The businesses located within the City of Live Oak are a vital part of our community. Whether you are involved in retail sales, services, or a profession, you are an important part of our City. As such, the safety of your employees and customers, in the event of a serious emergency or an actual disaster should be your number one concern.

In the event of a disaster are you prepared? Here are some questions for you to consider.

• Do you have adequate insurance on your building? The contents?
• What if you lost your business records?
• What about computer records and data? Do you have a back-up system?
• What about your loss of income?
• What about your employees?

A disaster like a tornado or an accidental fire could totally destroy your business. Your business could be undamaged but in a disaster area without electricity, telephone service, and customers. A major incident could force you to be closed for days or even weeks.

There have been many studies following major disasters and statistics have shown that many businesses, especially smaller ones and family owned businesses never recover from a disaster and never reopen. The reasons for this are usually quite simple. The business lacked a disaster plan and in many cases sufficient insurance coverage. Larger companies and business like big box stores have disaster plans in place and are prepared in case there is a disaster.

As a business owner or manager here are some more questions to consider:

• Do you have a disaster plan or continuity plan as they sometimes are called?
• Is there an evacuation plan in case of fire? What about accountability?
• What is the safest location in the building in case a tornado warning is issued?
• Are your supervisors and employees trained in emergency procedures?
• Do they know what to do in case of a fire, a bomb threat, and criminal activity like dealing with an armed robbery attempt?
• What about something simple like a broken water pipe? Are supervisors and employees knowledgeable of water shut off valves along with electrical panels?

A business continuity plan or disaster plan, whichever name you want to use, is designed to keep you, your employees, and in many cases your customers’ safe in the event of a serious incident or an actual disaster. Having a plan can save lives and possibly your business.

A business disaster preparedness plan checklist is available and can be downloaded by clicking on the link below:

Business Disaster Preparedness Plan Checklist

This checklist will take you through the basic steps in developing a plan from determining your potential hazards, developing a plan, training, handling emergencies, and finally recovery actions.

A sample business disaster plan is also available and can be downloaded by clicking on the link below:

Sample Business Disaster Plan

The Office of Emergency Management is available to help any business owner with preparing and putting a plan together to suit the needs of your company. In addition training is available from the police department on crime prevention issues and from the fire department on the use of fire extinguishers, basic first aid, how to conduct fire drills, and other topics. The Office of Emergency Management also has many brochures and checklists available on dealing with many issues such as severe weather events, hazardous materials accidents, and other subjects.

The City’s emergency management plan consists of a Basic Plan and Twenty-Two (22) functional annexes that cover various subjects. The basic plan is an overview of our emergency preparedness program and a copy is available for public inspection in the Office of Emergency Management during normal business hours.

The basic plan can also be downloaded as a word document at the link provided below.

Basic Emergency Management Plan

The Twenty Two (22) functional annexes are as follows:

1. Warning
2. Communications
3. Shelter & Mass Care
4. D – Radiological Protection
5. Evacuation
6. Firefighting & Rescue
7. Law Enforcement
8. Health & Medical
9. Public Information
10. Recovery
11. Public Works & Engineering
12. Utilities
13. Resource Management
14. Direction and Control
15. Human Services
16. Hazard Mitigation
17. Hazardous Materials Response
18. Rescue
19. Transportation
20. Donations Management
21. Legal
22. Terrorist Incident Response

Each of the above annexes is assigned to a specific department, functional area, or a specific city staff member. The annexes outline basic requirements for the functional area however specific tasks dealing with these areas are outlined in departmental standard operational procedures or guides.

Disasters can be traumatic for many adults, but they can be very frightening for our children and may cause serious issues for months following the event. In a disaster children may have to leave their home and their daily routine. Most young children are used to getting up in the morning, going to school, playing with their friends, and then going to sleep – in their own bed. A major emergency or a disaster can change all of this. Older children and even teenagers can be traumatized as well following a disaster as they have a better idea of what happened and may remember the events for a longer time.

In the event some kind of major incident occurs from a residential fire to a major disaster like a tornado touchdown, parents need to provide reassurance and guidance based on the age of their children. It is important to explain things to them on their level. Try to let them know things will be OK.

It is important to keep the family together if possible, however this isn’t always a good idea either depending on the situation and the options available. Grandparents, other relatives, and family friends are some possible options for younger children following a disaster. Moving the family away from the disaster area may be a good idea, especially if the outlook for recovery is going to be long-term. These are extremely important and sometimes difficult decisions that have to be made following an event and families sometimes have little time to make them.

This actually is an issue that should be addressed in your family disaster plan ahead of time. What are the family options? Generally speaking it will be easier to plan for this without being in a crisis.

Following any major disaster many state and federal agencies respond to assist with damage assessment and recovery operations, and part of the assistance involves crisis counseling for individuals, children, families, and the emergency responders. Anyone involved in a disaster will be encouraged to contact these agencies following the event. In many cases counselors will be available at local shelters and notices will be posted in many places.

The Office of Emergency Management has numerous brochures on this subject and some are available in both English and Spanish. In addition some can be downloaded from various web sites such as the American Red Cross. See Agency Links by clicking this link.

Are you prepared for a disaster? Take the following Disaster Preparedness Quiz to find out:

Disaster Preparedness Quiz

The most important thing a citizen can do regarding emergency preparedness is to have a Family Disaster Plan. This concept is not something new and it really is a continuation of fire prevention. Fire departments across the nation promote fire safety issues such as having smoke detectors, testing them on a regular basis and changing the batteries, having an escape plan along with a family meeting place outside the home, and having a practice fire drill. The “Family Disaster Plan” carries this one step further and actually being prepared for a fire should be part of your Family Disaster Plan.

In the event of a major incident or an actual disaster, families may fall into one of three categories. They are:

• Directly affected.
• In directly affected.
• Not affected at all.

Needless to say the lucky ones escaped without any damage and their homes and property is outside of the disaster area. Other folks may not be so lucky! Those citizens directly affected by a disaster may have lost everything to a tornado or a flood. Those in directly affected may have received only minor damage or none at all but are close to the disaster area that they may be without electricity, gas, telephone service, and even water. Depending on the extent of the damage these citizens may be forced to leave their homes as well due to the lack of services. In some cases debris may clog the street and these citizens may not be able to leave the area.

This highlights the necessity for having a Family Disaster Plan, which includes having some basic supplies on hand. Following any type of major incident or a disaster, emergency personnel will be overwhelmed and they will concentrate their efforts on firefighting, search and rescue operations, and treating the injured. Those citizens in directly affected may need to survive on their own and families should include this in their family plan. Generally speaking families should be able to manage on their own for 72 hours.

Many people may already have a fire escape plan and are prepared for some emergencies. They have some basic necessities already on hand like flashlights, a portable radio, extra batteries, first aid supplies, and may be some food items. If so you are off to a good start! A checklist for creating a plan and the supplies can be downloaded by clicking on the item below.

Family Disaster Plan Checklist

A very important part of your family disaster plan is communications and the ability to keep in touch for all members of the family. In addition, other family members living elsewhere or even in another state may be trying to get in touch with you.

If a disaster occurs during the daytime the family is normally separated. Mom and Dad are at work and Johnny and Susie are away at different schools. Following a tornado your home is located within the disaster area and no one is able to get there. Where is everyone going to go? Where are you going to meet? How are you going to communicate with each other? If you have an answer to each of these questions you're in good shape. Maybe! If one of your answers was to use your cellular phone that may not solve your problem at all. Your cell phone may or may not work. Cellular towers in the area may be damaged and they may become overloaded with calls so no one is getting through. Land lines may work however in some cases these can be overloaded as well with emergency calls and other people calling their relatives. Chances are your communications plan isn’t working too well at this point.

Here is a tip. Local lines maybe swamped with telephone calls but long distance is available. If you dial “1” to get on long distance you may be able to make a call to a friend or relative that lives outside of the immediate area and is in another area code. As part of your family disaster plan select a relative or a friend that lives in another state or area code and if family members become separated and are unable to contact each other, everyone then calls “Aunt Sally” in Dallas and tells her where they are.

All families should have a meeting place outside of the home in case of fire, i.e. by the mailbox or the big tree in the front yard, but also other locations nearby. This could be a friends’ house, a church or school, or some other location that everyone can get to.

In closing the Office of Emergency Management has numerous brochures and checklists on creating a family disaster plan in addition to the checklist available on-line.

In the event of a serious emergency or an actual disaster, citizens may have to evacuate their homes or they may be asked to shelter in-place for several hours because of a hazardous condition. Citizens may not be directly affected by an incident but could be without electricity or other services because of the incident. While this may be a major inconvenience to some of us, citizens with disabilities, access issues, or those with other functional needs may be faced with a life-threatening situation. These categories include:

• Citizens who are mobility impaired.
• Citizens who are blind or hearing impaired.
• Family members who are mentally challenged. (Adults or children)
• Citizens with special medical needs such as being on continuous oxygen.
• Citizens without transportation.

In the event of an evacuation, some of these individuals may require assistance and in some cases, citizens may not have transportation especially at certain times of the day. These individuals may not have a physical impairment however the lack of transportation places these citizens in a separate special category that must be addressed.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) along with local officials across the state have placed a great deal of emphasis on citizens with disabilities, access issues, or those with other functional needs. This is especially true along the Texas Gulf Coast during hurricane evacuations. Locally the City of Live Oak started a program several years ago to help our citizens. The main issue initially is simply to identify these individuals and where they reside in the community.

The Office of Emergency Management has a voluntary program to allow citizens who have a disability, access issues, or some other type of functional need to come forward and complete an enrollment form to join the program. Only limited information is required and enrollment forms are available at the Fire Station during normal business hours or you can download the form below.

STEAR Login (texas.gov)

The Office of Emergency Management has created a database to identify these citizens by the various areas of the City, such as the Woodcrest or Retama Hollow Subdivisions. Using this method we can determine who lives within an area should some type of emergency occur nearby.

For additional information on this important program citizens should contact the Office of Emergency Management.

Report Power Outages to CPS Energy
Call: (210) 353-HELP (353-4357)

The loss of power is always a major inconvenience for everyone! Power outages are typically caused by severe weather, traffic accidents and sometimes equipment failure. In addition rolling blackouts may occur due to a major malfunction or when power requirements exceed the available power supply within the power grid.

The majority of the power grid in the State of Texas is controlled by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). On rare occasions, when demand exceeds the capabilities of the grid, ERCOT directs providers to reduce their load in order to prevent a major blackout. When this occurs, CPS Energy has a small window of time to reduce power and rolling blackouts may occur quicker than the media can spread the word.

As a reminder, the City of Live Oak does not handle power outages. Please DO NOT contact the Live Oak Dispatch Center regarding outages unless you have an emergency relating to the outage such as downed wires or if a nearby transformer has blown, is smoking or is on fire. In addition, the City cannot provide portable generators, battery packs, oxygen tanks or refill your existing oxygen tank. This is why it is very, very important that citizens who have special needs plan ahead before a problem arises.

How should you prepare for a power outage?

The following tips will help you be prepared for a power outage:

• Flashlights and extra batteries.
• Use candles and matches with care.
• Purchase a battery powered radio with extra batteries
• Turn off any appliances such as stoves, coffee makers, etc. that were on at the time of the outage. If you leave your home before the power is restored this appliance could cause a fire.
• Consider unplugging appliances to avoid damage caused by a power surge. Power surges occur when power is restored.
• Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed. These units will maintain a safe temperature for a short time provided you don't let the cold air out.
• Keep a reliable thermometer in your refrigerator and freezer. In the event of a lengthy power outage, you will be able to determine the exact temperature once the power is restored.
• Enroll in CPS Energy’s Critical Care program to minimize potential risk to customers who use electrically-operated medical equipment and/or whose physicians have verified that continued electric and/or gas service is critical to the occupant’s health.
• Consider purchasing a battery pack or portable generator.

It could never happen here in the United States! That was the feeling of many Americans until one day in 1993 a bomb went off in the parking garage of the World Trade Center in New York City. It was the first recorded terrorist attack in the United States however sadly we didn’t take it that seriously. Then later on after that incident was behind us another terrorist attack occurred that was very similar but it came from a very different source. Early one morning, in America’s Heartland, a bomb destroyed the federal building in Oklahoma City. This attack wasn’t from a foreign country but came from within the U.S.

A few more years passed by, however during this time frame the nation took the threat of terrorism more seriously. Many new programs began and security issues became more vigilant at airports and along the U.S. border. Many federal agencies became involved in security concerns across the nation and various plans were developed. The possible use of weapons of mass destruction came to light. The use of chemicals like nerve agents; bio-hazards like anthrax or smallpox; and even the possible use of nuclear weapons were suggested. Many third world countries were making threats along with various terrorist factions around the world. In addition many acts of terrorism were occurring in different nations, and in many cases Americans were the target along with our military personnel stationed overseas.

During this time frame emergency management officials at all levels of government feared another terrorist attack would occur in the United States and many federal dollars were spent on specialized equipment and training for first responders. As time went by the feeling was not if an attack would occur, but where and when. On the morning of September 11th, 2001, we learned the answer to both questions along with how! It wasn’t another bomb or some type of weapon of mass destruction, but commercial airliners, full of innocent people. These airplanes became missiles as they were flown into the World Trade Center Towers along with the Pentagon. A fourth plane crashed into a field – its target may have been the White House or The Capital. No one knows for sure.

Since that fateful day, still referred to as 9-11 many actions have been taken by various agencies of the federal, state, and local governments. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created and many federal agencies were joined together. Their initial responsibility was to create a national and comprehensive plan to deal with security around the nation. Many State governments established a similar office and reorganized some of their departments to handle this new threat. Terrorism became a household word along with several others.

The City of San Antonio along with Bexar County and all of the other municipalities within the county began working together to establish new plans and procedures to deal with terrorism. New plans were prepared and thousands of federal dollars were spent on equipment and training for all emergency responders. This is now a continuing process for all new personnel in law enforcement, the fire service and the emergency medical service.

What about the City of Live Oak and our citizens. The City is located within a major metropolitan area and we have a lot of military installations nearby, including Randolph AFB. Were also within 200 miles of the border! In addition we have numerous “soft” targets such as the theater, and the shopping centers. Large numbers of people gather at these locations at different times and these locations could become a target for an act of terrorism.

As for the citizens of Live Oak, what should you do to be safe in your home or at work? Here are some suggestions. First of all don’t panic! Some terrorist’s hope we will do just that and it is actually part of their plan. The most important thing a citizen can do is to simply be prepared and know what to do in an emergency. Be alert and aware of your surrounding both at work and around the City. If you see something that doesn’t look right or if you have a “bad feeling” about something, notify the police and leave the area. Citizens who live near a well site or the CPS substation and notice someone within the secure fenced area who is not in uniform or does not have an official vehicle may seem out of place. Call the police and have an officer investigate. To assist you a checklist is available by clicking on the following:

Terrorism Fact Sheet

In closing the region is generally well prepared, and there is an excellent working relationship between all of the jurisdictions within Bexar County and even more so in the Randolph Metrocom. Mutual aid agreements exist between all of the Metrocom City’s for law enforcement and fire and EMS. As an example, in the event of a structure fire within the City of Live Oak citizens will quickly notice fire apparatus from Converse, Selma, or Universal City on the scene along with Live Oak fire trucks. Automatic agreements are in place to send equipment immediately from the other jurisdictions on certain calls. In addition, the fire departments have formed an organization known as the Combined Emergency Services Organization (CESO) and they have established a hazardous materials response team. Law enforcement agencies are quick to respond to assist each other and officers from several departments have formed a regional Emergency Response Team (ERT) and can be dispatched quickly when needed anywhere in the area. Another name for the ERT is SWAT – short for Special Weapons and Tactics.

Citizens desiring to learn more about the fire or police department are encouraged to contact the respective departments. The police department does hold a Citizens Police Academy from time to time and citizens can attend weekly classes over a period of weeks to learn about the department and law enforcement procedures.

The Office of Emergency Management is always willing to conduct a class preparing a disaster plan for neighborhood groups, organizations, church groups, or just a couple of families who want to learn how to make a plan.

The threat of severe weather in South Texas can happen almost anytime during the year. It can range from severe thunderstorms with heavy rain, large hail, high winds, dangerous lightning, along with the possibility of tornadoes, to extreme heat and drought conditions. In addition during the winter months we can usually expect some icy conditions and the possibility of snow. While it doesn’t occur on a daily basis, we must always be prepared to deal with it whenever it does.

Here in the San Antonio area of South Texas we can and do receive a wide variety of severe weather based on several factors. The moisture from the Gulf of Mexico plays a major role. When cold fronts move into the area and mix with this moist atmosphere the results tend to produce showers and thunderstorms. Any of these storms moving in the area can become severe very quickly and this tends to occur in and around the Bexar County area. Unfortunately many frontal systems that move in from the West bring little rainfall to us here in Live Oak. Large cities tend to create heat islands and this can break up some storm fronts. In addition large cities tend to cap the atmosphere overhead and thus storms tend to miss us. As Live Oak is located on the Northeastern side of Bexar County we sometimes miss some severe weather as it tends to break up and weaken over the large city.

One important item to remember! On occasion storm systems can move into the area from the Northeast. While this is kind of rare, any large storm system moving into the area from the Northeast could bring severe weather to our City. This is especially true when it comes to tornadoes which we will discuss later on.

While severe weather occurs on a regular basis, it never really sneaks up on us thanks to the folks at the National Weather Service. The office serving the South Texas area is located at the New Braunfels Airport and it is known as the Austin/San Antonio office of the National Weather Service. The facility has state of the art NEXRAD radar and operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They provide daily weather updates and issue an assortment of weather advisories, statements, and bulletins including weather watches and warnings, depending on conditions. Several other radar sites cover South Texas including one near Del Rio, Corpus Christi, and several other locations. In addition, the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, monitors the weather across the nation and issues various statements regarding the possibility of severe weather.

All citizens should be familiar with the weather services statements and bulletins and fully understand what they mean. The most common are Watches and Warnings. They both pertain to a weather conditions but their meaning is very different.

Watches – A “Watch” of any kind simply means conditions are favorable for a certain type of weather to occur, over a certain area, and during a specific time frame. Generally speaking watches are issued based on atmospheric conditions when moisture is present and storms fronts are expected.

Warnings – A “Warning” on the other hand means that the condition is happening now. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning posted for Bexar County until a certain time means that a severe storm, based on high winds, hail, and rainfall is showing up on radar and is moving into the area. The most dangerous would be a tornado warning. These are issued when either an actual funnel cloud has been reported on the ground by a certified weather spotter or when radar indicates the possibility of a rotating storm cell which could indicate a tornado. Sometimes this indication is known as a “Hook Echo” on the radar. The hook so to speak is the actual funnel cloud however radar cannot tell if the funnel cloud is actually on the ground.

Severe weather can be dangerous and deadly too. One of the biggest problems around the area is flash flooding and there are many low water crossings that are located in San Antonio and Bexar County. Every year about 150 lives are lost due to flash flooding and the majority of these deaths occur at low water crossings. People continue to drive through low water crossings and are swept away by the rushing water.

Tornadoes also claim many lives each year as well. The San Antonio area is south of the famed “Tornado Alley” however every year we usually have at least one or two funnel clouds sighted in this area. As a reminder any thunderstorm can spawn a tornado with little or no warning. Generally speaking straight-line winds actually do more damage than tornadoes, and they also can occur during most thunderstorms.

Severe thunderstorms can occur anytime of the day or night however they occur most often in the late afternoon and into the early evening hours. Daytime heating combined with a lot of moist air from the Gulf and a frontal passage can trigger these storms on a regular basis, especially during the springtime from March – May. As such, the National Weather Service and the State of Texas promotes this as severe weather season and a proclamation is issued at the end of February by the Governor and our Mayor.

Lightning Safety Fact Sheet

Severe Weather Awareness Fact Sheet

CoCoRaHS, the Community, Collaboration, Rain, Hail, and Snow network:

The National Weather Service (NWS) continues to look for additional folks to become members of their CoCoRaHS network.

This program was started back in the late 1990s by the National Weather Service in Colorado and it continues to grow. The network now has volunteers in all 50 states and hopes to have 20,000 members by the end of the year. Their goal is to have weather observers across the nation who report rain, hail, and snow amounts on a daily basis along with other data using the internet or by telephone.

At the present time there are 94 active stations in San Antonio/Bexar County, and we have 2 in the City of Live Oak.

You can join the network by simply going to their web site and signing up or to get additional information regarding the program. Signing up is free, however in order to establish a monitoring site in your backyard, you must purchase a special rain gauge, similar to the type actually used by the weather service. This is necessary to insure the accuracy of the program as not all store bought gauges are the same. The cost is nominal and it can ordered on line or by telephone.

For additional information you can visit the Austin/San Antonio office of the National Weather Service at https://www.weather.gov/ewx/ or you can go directly to the CoCoRaHS web site at www.cocorahs.org On the web site for the Austin/San Antonio office scroll down to the bottom of the opening page and you will see the icon at the bottom of the page on the right hand side.

You can also contact the Live Oak Office of Emergency Management at 653-9140, Extension 2379 for additional information on this program.

Hurricane Season:

Hurricane season begins on June 1st and runs through November 30th each year. At the present time, the State of Texas ranks 2nd in the nation for hurricanes that have some impact on the state. Florida ranks number 1 in case you are wondering who has top honors in that category. That time frame isn’t always the case as some storms have formed in May and sometimes hurricanes continue to form in December.

While a hurricane making landfall along the Texas coastline is not going to have a direct impact on the San Antonio area, things could actually get pretty intense here under the right circumstances. Being approximately 150 miles from the coast the storm surge is not going to affect us, however depending on the size of the storm (Category 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5) and the point where it makes landfall, along with the storms forward speed we could experience some severe weather conditions in Bexar County. The worst part of a hurricane making landfall is the so called Northeast Quadrant. This is where the most intense wind is located and where the best chance is for the formation of tornadoes. As a reminder, once a hurricane makes landfall it can spawn many tornadoes as it moves inland.

In 1988 Hurricane Gilbert made landfall along the Texas Coast and moved inland. It came in between Corpus Christi and Brownsville and we were on the Northeast side of the storm. We had very heavy rains in San Antonio and several tornadoes touched down in Bexar County and within San Antonio. One hit the former Kelly AFB causing heavy damage and another hit the medical center area and heavily damaged an apartment complex and the Texas Medical Center itself.

In the event a major hurricane (Category 3 or higher) makes landfall along the coast of Texas near Corpus Christi and it comes in with enough forward speed, the affects could reach all the way to Bexar County and the City of Live Oak. In addition to heavy rainfall, we could experience sustained winds reaching hurricane speed – 74 MPH, with gusts reaching 100 MPH. While this would be a very rare occurrence it could happen and this could cause a lot of damage to homes and businesses, specifically roof damage.

The State of Texas is first in the nation for tornadoes, primarily because of our size. The so called “Tornado Alley” includes a large part of the State however we are not included here in the San Antonio area. It ends about 100 miles North of Bexar County. Generally speaking weather conditions over South Texas are favorable for tornado development whenever storms are in the area. As a reminder any thunderstorm, especially if they are reaching severe limits has the potential of producing a tornado on short notice.

Residential Homes - If a tornado warning is issued go to the most center part of your home, on the first floor. A hallway closet or bathroom would be a good choice. The room should not have an outside wall if at all possible. If you have none, the hallway itself with all doors closed should be safe. Always stay away from windows and outside doors. A closet under a stairway may seem like a good place however it may not be because the staircase could collapse on top of you if your home is hit by the tornado. Once you are in a “safe” area sit or lie down on the floor and protect your head.

Manufactured Homes/Mobile Homes - This type of structure is not safe during tornadoes. For some reason tornadoes seem to find mobile home parks and turn them upside down. While some of the newest models are better built and feature better tie down capability they still may be destroyed by a tornado. If you live in a manufactured/mobile home you really need to plan ahead. If you live in a mobile home park some have actually built tornado shelters in conjunction with their office building or clubhouse. Generally speaking this building probably would be a better place then your home but it may not be large enough to hold many people and may be locked up at night. As a general rule, homeowners who live in a manufactured/mobile home should have a plan to move to another location if a tornado warning is issued. The bottom line is if you live in this type of home you need to plan ahead.

Apartments - There are so many different types of apartment buildings that you really need to plan ahead as well. If you live in a single story building or on the first floor of a building you can follow the same guidelines as a single family home. If you live on a second floor or higher that’s another matter. Generally speaking go to the most center part of your unit and go into a closet or bathroom. Get down on the floor and protect your head. Once again, residents should plan ahead. If you live on the top floor you could be in greater danger as a tornado could rip the roof off of the building and do considerable damage to that floor of the building. As a suggestion if you have time to get to a safe location you might consider going to the apartment of a friend on a lower level. The bottom line once again is plan ahead.

There are so many different types of commercial buildings that it may be hard to determine a safe place. Generally speaking if a tornado warning is posted for the area all personnel should proceed to the lowest floor of the building. Stay away from windows, especially the large plate glass windows used in many retail buildings. As noted it is very hard to determine how large commercial buildings will hold up in a tornado. Roofs may collapse on large big box stores and people can be trapped under tons of debris if this should occur.

Generally speaking large shopping malls are somewhat safe. Stay away from windows and if you are on the ground level be aware what is above you. Large objects on the second level of a mall could fall to the lower level.

In large, multi-story office buildings the most important thing to remember is to stay away from large plate glass windows. Interior offices, restrooms, and hallways should be relatively safe.

One very important issue to remember is do not leave the building. You will be a lot safer in the structure then you will be outside or in your car.

Outdoors - If you are outdoors in open country look for shelter immediately. If there is no place to go then you need to look for a place to take cover. A highway culvert along the roadway or a simple ditch will do. Lie face down and cover your head with your hands. In the past it was suggested to look for a highway overpass or bridge however this is no longer recommended. While this may provide protection there really is nothing to hold onto. If the tornado passes nearby you could be sucked out from under the bridge. Generally speaking it is considered safer to get out of your vehicle and seek cover than staying inside your vehicle and trying to outrun the storm. Tornadoes can move very quickly and can change course rapidly. You may not be able to do that in your vehicle. If you're traveling and severe weather is forecast in the area you need to plan ahead. In some cases it may be wise to stop somewhere until the storm passes.

The City of Live Oak has a floodplain that affects several hundred homes. Many residents of the City are unaware that we have a floodplain, however back in October 1998 some folks figured that out. On the weekend of October 17th and 18th, 1998, the City received around 20 inches of rainfall over a 24 hour period. Minor flooding did occur, however damage was scarce.

The floodplain, defined by floodplain maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), covers the area around the lake in the city park and throughout the drainage channels within the City. The lake itself is really a flood control area so to speak and the parkland around it is designed to flood, causing little damage to property.

The Martinez Dam and the lake is part of the flood control system. Back in 1998 flood waters covered most of the park and water actually went around the dam – not over it, as it should. As a matter of information the earthen dam is safe and was recently upgraded by Army Corp of Engineers. Several changes were made along with the area around it.

Following the flood of 1998 the City identified numerous problems and during the next few years several drainage improvements were completed. In 2002 when heavy rains once again fell around the area, no problems were noted.

If your home has a drainage channel behind your back fence or if you have a channel in your neighborhood your property could be located in or near a floodplain. Floodplain administration is not handled by the Office of Emergency Management but rather by the Planning and Zoning Department at City Hall. They have the maps and they can determine if any of your property or if your home is located in or near a floodplain.

As a matter of information for all citizens your homeowners; insurance policy does NOT cover flooding. Homeowners must have a separate flood insurance policy. Chances are if your home was financed through a mortgage company they have verified whether or not the property is located in a floodplain and will have required that you purchase a flood insurance policy. The City participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) which allows residents to purchase flood insurance if required.

Any questions concerning the City’s floodplain should be directed to the Planning and Zoning Department and questions concerning insurance should be directed to your insurance agent.

Floodplain Management

Flash flooding is the number one (1) cause of storm related deaths around the nation and in the State of Texas. Each year approximately 150 people lose their lives as a result of flash flooding, with around 80% of those deaths occurring when people drive or try to walk into swift moving flood water. In most cases these deaths occur at low water crossings when people try to drive through it when flood waters are flowing across the roadway. The majority of the remaining deaths are children and young adults who are walking or playing near flood waters.

Whenever heavy rains occur around the area flash flooding is always a possibility, and the National Weather Service issues many flood watches and warning for the Bexar County/San Antonio area. There are numerous rivers, streams, and creeks within the county and there are almost 200 low water crossings in the area. Whenever heavy rains occur these low water crossings can fill rapidly and become deadly. Tests have shown that in most cases it takes less than two (2) feet of swift moving water to float most vehicles, depending on their size and type. Small compact cars and some pick-ups can float in just one (1) foot of water. In addition, only six (6) inches of swift moving water can knock the average person off their feet.

Flash flooding can occur at any hour of the day or night however it is even more deadly at nighttime when it is difficult to see. Flood waters may be deeper and moving much faster than they appear to be. In addition flood waters tend to hide many dangers such as large tree branches or other debris. Also all flood water must be considered to be contaminated water which can lead to other problems.

If you live near a low water crossing or pass by one on your daily commute, make sure you have an alternate route just in case. Pay attention when flash flood watches and warnings are issued. Remember that low water crossings can fill up quickly even though there is little rainfall where you are located. Water travels down the creeks and streams from other areas and can cause the water to rise over these crossings far from the heavy rainfall area.

National Weather Service Program