EDUCATE

E = Educate the public about hazards and response       planning

Hazard Analysis

What is Hazards Analysis?

Hazards Analysis is a process for determining the emergency management needs of a county.

One aspect involves knowledge of the kinds of hazards to which the county is vulnerable. This knowledge includes the probability of the event occurring at varying levels of intensity at varying locations throughout the county.

Determinations of probability, intensity and location can be made on the basis of historical evidence, empirical research or community perception.

There are hazardous events which occur frequently but do little damage and, therefore, create little more than routine emergency needs. There are also events which occur infrequently (or may not have occurred but could occur) yet would have catastrophic effects and require extraordinary emergency management responses.

For some hazards, historical and quantitative data are available regarding their key characteristics while for others we must rely upon assumptions of locations, intensity and probability. To initiate the hazards analysis process, it may be possible to make a rough estimate of emergency management needs simply by collecting the information already available about hazards without the cost of collecting new data.

Another aspect of the hazards analysis is knowledge of the county. This involves an inventory of the areas and resources of the county susceptible to damage (vulnerability) and an assessment of the loss (risks) that would result from the occurrence of an event at a given intensity or location.

This knowledge of the county includes such things as the number of people and the value of property that would be affected by an event as well as the communications, transportation, food supply or other systems of society exposed to interruption or collapse. When knowledge of hazards is combined with knowledge of their potential impacts on the county, the result is a measure of the vulnerability of the county.

Adequate information about the hazards enable the county to know how frequently damage from an event could occur, what the extent of the damage would be, and which portions of the county would be damaged. When the data for each hazard are combined, the county can determine its relative vulnerability to each hazard. Knowing the vulnerability will allow assignment of priorities for emergency management needs.

EOC Activation Levels

Level I . Minimal (for example, a business fire)

Involves an event likely to be within the capabilities of local government and results in only limited (does not require involvement beyond the duty officer and/or several assistants) need for county assistance. Typical daily activities continue while the event is monitored. Notification is limited to those county and state agencies that have normal day-to-day emergency responsibilities or regulatory requirements. If the event occurs during non-duty hours, the duty officer may be required to report to the EOC to monitor the situation and respond to requests for local/state assistance.

Level II . Moderate (for example, a semi tractor trailer overturns with hazardous materials on Interstate 10)

Involves any event that has the potential to develop into an emergency or disaster and will likely require the assistance of at least two or three local/state agencies. A limited staff will be in place in the EOC staffed with emergency management personnel and those agencies essential to the response. Twenty-four hour staffing may be required. Daily activities are altered to accommodate the situation. The AEMA is alerted.

Level III . Maximum (for example, a hurricane)

Involves an event that has become, or is becoming, an emergency or disaster and requires significant local/state response and possible federal response and recovery assistance (local government capabilities are clearly exceeded). The direction and control, primary resources, mass care, and environmental and natural resources groups are at least partially staffed on a 24-hour basis in the EOC.Support agencies are alerted and most Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) personnel are assigned to emergency/disaster functions. There will be a local State of Emergency declared by the Chairman of the County Commission. The governor will declare a state of emergency. The Alabama EOP will also be enforced. FEMA.s Federal Emergency Response Team (ERT-A) and State Liaison may be requested.

Level IV . Catastrophic (for example, a major terrorist attack downtown)

Involves a declared disaster, which requires an extensive federal response where the state and local governments are clearly overwhelmed. This EOC will be fully staffed for 24-hour operations by all of the primary state and local agencies.

Major Disaster Declarations in Alabama History – 1977 - present

Year	Date	Disaster Types	Active	Disaster Number
2007	03/03	Severe Storms and Tornadoes		1687
2005	08/29	Hurricane Katrina		1605
2005	07/10	Hurricane Dennis		1593
2004	09/15	Hurricane Ivan		1549
2003	05/12	Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding		1466
2002	11/14	Severe Storms and Tornadoes		1442
2002	10/09	Tropical Storm Isidore		1438
2001	12/07	Severe Storms and Tornadoes		1399
2001	03/05	Severe Storms & Flooding		1362
2000	12/18	Tornadoes		1352
2000	03/17	Severe Storms And Flooding		1322
2000	02/18	Winter Storm		1317
1999	01/15	Freezing Rain and Ice Storm		1261
1998	09/30	Hurricane Georges		1250
1998	04/09	Tornadoes and Severe Thunderstorms		1214
1998	03/09	Severe Storms and Flooding		1208
1997	07/25	Severe Storms/High Winds/Flooding		1185
1996	03/20	Storms/Tornadoes/Floods		1108
1996	02/23	Storms/Flooding		1104
1995	10/04	Hurricane Opal		1070
1995	04/21	Severe Storm, Tornadoes, Flooding		1047
1994	07/08	Severe Storm, Flooding, Tropical Storm Alberto		1034
1994	03/30	Severe Storm, Flooding, Tornado		1019
1994	03/03	Winter Storm, Severe Storm, Freezing, Flooding		1013
1991	01/04	Severe Stoms, Flooding		890
1990	03/21	Severe Stoms, Tornadoes, Flooding		861
1990	02/17	Severe Stoms, Tornadoes, Flooding		856
1989	011/17	Severe Stoms, Tornadoes		848
1985	109/07	Hurricane Elena		742
1983	12/13	Severe Stoms, Tornadoes, Flooding		695
1981	05/14	Severe Stoms, Tornadoes		639
1981	04/10	Severe Stoms, Tornadoes, Flooding		638
1980	04/20	Severe Stoms, Tornadoes, Flooding		619
1979	09/13	Hurricane Frederic		598
1979	04/18	Storms, Wind, Flooding		578
1978	08/09	Severe Storms, Flooding		563
1977	04/09	Severe Storms, Flooding		532

Emergency Declarations

Year	Date	Disaster Types	Active	Disaster Number
2005	09/10	Hurricane Katrina Evacuation		3237
2005	08/28	Hurricane Katrina		3214
1998	09/28	Hurricane Georges		3133
1993	03/15	Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm		3096
1984	05/11	Severe Storms and Tornadoes		3088
1977	07/20	Drought		3045

Data Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency
Data Time Period: Federal Declarations from 01/01/53 to present