  3. Structural Projects—Levees, reservoirs, channel improvements
  4. Property Protection—Acquisition, retrofitting, insurance
  5. Emergency Services—Warning, sandbagging, evacuation
  6. Natural Resource Protection—Wetlands and floodplain protection, natural and beneficial uses of the floodplain, and best management practices

The ATAC, after reviewing the potential mitigation activities, screened and selected the measures they felt were applicable, feasible, cost effective, and politically acceptable to their community. These measures, specifically identified as potentially benefiting the community, were combined into a new, more community specific list for review.