Jolt to the system: Measuring disaster-induced social disruption through water consumption, sales tax revenue, and crime data

This project examines the potential for quantifying the degree of social disruption and varying paths toward system restabilization by using data routinely collected by municipalities. Social disruption was measured by studying monthly patterns of water consumption, sales tax revenue, and crime data following the 2013 EF-5 Moore, Oklahoma tornado and the July and August 2012 wildfires in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Using two similar cities experiencing different disaster agents provided an opportunity to establish important similarities and differences in the level of social disruption created and how this disruption is manifested in the different "rhythms of life" within a city. This research was grounded on previous work related to social time, social routine, and disaster (Neal, 2004, 2013). This study documents how different components of both cities re-established the rhythm of life resulting in a similar but new normal.Data collected on water consumption, sales tax revenue and crime patterns for four fiscal years for Moore and Stillwater, Oklahoma illustrate pre-impact, impact, and initial restabilization period social patterns. Following time series analysis, preliminary findings indicate these variables are valid measures of municipal social time and demonstrate disaster-induced disruption. Comparison among different variable patterns indicates that magnitude of impact and speed of restabilization appear to follow different patterns. This project suggests that social routine may be used to establish a Degree of Disaster Index to allow direct comparisons across multiple events and the study of long-term system restabilization

Exploring a model nuclear planning and response program: Evaluating public awareness of written risk and emergency

High-reliability organizations (HROs) including commercial airlines, the NASA Space Shuttle engineering team, US Naval aircraft carrier and nuclear submarine crews, and US nuclear power plants are relatively safe. However, these organizations experience system breakdowns often with catastrophic outcomes. This study focuses on risk information management strategies employed by a nuclear energy power plant located within 10 miles of a population center. The evacuation planning zone (EPZ) includes a hospital, several schools, and a public university. The nuclear plant provides written preparedness and evacuation information for all residents within the EPZ in the event of a radiological emergency. Focusing on the campus community within the EPZ, this study investigates individual awareness regarding the potential of a radiological event, the emergency information booklet, and the information provided within the booklet. We use descriptive statistics, frequency distribution, and cross tabulations (contingency tables) to establish awareness levels. Our study determines those participants who read the emergency instructions booklet are prepared to make an informed decision in the event of a radiological incident. We find college affiliation, educational level, university role, and age significantly related to emergency instruction booklet utilization. We also find gender is significantly linked to overall risk perception regarding a radiological event. Findings support previous research regarding women\u27s higher levels of risk aversion and pessimism involving dangerous new risky technologies and activities like nuclear energy plants. These findings support modifying policy to ensure nuclear facilities assess the efficacy of their warning systems in alerting the public. Furthermore, our findings provide guidance regarding the evaluation of the effectiveness of emergency instruction booklet distribution

Low Susceptibility of Invasive Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans) to a Generalist Ectoparasite in Both Its Introduced and Native Ranges

Escape from parasites in their native range is one of many mechanisms that can contribute to the success of an invasive species. Gnathiid isopods are blood-feeding ectoparasites that infest a wide range of fish hosts, mostly in coral reef habitats. They are ecologically similar to terrestrial ticks, with the ability to transmit blood-borne parasites and cause damage or even death to heavily infected hosts. Therefore, being highly resistant or highly susceptible to gnathiids can have significant fitness consequences for reef-associated fishes. Indo-Pacific red lionfish (Pterois volitans) have invaded coastal habitats of the western tropical and subtropical Atlantic and Caribbean regions. We assessed the susceptibility of red lionfish to parasitic gnathiid isopods in both their native Pacific and introduced Atlantic ranges via experimental field studies during which lionfish and other, ecologically-similar reef fishes were caged and exposed to gnathiid infestation on shallow coral reefs. Lionfish in both ranges had very few gnathiids when compared with other species, suggesting that lionfish are not highly susceptible to infestation by generalist ectoparasitic gnathiids. While this pattern implies that release from gnathiid infestation is unlikely to contribute to the success of lionfish as invaders, it does suggest that in environments with high gnathiid densities, lionfish may have an advantage over species that are more susceptible to gnathiids. Also, because lionfish are not completely resistant to gnathiids, our results suggest that lionfish could possibly have transported blood parasites between their native Pacific and invaded Atlantic ranges