Abstract

In July of 1969, a large thunderstorm hit Wooster Ohio. In just 18 hours, 10 inches of rain fell on the city, causing flash floods that resulted in heavy damage to property and the loss of 27 lives. After the flood, the county government purchased some land in the floodplain in an attempt to stop development in flood prone areas. But other than that, no damming or other flood control mechanisms were implemented. This tragedy is what inspired this paper to be written. In it, two factors related to the hazard of extreme flooding events in Wooster Ohio are examined. The first is the risk or probability of an extreme flooding event occurring. And the second is the human vulnerability or the potential damage that would be caused to the community if a flood did occur. Both of these factors are measured over time to determine how they have changed. What the analysis determined was that the risk of an extreme flooding event occurring has increased since 1900, but that Wooster is less vulnerable today than decades before.

Advisor

Crawford, Alex

Department

Earth Sciences

Disciplines

Environmental Sciences

Publication Date

2019

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2019 Connor Moran O'Keeffe