Collaborative Research: Examining the Hurricane Warning System: Content, Channels, and Comprehension

本项目调查飓风预报咨询和警报的传播过程。通过多种方法，一个多学科小组将审查：1)制定咨询和警告的过程，以及产生的内容；2)参与者在此过程中使用的沟通渠道；3)处于危险中的沿海居民，包括更脆弱的人群，如何理解和应对咨询和警告的具体组成部分。最终目标是改善飓风信息的交流，以促进更有效的公共保护决策，从而挽救生命和财产。来自社会科学和自然科学（传播学、社会学、经济学、管理信息系统和气象学）的研究人员将与主要利益相关者合作，在大迈阿密和休斯顿/加尔维斯顿地区实施六个研究组成部分。前三个部分包括半结构化访谈和观察，调查信息内容的开发和与(a)国家气象局预报员、(b)广播气象学家和(c)应急管理人员的沟通渠道。美国国家飓风中心（National Hurricane Center）将制作假想风暴预报，广播气象学家和应急管理人员将利用这些预报制作通讯产品。在第四部分，研究小组将综合前三个部分的结果，并创建样本信息（文本，图形和视频），以供公众测试。第五部分通过(a)家庭调查，(b)弱势群体焦点小组，以及(d)包括直接生理观察在内的实验室测试，研究公众如何理解和反应这些信息及其频道偏好。该项目通过对非英语人口、老年人和新地区居民的重点研究来解决弱势群体的需求。第六个项目组成部分将这些发现与气象学家、应急管理人员和其他社区联系起来，目的是帮助改进飓风预警信息和通信过程。

This project investigates the processes involved in communicating hurricane forecast advisories and warnings. Through a multi-method approach, a multidisciplinary team will examine: 1) the process through which advisories and warnings are developed, and the resulting content; 2) the communication channels used by participants in this process; and 3) how at-risk coastal residents, including more vulnerable populations, comprehend and react to specific components of advisories and warnings. The ultimate goal is to improve communication of hurricane information in order to promote more effective public-protective decision making, thereby saving lives and property. A collaboration of researchers from the social and physical sciences (communication, sociology, economics, management information systems, and meteorology) will, in conjunction with key stakeholders, implement six research components in the greater Miami and Houston/Galveston areas. The first three components consist of semi-structured interviews and observations investigating message content development and communication channels with (a) National Weather Service forecasters, (b) broadcast meteorologists, and (c) emergency managers. The National Hurricane Center will produce forecasts for hypothetical storms that broadcast meteorologists and emergency managers will use to produce communication products. In the fourth component, the research team will synthesize findings from the first three components and create sample messages (text, graphics and video) for testing with the public. The fifth component examines how members of the public comprehend and react to these messages and their channel preferences, using (a) a household survey, (b) focus groups with vulnerable populations, and (d) a laboratory test including direct physiological observation. The project addresses the needs of vulnerable populations through focused research with non-English-speaking populations, the elderly, and new area residents. The sixth project component connects the findings back to meteorologists, emergency managers and other communities with the goal of helping improve hurricane warning messages and communication processes.