Oklahoma History Risk Assessment & Management 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Following the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak, emergency managers identified which critical gap in risk communication to the public?
- Insufficient number of weather stations
- Delayed activation of outdoor warning sirens in some counties (Correct answer)
- Lack of Doppler radar coverage
- Inadequate hospital surge capacity
Correct answer: Delayed activation of outdoor warning sirens in some counties
Post-event analysis revealed that some counties experienced delays in siren activation, reducing the effective warning time for residents.
Question 2: Oklahoma's seismic risk dramatically increased after 2009 primarily due to which industrial practice?
- Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations
- Wastewater injection from oil and gas production (Correct answer)
- Surface mining for coal and minerals
- Underground natural gas storage
Correct answer: Wastewater injection from oil and gas production
The disposal of oil and gas production wastewater through deep injection wells triggered a sharp increase in earthquake frequency across Oklahoma.
Question 3: In Oklahoma's tribal nations, traditional risk management for food security historically relied on which practice to buffer against crop failure?
- Storing grain in underground silos
- Cultivating diverse crops including the Three Sisters (Correct answer)
- Trading exclusively with European settlers
- Relying on buffalo herds as the sole food source
Correct answer: Cultivating diverse crops including the Three Sisters
Many Oklahoma tribes traditionally grew corn, beans, and squash together (the Three Sisters), providing dietary diversity that reduced the risk of total crop failure.
Question 4: After the Murray Building explosion in 1995, Oklahoma City modified building codes to address which specific structural risk?
- Fire suppression system requirements
- Progressive collapse due to blast loading (Correct answer)
- Roof load capacity for heavy snow
- Foundation depth requirements in clay soils
Correct answer: Progressive collapse due to blast loading
The bombing demonstrated how a single structural failure could cascade into total building collapse, prompting updates focused on progressive collapse resistance.
Question 5: Which environmental risk assessment practice did Oklahoma mandate for new oil wells following repeated contamination incidents in the 20th century?
- Groundwater baseline testing before drilling (Correct answer)
- Aerial photography of drill sites
- Community referendum before permit issuance
- Mandatory vegetation surveys
Correct answer: Groundwater baseline testing before drilling
Oklahoma required baseline groundwater quality testing before new drilling operations to establish pre-drilling conditions and detect future contamination.
Question 6: Oklahoma's experience with the 1930s Dust Bowl led to the creation of which federal conservation program aimed at managing agricultural land risk?
- The National Flood Insurance Program
- The Soil Conservation Service (Correct answer)
- The Civilian Conservation Corps
- The Agricultural Adjustment Administration
Correct answer: The Soil Conservation Service
The Soil Conservation Service (now the Natural Resources Conservation Service) was created in 1935 directly in response to the Dust Bowl to help farmers manage soil erosion risk.
Question 7: When assessing wildfire risk in Oklahoma, emergency planners give particular weight to which combination of seasonal conditions?
- Summer humidity and afternoon thunderstorms
- Winter ice storms and frozen ground
- Spring drought, high winds, and cured grass (Correct answer)
- Fall leaf accumulation and low temperatures
Correct answer: Spring drought, high winds, and cured grass
Oklahoma's highest wildfire risk occurs in spring when grasses have dried out over winter, winds are strong, and rainfall is below average.
Oklahoma History Risk Assessment & Management 3
Following the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak, emergency managers identified which critical gap in risk communication to the public?