Tornado warning awareness, information needs and the barriers to protective action of individuals who are blind

AbstractEffective warning messages should tell people what they should do, how they should do it, and how to maximize their health and safety. Guidance essentially delivers two types of information: 1) information that instructs people about the actions to take in response to a threat, and 2) information about how and why these recommended protective actions will reduce harm. However, recent research reported that while automated tornado warnings, sent by the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center via the account @NWStornado on Twitter, included useful information about the location of the threat, the potential impacts, and populations at risk, it failed to provide content that would contribute to successful protective actions. In this experimental study we investigate how the inclusion and presentation of protective action guidance affects participant perceptions of a tornado warning message and their perceived ability to act upon the information (i.e., self- and response-efficacy). We find that the inclusion of protective action guidance results an increase in the participants’ understanding of the message, their ability to decide what to do, and their perceived self- and response-efficacy. Knowing how to take action to protect oneself, and believing the actions will make oneself safe, are key motivators to taking action when faced with a significant threat. Future warning research should draw from other persuasive messaging and health behavior theories, and should include self- and response- efficacy as important causal factors. It should also look across additional hazards to determine if these outcomes differ by the length of forewarning and hazard type.

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The Influence of Consequence-Based Messages on Public Responses to Tornado Warnings

Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society ◽

10.1175/bams-d-13-00213.1 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 96 (4) ◽

pp. 577-590 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Joseph T. Ripberger ◽

Carol L. Silva ◽

Hank C. Jenkins-Smith ◽

Mark James

Keyword(s):

Central Region ◽

Protective Action ◽

Impact Categories ◽

Severe Thunderstorm ◽

Warning Message ◽

Tornado Warnings ◽

Potential Impact ◽

Tornado Warning ◽

To Receive ◽

The Relationship

Abstract The Central Region Headquarters of the National Weather Service (NWS) recently launched an experimental product that supplements traditional tornado and severe thunderstorm warning products with information about the potential impact of warned storms. As yet, however, we know relatively little about the influence of consequence-based messages on warning responsiveness. To address this gap, we fielded two surveys of U.S. residents that live in tornado-prone regions of the country. Both surveys contained an experiment wherein participants were randomly assigned a consequence-based tornado warning message and asked to indicate how they would respond if they were to receive such a warning. Respondents that were assigned to higher-impact categories were more likely choose protective action than respondents assigned to lower-impact categories. There was, however, a threshold beyond which escalating the projected consequences of the storm no longer increased the probability of protective action. To account for this, we show that the relationship between consequence-based messages and protective action depends on the type of action being considered. At lower levels of projected impact, increasing the expected consequences of the storm simultaneously increased the probability that respondents selected a “shelter in place” or “leave residence” option. At higher levels of projected impact, this relationship changed—increasing the projected consequences of the storm decreased the probability that respondents would shelter in place and increased the probability that they would leave their residence for what they perceived to be a safer location. In some severe storm situations, this behavior may increase rather than decrease the risks.

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Understanding presence awareness information needs among engineering students

Proceedings of the 2012 IEEE 16th International Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Design (CSCWD) ◽

10.1109/cscwd.2012.6221827 ◽

2012 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Valeria Herskovic ◽

Andres Neyem ◽

Sergio F. Ochoa ◽

Jose A. Pino ◽

Pedro Antunes

Keyword(s):

Information Needs ◽

Engineering Students ◽

Awareness Information

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Improving Tornado Warning Communication for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Audiences

Journal of Operational Meteorology ◽

10.15191/nwajom.2021.0902 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 18-34

Keyword(s):

Focus Group ◽

American Sign Language ◽

Hard Of Hearing ◽

Protective Action ◽

Local Television ◽

Closed Captioning ◽

Tornado Warnings ◽

Live Broadcast ◽

Tornado Warning ◽

Action Decision

Although specialized personal and residential Deaf warning technologies exist, receipt and comprehension of tornado warning information from local television is often delayed or misunderstood because of closed-captioning deficiencies. In order to suggest improvements for the communication of tornado warnings to Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HoH) audiences, interviews and a focus group were conducted within the active tornado counties of Alabama. D/HoH individuals generally use more information sources than the hearing population to better understand their risk. Protective action decision-making by our sample was characterized by more hesitation, uncertainty, and indecision than in the hearing population. The most common suggestion for improving tornado-warning communication was to have an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter shown on screen with a local television meteorologist during a tornado warning. A split-screen television product with an ASL interpreter in a remote studio was prototyped showing that this type of live broadcast is possible for local tornado-warning coverage. Several screen formats were evaluated by a focus group with the conclusion that the ASL interpreter should be on the left side of the screen without obscuring any part of the weather broadcast. The split-screen product with an ASL interpreter resulted in full access to all broadcast information, the ability to make immediate safety decisions, and was welcomed with excitement by the focus-group participants. This modification, along with the education and preparedness efforts of the National Weather Service, help remedy the information gaps and comprehension delays of this underserved population.

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The Influence of Previous Disaster Experience and Sociodemographics on Protective Behaviors during Two Successive Tornado Events

Weather Climate and Society ◽

10.1175/wcas-d-13-00026.1 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 91-103 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Amber Silver ◽

Jean Andrey

Keyword(s):

Protective Action ◽

Decision Making Process ◽

Protective Behaviors ◽

Disaster Experience ◽

Physical Cues ◽

Tornado Warning ◽

Motivating Factor ◽

Considerable Discussion

Abstract The role of previous disaster experience as a motivating factor for protective action during high-risk events is still a matter of considerable discussion and inconsistent findings in the hazards literature. In this paper, two events that occurred in August 2011 in Goderich, Ontario, Canada, are examined: an F3 tornado that impacted the community on 21 August 2011 and a tornado warning that was posted for the region 3 days later on 24 August 2011. This case study provided the opportunity to examine the roles of previous disaster experience and sociodemographics on the decision-making process during two successive potentially tornadic events. The results of this research are based on close-ended questionnaires completed by individuals who experienced both storms or who experienced only the subsequent storm on 24 August 2011 (n = 177). Physical cues were found to be the primary motivator during the 21 August 2011 tornado, while the tornado warning was the primary motivator during the subsequent storm. Additionally, there was an increase in the percentage of individuals who took protective action on 24 August 2011 regardless of the respondents’ presence or absence during the 21 August 2011 tornado. Finally, none of the tested sociodemographic variables was found to be statistically significant for the 21 August 2011 tornado, while only gender (female) was found to be positively correlated with protective behaviors on 24 August 2011. These findings suggest that previous disaster experience (either direct or indirect) and sociodemographics intersect in a variety of complex ways.

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Household Preparedness for Tornado Hazards: The 2011 Disaster in DeKalb County, Alabama

Weather Climate and Society ◽

10.1175/wcas-d-12-00046.1 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 345-358 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Philip L. Chaney ◽

Greg S. Weaver ◽

Susan A. Youngblood ◽

Kristin Pitts

Keyword(s):

Protective Action ◽

Safety Information ◽

Mobile Home ◽

Protective Action Decision Model ◽

Dekalb County ◽

Tornado Hazards ◽

Household Preparedness ◽

Tornado Warning ◽

Definition Of ◽

Action Decision

Abstract This paper contributes to existing knowledge on factors that influence adoption of hazards adjustments for tornadoes. The Protective Action Decision Model provides the theoretical basis for the study, which was conducted after the 2011 disaster in DeKalb County, Alabama. Most of the 124 survey participants had received public safety information on how to prepare for a tornado, understood the definition of a tornado warning, had participated in a tornado drill, and had a plan for seeking shelter. Few owned a NOAA weather radio or had a tornado-resistant shelter on the premises. Demographic analysis found that older residents (60+ yr) and households without children were significantly less likely to have participated in a tornado drill, lower income residents were significantly less likely to have a tornado-resistant shelter on the premises or a plan for seeking shelter, and mobile home residents were significantly less likely to have a plan for seeking shelter. Locus of control and past experience were not significantly associated with adoption of hazards adjustments, but suspected reasons for these results are discussed. Many plans that involved evacuating to another location included excessively long travel distances, and several mobile home residents planned to seek shelter inside their residence. Failure to adopt effective preparedness actions in each of these areas could serve as a situational impediment to making an appropriate protective action decision when a tornado threatens the household. The results identify aspects of household preparedness where there is opportunity for improvement, which would reduce vulnerability and enhance community resilience.

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Geographic Specificity, Tornadoes, and Protective Action

Weather Climate and Society ◽

10.1175/wcas-d-11-00047.1 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 145-155 ◽

Cited By ~ 54

Author(s):

Danielle E. Nagele ◽

Joseph E. Trainor

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Protective Action ◽

Public Understanding ◽

Computer Assisted ◽

Emergency Plan ◽

Or Education ◽

The Public ◽

System Data ◽

Tornado Warning ◽

Action Decision

Abstract In 2007, the National Weather Service (NWS) began using storm-based warnings (SBWs) rather than countywide warnings. Some analysts have examined the effects of this change, but little empirical research has yet to focus on the public response. Using a random digit dialing sample and a computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) system, data were collected that focused on protective action decision making in counties that were affected by a severe storm or tornado warning. Based on those data, the following paper examines the influence of these new storm-based warnings on protective action decision making by the public. While a significant relationship between being inside the warning polygon and taking protective action was not found, the authors were able to conclude that polygon size is an important factor. Given these mixed results, it is suggested that future work on storm-based warnings focus on the warnings’ dissemination and reception, as well as the optimization of the polygons themselves. It is suggested that the complexities associated with communicating with these risk areas complicate the dissemination process and create difficulties in the public understanding of the warning. The possible need for optimization is reinforced by the significance of the track proximity and polygon-sized variables. In addition, a smaller polygon resulted in protective action, in particular, sheltering. With regard to the preparedness and sociodemographic variables, the study’s results agreed with previous findings on the importance of a family emergency plan. Unlike earlier research this study did not find past experience or education level significant within the regression model and showed mixed results of gender.

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Tornado Warning Trade-Offs: Evaluating Choices for Visually Communicating Risk

Weather Climate and Society ◽

10.1175/wcas-d-13-00021.1 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 104-118 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

Kevin D. Ash ◽

Ronald L. Schumann ◽

Gregg C. Bowser

Keyword(s):

Protective Action ◽

Central Research ◽

Hazard Communication ◽

Tornado Warnings ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Rapid Dissemination ◽

Tornado Warning ◽

Color Scheme ◽

Probability Information ◽

Extreme Responses

Abstract Recent improvements in weather observation and monitoring have increased the precision of tornado warnings. The National Weather Service currently issues storm-based tornado warnings, and even more geographically specific warnings that include probability information are under development. At the same time, the widespread proliferation of smartphone and mobile computing technology supports the rapid dissemination of graphical weather warning information. Some broadcasters and private companies have already begun using probabilistic-style tornado warning graphics. However, the development of these new types of warnings has occurred with limited research on how users interpret probabilistic visualizations. This study begins filling this void by examining responses to color scheme and relative position using probabilistic tornado warning designs. A survey of university students is used to measure the level of perceived fear and likelihood of protective action for a series of hypothetical warning scenarios. Central research questions investigate 1) differences in responses across warning designs, 2) clustering of extreme responses in each design, 3) trends in responses with respect to probability levels, 4) differences in responses inside versus outside the warnings, and 5) differences in responses near the edges of the warning designs. Results suggest a variety of trade-offs in viewer responses to tornado warnings based on visual design choices. These findings underscore the need for more comprehensive research on visualizations in weather hazard communication that can aid meteorologists in effectively warning the public and spur appropriate tornado protection behaviors in a timely manner.

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