Tornadoes and floods put essential infrastructure at risk, endangering public safety and well-being. Winstonville’s Fire Department, Urgent Care Center, City Hall, Adult Day Care and Community Center are assessed in this report. The threat assessment uses Threat Scoring, Vulnerability Scoring, and Consequence Scoring to determine each asset’s tornado and flood risk. According to the rankings, the Urgent Care Center, City Hall, Fire Department and Community Center are the most vulnerable. These assets’ resilience can be improved by boosting disaster preparedness, structural resilience, flood control, and relocation or reinforcement. Continuous monitoring and evaluation, updating threat, vulnerability, and consequence scores, and community engagement in disaster response plans are also stressed for future preparedness and adaptation.

Threat Assessment for Tornadoes and Floods on Critical Infrastructure Assets

Introduction:

Natural disasters, such as tornadoes and floods, have the potential to inflict severe damage on critical infrastructure assets, jeopardizing their functionality and posing significant risks to public safety and societal well-being. In Winstonville, Mississippi, an area prone to these meteorological phenomena due to its geographical location and climate conditions, safeguarding critical infrastructure becomes paramount for effective disaster preparedness and emergency management.

This paper aims to assess the susceptibility of five critical infrastructure assets –Winstonville Fire Department, Winstonville Urgent Care, Community Center, Winstonville City Hall, and Winstonville Adult Day Care Center- to tornadoes and floods. Moreover, the paper will discuss mitigation strategies for each critical infrastructure asset, emphasizing the significance of disaster preparedness and adaptation. It will underscore the importance of continuous monitoring and evaluation to update threat, vulnerability, and consequence scores in response to changing environmental conditions and evolving infrastructure needs. The integration of community involvement and engagement in emergency response planning will also be discussed. Recognizing the role of public awareness campaigns in educating citizens about disaster preparedness and evacuation procedures will be emphasized.

Literature Review

In the year of 1970 through 2023 disasters caused by natural hazards have become much more common (Chapungu & Nhamo, 2021). Notably, floods and tornadoes have become more frequent, which has caused a proliferation of associated disasters. Given the changing size and frequency of flood occurrences, much more research is still required to fully comprehend flooding risks to communities worldwide (Chapungu & Nhamo, 2021). According to Forzieri et al. (2018), the most vulnerable nations in Europe will be those in southern Europe, where damage to key infrastructure is expected to increase by ten times the current levels by the year 2100. In Europe, it is anticipated that riverine, flooding, storm surge, flash, and windstorms will have a greater impact on vital infrastructure. The transportation, manufacturing, and energy industries will probably suffer the greatest losses.

Iglesias et al. (2021) claim that the impact of natural disasters drastically increases the number of properties and vital infrastructure affected annually. Although some dangers have grown in size, intensity, or frequency, development has contributed to this unsustainable trajectory since disasters occur when natural calamities collide with vulnerable infrastructure and humans. Urban coastal communities are close to seas that support business, draw tourists and recreation, and offer essential estuarine and marine resources, according to Allen et al. (2018). Additionally, restricting and posing risks of floods along the coast and rising sea levels are these waters and the nearby low-lying coastal areas. Infrastructure for coastal waters includes necessary water supply, sewage treatment, and stormwater runoff management. However, it has also become clear that this infrastructure is susceptible to sea level rise and the potential exacerbation of current recurring flooding problems. With rising sea levels, storm surges, heavy rainstorms, and tidal flooding might become recurring and severe. As a result, sea level rise poses a wide range of impacts associated with climate change on human health, including changes in the availability and quality of water, changes in the ecology of disease vectors, environmental and mental health, and the direct physical effects of flooding from coastal storms and hurricanes (Luber et al., 2014).

Extreme occurrences, like flooding, put vital infrastructure, especially electrical supply, in danger. A dependable power source is essential for efficiently operating many interconnected systems in the modern world. Although the health sector is not an exception, little is known about how power disruptions affect health. Hospitals play a significant role in disaster response, but they are also vulnerable to their impacts, such as damage to infrastructure that interferes with patient treatment (Melnychuk et al., 2022). During calamities, power outages, including electricity interruptions, are frequent. Hospital admissions and death are both increased by power outages.

Methodology

The methodology employed in this study encompasses a comprehensive risk assessment framework, integrating Threat Scoring, Vulnerability Scoring, and Consequence Scoring to evaluate the vulnerability of critical infrastructure assets to tornadoes and floods. Each asset is evaluated individually, allowing for a focused analysis of the unique characteristics and risks associated with each type of infrastructure.

Hypotheses

Critical infrastructure assets with higher threat scores will exhibit greater vulnerability to tornados and floods.
Critical infrastructure assets with higher vulnerability scores will experience more severe consequences from tornados and floods.
The RISK formula, incorporating both likelihood and consequence components, will accurately prioritize the vulnerability of critical infrastructure assets to tornados and floods in Winstonville, MS.

Results

Threat Scoring Analysis:

Winstonville Fire Department:

The Winstonville Fire Department receives a threat score of 2, indicating moderate vulnerability to tornadoes and floods. As a critical infrastructure asset responsible for electricity generation, the Fire Department vast physical footprint makes it susceptible to tornado impacts. Tornado winds and debris can disrupt power generation and supply. The risk increases if the Fire Department is in a flood-prone location. Floodwaters can damage essential equipment and extend power outages by entering electrical networks. Power outages can impact healthcare, transportation, emergency services, and the plant’s operations.

Winstonville Urgent Care Center:

The Winstonville Urgent Care Center is assigned a threat score of 3, signifying a higher vulnerability to tornadoes and floods. Urgent Care Centers provide vital healthcare services, and their continuing operation during emergencies is crucial. Hospital infrastructure is at risk from tornadoes, which can damage buildings, medical equipment, and utilities. This damage can interrupt patient care, medical services, and employee safety. Moreover, the increased demand for medical attention and potential injuries from the tornado can strain the hospital’s resources and capacity. Flooding may limit access to medical facilities, making offering timely and adequate care to needy individuals challenging. Urgent Care Centers’ vulnerability emphasizes the need for solid disaster preparedness strategies, fortified facilities, and redundant critical systems.

Community Center:

The Community Center has a threat score of 1, indicating low tornado and flood exposure. While the building may not be directly exposed to the full force of tornado impacts, secondary effects can still affect it. Tornadoes can disrupt power and communication in the vicinity, disrupting the building’s operations and access to crucial services. Near floods at the Community Center may affect transportation, utilities, and emergency response. Although its threat ranking is low, sensible actions to secure key information, build backup communication systems, and ensure personnel safety during extreme weather occurrences are necessary to continue government operations.

Winstonville City Hall:

Tornadoes and floods moderately threaten the Winstonville City Hall, which can be assigned a score of 2. The Winstonville City Hall, which provides clean water to communities, is vulnerable to tornadoes. Strong winds can damage the plant’s infrastructure, compromising its capacity to treat and distribute water. This can lead to disruptions in the water supply, posing significant health and sanitation risks to the population. Flooding poses a considerable threat to the Winstonville City Hall, as it can contaminate water sources and disrupt the treatment process. Ensuring the resilience of the Winstonville City Hall through flood control measures, infrastructure reinforcement, and contingency plans is crucial for safeguarding public health and access to clean water during extreme weather events.

Winstonville Adult DayCare:

The Winstonville Adult DayCare is assigned a threat score of 1, suggesting low vulnerability to tornadoes and floods. While the Adult Day Care may experience minimal direct damage from tornado events, its operations could still be impacted by associated power outages and communication disruptions. Communication channels may face disruptions during floods, affecting emergency response coordination and dissemination of crucial information. Despite its lower threat score, ensuring the Communication Center’s resilience through backup power systems, redundant communication channels, and alternative centers of operation remains imperative for maintaining continuous and reliable communication during times of crisis.

Vulnerability Scoring Analysis:

Winstonville Fire Department:

The Winstonville Fire Department receives a vulnerability score of 3, reflecting a moderate level of vulnerability. As a critical infrastructure asset responsible for electricity generation, the Fire Department houses crucial components such as turbines and cooling systems. These components are susceptible to damage during tornado events, where strong winds and flying debris pose significant risks. Adequate protective measures are necessary to minimize potential risks and enhance the Fire Department’s resilience against tornado impacts. Reinforcing critical infrastructure, installing wind-resistant structures, and employing advanced monitoring systems are essential to safeguard the plant from tornado-related damages.

Winstonville Urgent Care Center:

The Urgent Care Center is assigned a vulnerability score of 2, indicating moderate vulnerability to tornadoes and floods. As a crucial healthcare facility, the Urgent Care Center must prioritize structural integrity and emergency preparedness to mitigate the impact of natural disasters. Ensuring the urgent care center building has reinforced walls and roofing can make it more tornado-resistant. Maintaining patient care and staff safety during tornado events requires extensive emergency preparedness strategies, including staff training, evacuation protocols, and medical supply hoarding. Elevating vital equipment above flood levels and installing flood-resistant barriers can help the Hospital function during floods by ensuring uninterrupted access to critical supplies.

Community Center:

The Community Center’s tornado and flood vulnerability score is 2. Even though tornadoes may not directly impact the facility, it must take precautions to safeguard vital records, communication systems, and employee safety. Strengthening the building’s structure to withstand tornado winds and flying debris is important to minimize potential damages.

Additionally, implementing backup power systems and redundant communication channels can ensure continuous operations during tornado-induced power outages and communication disruptions. Proper drainage systems and flood barriers are crucial to protect the Community Center from flood-related damages. Developing comprehensive emergency response plans and conducting regular drills can also enhance the building’s preparedness and responsiveness during natural disasters.

Winstonville City Hall:

The Winstonville City Hall receives a vulnerability score 1, indicating relatively low vulnerability to tornadoes and floods. As a critical infrastructure asset responsible for providing clean water to communities, the City Hall needs to prioritize resilience against natural disasters. Implementing flood control measures, such as constructing levees and flood barriers around the plant’s critical infrastructure, can significantly reduce the risks of flood-related damages. Proper maintenance of water treatment equipment and implementation of redundancy measures can ensure the continuous supply of clean water during extreme weather events. Regular inspections and monitoring flood conditions are essential to promptly respond to potential threats and safeguard the City Hall’s operations.

Winstonville Adult DayCare:

The Winstonville Adult DayCareis assigned a vulnerability score 2, indicating moderate vulnerability to tornadoes and floods. While the center may experience minimal direct damage from tornado events, its continuous operation during natural disasters is critical for emergency response and public safety. Implementing redundant communication systems and backup power sources is vital to ensure seamless communication even during tornado-induced power outages or communication disruptions. Establishing alternative centers of operation can also provide additional layers of protection against service interruptions. Ensuring proper training for communication center staff and conducting drills for emergency scenarios can enhance the center’s preparedness to handle tornadoes and floods effectively.

Consequence Scoring Analysis

Winstonville Fire Department:

The Winstonville Fire Department receives a consequence score of 5, denoting significant repercussions in the event of a tornado or flood. As a critical component of the energy infrastructure, the disruption of power generation can have far-reaching effects across various sectors. The loss of electricity supply can impact essential services, including hospitals, which rely on continuous power to provide life-saving medical care. Transportation systems can be affected, leading to traffic disruptions and potential safety hazards. Electricity is needed to coordinate disaster response by police and fire units. Industries and businesses may also endure operating interruptions, adversely impacting the community and the economy. Power plant outages have serious implications, making securing this essential infrastructure from tornadoes and floods imperative.

Winstonville Urgent Care Center:

The Urgent Care Center has a consequence score of 6 for tornadoes and floods. Natural disasters may negatively impact patient care and public health by disrupting medical services. The inability to access medical facilities and receive timely care can raise the risk of injury and death. Disruptions to medical supply networks and communication systems can also hinder emergency response operations, exacerbating tornado and flood damage. The possible strain on healthcare resources and facilities due to an increased demand for medical attention during and after disasters underscores the importance of ensuring the Hospital’s resilience and continuing functioning. Emergency preparedness procedures and building integrity must be implemented to prevent tornado and flood damage to healthcare services.

Community Center:

The Community Center has a consequence score of 3, suggesting moderate tornado or flood damage. Disruptions to public services and government operations may impact human lives. Floods and tornadoes may disrupt power, communication, and transportation, disrupting government services. Delays in administrative processes, such as licensing and permits, can have economic implications for businesses and individuals. Ensuring the continuity of government operations through backup power systems, redundant communication channels, and emergency response plans is crucial for maintaining public services and minimizing disruptions during and after natural disasters.

Winstonville City Hall:

The Winstonville City Hall is assigned a consequence score of 3, indicating moderate consequences in the event of tornadoes or floods. Water supply disruptions resulting from plant damage during natural disasters can significantly affect communities’ access to clean water. Contaminated water sources due to flooding can pose health and sanitation risks, leading to potential outbreaks of waterborne diseases. The consequences of water supply disruptions can strain healthcare facilities, increase public health concerns, and impact various aspects of daily life, including cooking, cleaning, and personal hygiene. Implementing flood control measures, regularly maintaining water treatment equipment, and establishing contingency plans are essential to minimize the consequences of tornadoes and floods on water supply infrastructure.

Winstonville Adult DayCare:

The Winstonville Adult DayCare is assigned a consequence score of 3, signifying moderate consequences in the event of tornadoes or floods. Communication disruptions can hinder emergency response coordination and information dissemination, leading to delays in providing critical assistance during disasters. Efficient communication is crucial for coordinating rescue efforts, disseminating safety information to the public, and ensuring the smooth functioning of emergency services. The consequences of communication disruptions can impede timely and effective response measures, potentially increasing the risks and impacts of tornado and flood events. Implementing redundant communication systems, establishing alternative centers of operation, and conducting regular communication drills are essential for maintaining continuous and reliable communication during times of crisis.

Final Rankings and Risk Assessment:

Winstonville Fire Department: With a total risk score of 36, the fire department is ranked as the most susceptible critical infrastructure asset to tornadoes and floods.
Winstonville Urgent Care Center: With a total risk score of 30, the urgent care center ranks as the second-most vulnerable asset.
Community Center, Winstonville City Hall, and Winstonville Adult Day Care Center: All three assets have the same risk score of 6, indicating similar levels of susceptibility to tornadoes and floods.

Discussion: Risk Mitigation Strategies

Urgent Care Centers – Strengthening Disaster Preparedness

Urgent Care Centers are critical lifelines during natural disasters, serving as frontline responders for medical care and emergency services (Gossip et al., 2017). Strengthening their disaster preparedness is essential to ensure they can effectively withstand and respond to the impacts of tornadoes and floods. One of the key mitigation strategies is conducting regular disaster drills and training hospital staff to handle emergencies efficiently (Gossip et al., 2017). By simulating various disaster scenarios, medical professionals can practice response protocols, triage procedures, and coordination with emergency teams, enhancing their ability to provide timely and effective medical care during crises.

Robust communication technologies are essential for smooth coordination and information dissemination within the hospital and with external emergency response teams. Reliable communication lines allow efficient resource allocation, patient tracking, and essential information sharing, improving tornado and flood response.

Developing comprehensive evacuation plans is another critical component of hospital preparedness. Evacuation protocols should include secure patient transport. When necessary, established assembly places and clear evacuation routes ensure a smooth evacuation.

Stockpiling medical supplies and keeping proper stockpiles are key for disaster preparedness. Hospitals should pre-order necessary pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and PPE to avoid shortages during high-demand periods. Restocking and resource availability during tornadoes and floods can be ensured through regular inventory reviews and supplier cooperation.

Winstonville City Hall – Enhanced Structural Resilience

Winstonville City Hall’s power systems are crucial lifelines for communities, providing electricity to homes, businesses, and essential services. Enhancing the structural resilience of power plants is imperative to minimize the impact of tornadoes and floods on electricity generation and distribution.

Investing in reinforcing critical infrastructure, such as cooling towers and electrical systems, can bolster the power plant’s ability to withstand severe weather conditions. Using durable and wind-resistant materials for construction and upgrading structural components can help minimize damage during tornado events.

Implementing early warning systems is essential for timely decision-making and mitigating potential risks. Advanced weather monitoring and detection technologies can provide early alerts of approaching tornadoes or flooding, allowing power plant operators to initiate shutdown procedures or take other preventive measures to minimize damage and ensure the safety of personnel.

Establishing backup power systems and redundancy measures is crucial to ensure continuous operations during tornado-induced power outages. Backup generators and alternative power sources can support critical functions, allowing the power plant to continue operations and contribute to community resilience during emergencies.

Winstonville’s City Hall – Implementing Flood Control Measures

The City Hall’s water treatment plants are pivotal in providing communities with clean and safe drinking water. Implementing flood control measures is paramount to protect these essential facilities from the impacts of floods (Wang et al., 2022).Raising critical equipment above flood levels is a crucial safeguard for water treatment plants. Elevating electrical systems, control rooms, and critical machinery can prevent floodwaters from damaging vital infrastructure, ensuring the plant’s continued operation during and after flooding.

Constructing flood barriers around the perimeter of the water treatment plant can serve as an effective defense against rising water levels. These barriers can help prevent floodwaters from infiltrating the plant’s facilities, protecting water treatment equipment and processes from potential damage.Proper drainage systems are essential for efficiently managing floodwater around the water treatment plant (Wang et al., 2022). Implementing effective drainage solutions can redirect excess water away from critical infrastructure, reducing the risk of inundation and damage.

Regular inspections and water treatment plant infrastructure maintenance are crucial to ensure its resilience during extreme weather events. Proactive monitoring and timely repairs can prevent potential vulnerabilities from developing into significant issues, contributing to the overall robustness of the water treatment plant.

Community Center Building – Relocation or Reinforcement

Community Center office buildings serve as critical hubs for public services and house essential records and administrative functions. Two primary mitigation strategies can be considered to reduce their vulnerability to tornadoes and floods: relocation or reinforcement.

Relocating community center office buildings away from high-risk areas, such as floodplains or tornado-prone regions, can significantly lower their susceptibility to natural disasters. Identifying safer locations with lower exposure to hazards can help ensure the continuity of government operations and protect vital records during extreme weather events. Relocation also provides an opportunity to design and construct new buildings with disaster resilience in mind, incorporating modern engineering techniques and resilient materials to withstand severe weather conditions.

Alternatively, reinforcing the existing community center’s office buildings using resilient materials and design practices can enhance their ability to withstand the impact of tornadoes and floods. Retrofitting structures with wind-resistant elements such as reinforced walls, roofing, and windows can make them more tornado-resistant. Elevating vital equipment and building flood barriers can reduce the danger of flood damage.

Based on the building’s condition, historical value, and cost-benefit analysis, comprehensive risk evaluations can help determine whether relocation or reinforcement is best. Urban planners, architects, and disaster management professionals must collaborate to determine the optimum tornado and flood mitigation strategy for government office buildings.

Winstonville Adult Daycare Center – Backup and Redundancy Systems

Adult Daycare centers coordinate emergency responses and information dissemination during natural disasters (Nowell et al., 2017). Backup and redundancy solutions are essential for tornadoes and floods. One of the primary mitigation strategies for communication centers is installing backup power systems. Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) units and backup generators can provide emergency power during tornado-induced power outages, allowing the communication center to continue its critical functions. Regular maintenance and testing of backup power systems are essential to ensure their reliability during emergencies.

Implementing redundancy for communication channels is crucial for maintaining seamless communication during extreme weather events (Nowell et al., 2017). Multiple communication pathways, such as satellite links and fiber-optic connections, offer alternative data transmission routes if tornadoes or floods disrupt primary channels. Redundant communication systems can help prevent service disruptions and ensure emergency communications reach their intended recipients.

Employing satellite communication options can provide additional protection against service disruptions caused by terrestrial communication infrastructure damage. Satellite communication is resilient to terrestrial hazards and can ensure the communication center’s connectivity with emergency response agencies and stakeholders even during severe weather conditions.

Establishing alternative communication centers can further enhance the resilience of the communication network (Nowell et al., 2017). Having backup locations for emergency operations ensures the continuity of essential services even if the primary communication center is affected by tornadoes or floods (EL Khaled &Mcheick, 2019). These alternative centers should be geographically distant from the primary location to minimize the risk of simultaneous disruptions.

Future Preparedness and Adaptation:

Importance of Continuous Monitoring and Evaluation

Continuous monitoring and evaluating of critical infrastructure assets are paramount for enhancing future preparedness and adaptation to tornadoes and floods (Gossip et al., 2017). By regularly assessing these assets’ performance and vulnerabilities, decision-makers can proactively identify emerging threats and address potential weaknesses (Gossip et al., 2017). Continuous monitoring involves gathering data on weather patterns, natural hazard occurrences, and infrastructure conditions to keep risk assessments up-to-date.

Regular risk assessments help decision-makers comprehend the changing threat landscape and evaluate mitigation approaches (Gossip et al., 2017). Authorities can prioritize vital infrastructure investments and allocate resources by examining historical data and anticipating future scenarios. If tornado frequency has increased in a location, sensitive assets may need stronger mitigating measures.

Monitoring weather trends is vital for the early detection of natural disasters. Tornado and flood frequency and intensity can be determined by working with meteorological organizations and disaster response teams. Authorities can give timely warnings and activate emergency response processes by remaining updated about shifting weather patterns, limiting the potential consequences on key infrastructure assets and public safety. Continuous evaluation of preparation strategies is essential for efficient resource allocation (Gossip et al., 2017). Decision-makers can enhance their strategy by regularly reviewing past disaster responses and recovery efforts. Past disasters can educate future disaster management methods, making tornado and flood responses more effective and efficient.

Updating Threat, Vulnerability, and Consequence Scores

Threat, vulnerability, and consequence scores must be assessed and updated to ensure that critical infrastructure remains resilient to tornadoes and floods. Collaboration with meteorological agencies, GIS experts, and disaster response teams can reveal natural hazard data and patterns.

Staying abreast of new threats and natural disasters is essential to updating threat rankings. As climate patterns change and new hazard data become available, decision-makers can analyze critical infrastructure asset risks (Cardona &Carreño, 2011). Assets in a zone with more tornadoes may have higher threat rankings. Reassessing vulnerability ratings is crucial to understanding infrastructure resilience. Regular inspections and vulnerability assessments assist in detecting critical asset flaws or deteriorating conditions. Updated vulnerability scores allow authorities to prioritize asset maintenance and upgrading to improve tornado and flood resistance.

Understanding natural disasters’ possible effects on key infrastructure assets and their communities is essential to updating consequence scores. Authorities can better predict tornado and flood impacts by learning from past disasters and considering asset dependencies. By assessing the ripple effects, decision-makers can limit the impact on public services, the economy, and public safety (Cardona &Carreño, 2011). Threat, vulnerability, and consequence evaluations are more accurate with real-time weather and infrastructure sensor data. Technology allows the collecting and analyzing massive volumes of data, allowing decision-makers to make informed judgments based on current facts.

Community Involvement and Emergency Response Plans

Engaging the community improves disaster preparedness and response to tornadoes and floods. Community-based emergency response strategies encourage disaster management engagement and ownership (Johnston et al., 2022).Public awareness programs help citizens prepare for tornadoes and floods. Informing the public about potential threats, evacuation protocols, and safety measures allows them to act during disasters. Critical messages reach a wide audience via social media, community meetings, and educational programs.

Local stakeholders’ involvement in infrastructure planning and disaster preparedness results in more resilient designs that address community demands and vulnerabilities (Johnston et al., 2022). Community members can contribute vital insights into local risks, prior disaster impacts, and access issues, allowing decision-makers to customize mitigation initiatives to unique circumstances.

Tornadoes and floods require collaboration with local disaster response teams, first responders, and community organizations. Clear communication channels and mutual aid agreements facilitate resource allocation and information exchange (EL Khaled &Mcheick, 2019). Community involvement in emergency response planning encourages collaboration and improves disaster management.

Community-based disaster response strategies can include neighborhood watch programs and community action teams. These programs enable communities to help one another during calamities and aid needy community members. Empowering local leaders and organizations to participate in disaster preparedness enhances community resilience and promotes a culture of readiness. Strong social networks and support systems can help communities cope with tornadoes and floods and recover faster.

Conclusion

The threat assessment for tornadoes and floods on Winstonville’s key infrastructure assets highlights the necessity for disaster preparedness and mitigation. The rankings show the vulnerabilities of different assets, with the Hospital at the highest risk, underscoring how important it is in emergency response during natural disasters. The City Hall’s vulnerability to tornadoes and floods shows the need to ensure power for key services and community well-being.

Natural disasters can be mitigated by improving infrastructure resilience. Urgent Care disaster preparedness must be strengthened through regular exercises, robust communication systems, evacuation plans, and stockpiling of necessary medical supplies to ensure continuity of service during emergencies. Urgent Care Centers need structural resilience and early warning systems to survive extreme weather and provide electricity.

The City Hall water treatment plants must be inspected, and flood control measures must be implemented during floods. Relocation or reinforcement can reduce tornado and flood susceptibility in government office buildings, providing ongoing public services. To sustain emergency communication lines, communication centers need backup and redundancy systems.

Monitoring and assessment are essential for identifying new risks and improving mitigating solutions. Decision-makers can react to changing environmental conditions by collaborating with meteorological agencies and disaster response teams. Public awareness campaigns and community-based emergency response plans build community resilience and a culture of readiness.

Winstonville can improve its tornado and flood response by prioritizing critical infrastructure asset protection and taking preemptive steps. Community involvement, mitigation, and readiness will keep key services running during disasters, protecting lives and livelihoods. These improvements will make Winstonville more robust to future natural disasters.

References

Allen, T. R., Crawford, T., Montz, B., Whitehead, J., Lovelace, S., Hanks, A. D., Christensen, A. R., & Kearney, G. D. (2018). Linking Water Infrastructure, Public Health, and Sea Level Rise: Integrated Assessment of Flood Resilience in Coastal Cities. Public Works Management & Policy, 24(1), 110–139. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087724×18798380

Cardona, O. D., &Carreño, M. L. (2011). Updating the Indicators of Disaster Risk and Risk Management for the Americas. Journal of Integrated Disaster Risk Management, 1(1), 27–47. https://doi.org/10.5595/idrim.2011.0014

Chapungu, L., & Nhamo, G. (2021). Contextualising the Increasing Risk of Floods and Tornadoes. Sustainable Development Goals Series, 3–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74192-1_1

EL Khaled, Z., &Mcheick, H. (2019). Case studies of communications systems during harsh environments: A review of approaches, weaknesses, and limitations to improve quality of service. International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks, 15(2), 155014771982996. https://doi.org/10.1177/1550147719829960

Gossip, K., Gouda, H., Lee, Y. Y., Firth, S., Bermejo, R., Zeck, W., & Jimenez Soto, E. (2017). Monitoring and evaluation of disaster response efforts undertaken by local health departments: a rapid realist review. BMC Health Services Research, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-017-2396-8

Iglesias, V., Braswell, A. E., Rossi, M. W., Joseph, M. B., McShane, C., Cattau, M., Koontz, M. J., McGlinchy, J., Nagy, R. C., Balch, J., Leyk, S., & Travis, W. R. (2021). Risky Development: Increasing Exposure to Natural Hazards in the United States. Earth’s Future, 9(7), e2020EF001795. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EF001795

Johnston, K. A., Taylor, M., & Ryan, B. (2022). Engaging communities to prepare for natural hazards: a conceptual model. Natural Hazards. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-022-05290-2

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Appendix

Critical Infrastructure Asset	Threat Score
Winstonville Fire Department	2
Winstonville Urgent Care	3
Community Center	1
Winstonville City Hall	2
Winstonville Adult DayCare	1

Vulnerability Scoring:

Critical Infrastructure Asset	Vulnerability Score
Winstonville Fire Department	3
Winstonville Urgent Care	2
Community Center	2
Winstonville City Hall	1
Winstonville Adult Daycare	2

Consequence Scoring:

Critical Infrastructure Asset	Symbolic Value	Intrinsic Value	Level of Consequence
Winstonville Fire Department	2	3	5
Winstonville Urgent Care	3	3	6
Community Center	1	2	3
Winstonville City Hall	1	2	3
Winstonville Adult Daycare	2	1	3

Final Rankings:

Rank	Critical Infrastructure Asset	RISK
1	Winstonville Fire Department	36
2	Winstonville Urgent Care	30
3	Community Center	6
4	Winstonville City Hall	6
5	Winstonville Adult Daycare	6

Check your paper for all the instances of Daycare and make sure you have a consistent spelling, there are a couple of different spellings….

Show a chart with all scores.

Explain the how the threat scoring was done in depth.

Show a chart with all scores.