2. Data and methods
2.3. Part II: disaggregated per-building estimates
Due to the uncertainty present when utilizing the methodology
in Section 2.2 (i.e. there is no way of knowing where within census
blocks the population is actually located), a new methodology was
produced. We estimated the population distribution within the
census blocks using a disaggregation method. This methodology,
outlined in Fig. 4, incorporated the census and siren data as well as
the building outlines and zoning data. The building outlines were
used to assign population from the blocks to the buildings based on
building size and the zone the building fell within (residential or
partially residential types). With this methodology we focus on
residences under the assumption that these are the locations where
citizens spend the majority of their time. Also, it would be
extremely difficult to determine how to assign population to nonresidential
zones, which include commercial and industrial buildings.
These buildings are sporadically representative of population
due to these being places of work and commercial interaction (e.g.,
retail stores). In addition, most severe weather threats occurring in
central Oklahoma occur in the late-afternoon and evening when
citizens are likely to be at their place of residence. We make the
assumption too that building size (horizontal area) correlates with
population (i.e. the larger the residence the more people contained
within that residence), which in many cases is not true.