Public Warnings During Earthquake Disaster

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This project focuses upon lessons that can be learned from the October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. Existing knowledge about the effective communication of public disaster warnings largely rests on a data base of pre-impact warnings. A gap exists regarding knowledge about the determinants and process whereby the public hears, perceives and responds to warnings during the post-impact disaster emergency period. This research is a study of public perception and response to aftershock warnings following the Loma Prieta Earthquake. Mail questionnaires will collect relevant data on 800 households representing San Francisco (a media rich environment) and Santa Cruz (a media sparse environment) households. The process and determinants of that process whereby the public hears, perceives and responds to warnings during the immediate aftermath of a disaster will be determined. Quick-response field research after this quake suggest that there is much to be learned. This quake provides an opportunity to conduct a systematic study on this topic for perhaps the first time.