Vol. 38, No. 18

2-4-2005
By: Randy Gammage

Flood threat emphasizes OSU teamwork, resources

As university officials coordinated emergency evacuation and contingency plans Jan. 12-13 in the event the Olentangy River overflowed and flooded campus, the potential disaster exemplified the positive influence Ohio State’s size and vast resources can have.

Upstream, the torrential rains filled the Delaware County dam to dangerous levels, prompting local Emergency Management Agency officials to contemplate a controlled release of water from the dam. Downstream, OSU units galvanized and came together in the name of flood preparedness.

“Once we recognized that we were in a flood preparation mode, it was amazing to see the eagerness of all parties involved, and to see the incredible wealth of resources the university has in action,” said Assistant Vice President and Director for Public Safety Vernon Baisden.

For example, while the OSU Airport used its weather radar to track the storm, the Center for Mapping devised a map of two flood scenarios, drawn from information provided by Physical Facilities. Transportation and Parking Services offered buses to help transport students in the event of evacuation, while the Office of Information Technology was prepared to move the university’s Web site to a secure server.

The planning process was triggered by a Jan. 12 meeting between EMA officials and local police chiefs, after which Baisden started pulling together OSU groups that either would be affected or could assist in the event of flooding. Those working in buildings in closest proximity to the river were being encouraged to take steps to protect equipment and data should the river overflow. The river and weather were closely monitored, with the university community informed on a timely basis as to what steps to take, if needed.

“The OSU campus would have received anywhere from five to 17 feet of water, as far away from the river as the Tuttle Parking Garage on the east and the Adventure Recreation Center to the west, if we would have received another inch or two of rain,” said OSU Acting Police Chief John Petry.

The list of 34 buildings that could have been affected by flooding includes University Hospitals Clinic, the Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Drake Performance and Event Center, and Lincoln and Morril towers.

One of the buildings on the list, the Buckeye Substation on Cannon Drive, supplies the bulk of electric power to the OSU campus. Associate Vice President for Physical Facilities Jim Stevens said in the event of flooding his department was prepared to shut down the Buckeye Substation, depending on anticipated water levels. That probably would have resulted in a universitywide power outage lasting a week or more. Building a second substation could act as an insurance policy against future outages.

“We are starting the initial planning process for building an alternate substation, that would be located out of the flood plain, ideally somewhere on west campus,” Stevens said.

Steps ahead
While the flooding of the OSU campus never materialized, it reaffirmed the need to update the university’s already existing contingency plans to reflect recent growth and changing needs, Petry said.

“After 9/11 we all got into the mindset of preparing for a terrorist attack. We kind of set aside the concept that Mother Nature could deliver as strong a blow as any terrorist could,” Petry said.

Calling for work to begin updating existing plans at the departmental and institutional level, Baisden stressed “emergency preparedness is a requirement and a must for everyone. The events of Jan. 12-13 should serve as the impetus to redefine the university’s plan to ensure safe and continuous functioning of vital resources most affected by potential disasters, such as power lines, telephones, roadways, computer networks and the University Medical Center.”

For more information, visit the Web at www.ps.ohio-state.edu/emergency_procedures/or e-mail baisden.14@osu.edu or petry.1@osu.edu.

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