NEHRP Clearinghouse

Title
Community Response to Natural Hazard Warnings.
File
PB82111287.pdf
Author(s)
Leik, R. K.; Carter, T. M.; Clark, J. P.; Kendal, S. D.; Gifford, G. A.
Source
National Science Foundation, Washington, DC. Office of Planning and Resources Management.; Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, DC.; National Weather Service, Washington, DC., April 1981, 79 p.
Abstract
A summary of the major findings and recommendations of a project concerned with dissemination and response to warnings of natural hazards is presented. The study focused on processes which govern (1) response of community emergency service agencies to warnings; (2) dissemination of warnings from community service agencies to other community organizations and the general public; and (3) response of members of the general public to warnings. Extensive studies were performed of organizations and households in a large number of communities throughout the United States. In addition, a laboratory experimental component tested some aspects of dissemination and response. If a community under study experienced a natural hazard event during the period of research, that community was restudied to provide both pre- and post-event comparative data. Details of the research design are provided.
Keywords
Emergency preparedness; Hurricanes; Attitudes; Disaster preparedness; Public opinion; Disasters; Floods; Hazards; Responses; Surveys; Warning systems; Communities; Earthquakes