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Experiences of Community Leaders Following an Enhanced Fujita 5 Tornado Thomas Edward Orr Walden University

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Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2017 Experiences of Community Leaders Following an Enhanced Fujita 5 Tornado Thomas Edward Orr Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Psychology Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Thomas Orr has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Ruth Crocker, Committee Chairperson, Psychology Faculty Dr. Barbara DeVelasco, Committee Member, Psychology Faculty Dr. Thomas Edman, University Reviewer, Psychology Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2017 Abstract Experiences of Community Leaders Following an Enhanced Fujita 5 Tornado by Thomas E. Orr MSEd, Northern State University, 1978 BA, Colorado Christian University, 1976 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy General Psychology Walden University May 2017 Abstract Many U.S. communities experience tornadoes each year, causing a significant number of deaths and injuries. Proper community preparation and response can help reduce human suffering and psychological trauma that occur following a tornado. However, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology most U.S. communities in tornado- prone areas are unprepared for a violent tornado, and there are few national, state, or local tornado-related definitions, standard or code to guide preparations. Social constructionism was the underlying theory of this qualitative study. The purpose of this study was to improve tornado preparations by examining the experiences of community leaders following a rare category 5 tornado occurring in Joplin, Missouri in 2011. The key research question considered the experiences of Joplin community leaders following the tornado. Twelve community leaders, 4 females and 8 males participated in individual face-to-face interviews, and were asked about preparations, emergency responses, trauma services and rebuilding. Giorgi‟s descriptive phenomenological method was used to analyze data. Findings include specific recommendations to improve community preparation, emergency response, trauma service and rebuilding. Community leaders experienced difficulty in coordinating appropriate resources to meet individual victim needs. They described ways in which the community was unprepared and changes that could be made in the future. This study may contribute to positive social change by providing communities with knowledge about tornado preparation and response to improve networks, reduce fatalities, injuries, trauma effects, and property damage in tornado prone areas. Experiences of Community Leaders Following an Enhance Fujita 5 Tornado by Thomas E. Orr MSEd, Northern State University, 1978 BA, Colorado Christian University, 1976 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy General Psychology Walden University May 2017 Dedication I dedicate this study to the Joplin, Missouri community leaders who shouldered the responsibility of recovering from the May 22, 2011 EF5 tornado. You led the city through immense pain and directed a tremendous rebuilding of the entire community. Joplin is a city with great heart, soul, and faith. The community shines brightly today thanks to the leaders who stepped forward from the darkness to guide a city that always retained hope. In addition, I want to dedicate this work to my mother who taught me to always believe in myself. Also, to my children and grandchildren, remember to count the cost before committing to a new challenge, but once you begin that challenge, remain determined to finish. Acknowledgments To my wife who always offered help when needed, despite having her hands full with her own dissertation. To Dr. Ruth Crocker who patiently guided me through the entire dissertation process with great skill and wisdom. I will always be grateful for the quality time you offered to me and my classmates. Thank you. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ....................................................................................1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................1 Background ....................................................................................................................4 Problem Statement .........................................................................................................7 Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................9 Research Questions ......................................................................................................11 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................12 Nature of the Study ......................................................................................................14 Definitions....................................................................................................................15 Assumptions .................................................................................................................16 Scope and Delimitations ..............................................................................................17 Limitations ...................................................................................................................18 Significance..................................................................................................................19 Summary ......................................................................................................................21 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................23 Introduction ..................................................................................................................23 Literature Search Strategy............................................................................................26 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................29 Social Constructionism ......................................................................................... 29 Literature Review Related to Key Concepts ................................................................32 Natural Disaster and Trauma Effects .................................................................... 32 i Tornado Impact on Communities ......................................................................... 37 Joplin Tornado ...................................................................................................... 40 Emergency Response and Learning from the Joplin Tornado .............................. 45 Review of Literature Topics Organized by Methodology ...........................................49 Quantitative Research ........................................................................................... 50 Qualitative Research ............................................................................................. 52 Mixed Method Research ....................................................................................... 55 NIST Study Concerning Public Response ............................................................ 57 NIST Study Concerning Emergency Response .................................................... 58 Summary and Conclusions ..........................................................................................59 Chapter 3: Research Method ..............................................................................................61 Introduction ..................................................................................................................61 Research Design and Rationale ...................................................................................62 Research Questions ............................................................................................... 62 Rationale for Qualitative Approach ...................................................................... 63 Role of the Researcher .................................................................................................66 Researcher Bias ..................................................................................................... 67 Methodology ................................................................................................................69 Participant Selection and Criteria ......................................................................... 69 Sampling ............................................................................................................... 70 Instrumentation and Data Collection ...........................................................................71
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