Effective Communication Methods to Maximize Public and End User Response to Severe Weather: Lessons Learned During Two Actual Disasters

Proper communication of severe weather information by meteorologists is key to the public or end user’s perceived threat and ultimately drives what actions they will take.  Whether you are a broadcast or operational meteorologist, what you say and how you say it will make a significant difference in public or end user response. Far too often, information is not presented in a way which will prompt the public to take the appropriate actions to protect life and property. Even the best possible forecast during disaster weather situations will have a highly decreased value if the public or end user takes no action. Making a great forecast is simply not good enough.

Over my thirteen year career in broadcast meteorology, I have covered many severe weather events; however, two of those events directly impacted me and/or members of my family and taught me a great deal about proper communication during disaster weather situations.  The Murfreesboro, TN tornado in 2009 was one such event.  This EF-4 tornado ravaged parts of Murfreesboro, TN, narrowly missing my sister-in-law’s home. In 2005, I was on New Orleans’ WWL-TV for twelve consecutive hours preceding the landfall of Hurricane Katrina.  This event would have a major impact on my life and the lives of my family, co-workers and friends.  Both of these events would teach me guidelines critical to both broadcast and operational meteorologists in communicating during disaster weather situations.  Those guidelines can be summed up by the five  Cs: Be Clear, be Concise, be Confident, be Careful and above all, be Calm.

With recent advances in technology, we have more platforms than ever to properly communicate critical disaster weather information to the public and our end users. However, these efforts will be for naught if we do not execute this communication in the proper manner.  The lessons I have learned from my experiences and the guidelines I have developed from these lessons will greatly enhance the effectiveness of both operational and broadcast meteorologists alike as they attempt to get the public and their end users to take appropriate action to protect life and property during these life threatening severe weather situations.