Public perception of hurricane-related hazards
In: Coastal Research Library. Springer: Cham. ISSN 2211-0577; e-ISSN 2211-0585, more
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| Authors | | Top |
- Lindner, B.L.
- Cockcroft, C.
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| Abstract |
A survey was conducted in the South Carolina coastal counties of Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester with the purpose of assessing current NWS hurricane warning packages and recommending alternatives. Most of the 200 residents that were surveyed stated that they had personal experience with hurricanes. Surprisingly, over half of these residents did not know the definition of a hurricane warning, over half did not realize that the main threat from hurricanes in low-lying coastal areas was from storm surge, half did not realize that more rain was the most significant consequence of a slower moving storm, and the majority were not able to translate a standard National Hurricane Center projection of storm surge depth into a realistic appreciation of the risk posed to their lives, despite their prior experience with hurricanes. These misunderstandings were most prevalent among the poor, among minority groups and among those with no college education. When asked to interpret both a graphic-filled hurricane advisory and the standard NWS text-based advisory, the understanding of the risk from hurricanes was far higher when the graphic-filled advisory was used. |
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