As the continent’s West Coast is ablaze from unseasonably early lightning storms and the Midwest is still cleaning up from some of its worst floods in history, the university completed a plan detailing what natural disasters were most likely to affect the campus and what could be done to mitigate damages.
The university’s nine-page plan addresses objectives and findings in regards to both disaster preparedness and the financial impact of a natural disaster. Abundant in rankings, charts, and lists reflecting research conducted by the Mitigation Core Team, the plan outlines results of risk assessments for various natural disasters and proper strategies of mitigating any damages they may cause.
The plan contains “a detailed characterization of natural hazards in central Maryland … a risk assessment that describes potential losses to physical assets, people and operations, and a set of goals, objectives, strategies, and actions that will guide UM’s mitigation activities,” its summary reads.
The Mitigation Core Team outlined the ten hazards most likely to occur on or around the campus – determined by qualities such as past weather disasters, the extent to which the university can take preventative measures to minimize damage, how often each type of disaster is reported in this area and more.
The plan focuses on the top-two hazards: floods and high winds, which includes hurricanes and tornadoes.
The plan also highlights North Campus and the southern part of the Mall as areas of high concern, due to their high contributions to estimated damage costs – $57,497 for floods and $1,127,412 for winds, as noted in the plan’s “Risks” section of the report.
Russell Dickerson, a atmospheric and oceanic science professor, said he agreed with the plan’s focus on winds and flood.
“Of the meteorological hazards, flooding and high winds are well above hail and lightning for economic and personal risk for our area.”
While the plan demonstrates the university’s potential for outrageous damage costs – recommendations for several disasters fall in the hundred thousands and millions annually – simply producing the plan allows the university to apply for grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, said John Farley, assistant vice president for administrative affairs.
The plan, which was officially approved June 20, will go into affect this academic year and will be updated periodically to accommodate changes in atmospheric conditions.
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