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

这个项目调查了飓风预报警报和警告的传播过程。一个多学科小组将通过多种方法审查：1）警报和警告的制定过程及其内容; 2）参与者在这一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，如何理解警报和警告的具体组成部分并作出反应。最终目标是改善飓风信息的传播，以促进更有效的公共保护决策，从而挽救生命和财产。来自社会和物理科学（通信，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。前三个组成部分包括半结构化的采访和观察调查信息内容的发展和沟通渠道（a）国家气象局预报员，（B）广播气象学家，（c）应急管理人员。国家飓风中心将为假想的风暴提供预报，广播气象学家和应急管理人员将使用这些预报制作通信产品。在第四部分，研究小组将综合前三个部分的研究结果，并制作样本信息（文字、图形和视频），供公众测试。第五个组成部分审查公众成员如何理解这些信息和对这些信息的反应以及他们的渠道偏好，使用（a）家庭调查，（B）弱势群体的重点群体，和（d）包括直接生理观察在内的实验室测试。该项目通过对非英语人口、老年人和新区居民进行重点研究，满足弱势群体的需求。第六个项目组成部分将调查结果与气象学家、应急管理人员和其他社区联系起来，目的是帮助改善飓风警报信息和沟通过程。

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.