Importance Of Environmental Weather Monitoring for Emergency Management in Oklahoma

Abstract

This dissertation used a mixed approach of methods (i.e., survey data, NOAA’s Storm Events Database, Google Analytics, focus groups, and interviews) to assess the relevance of environmental weather monitoring and associated training in Oklahoma. The chapters from the dissertation detail what motivates emergency managers and public safety officials to seek training and information sources related to hazardous weather events. The chapters further explore how important (in value and impact) weather training and data are to emergency managers (EMs) and how weather data sources and constraints differ between those in the military and those in local government positions. Keywords: Emergency management, Decision making, Extreme weather events, Military installations Non-market valuation, OK-First, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Mesonet, Public Safety Officials, Weather Decision Support Systems, Weather impacts, Weather monitoring