“Hangover” Currents? The Challenges of Spanish Language Rip Current Outreach

Rip currents are poorly understood by the public and thus a leading cause of weather-related fatalities in the United States. Individuals who speak languages other than English, such as Spanish-speaking communities, have been historically underserved by National Weather Service (NWS) risk communication efforts for natural hazards and thus are at additional risk from rip currents. In response to that issue, the NWS recently released rip current informational brochures translated into Spanish, though their efficacy has not been systematically tested. We therefore surveyed members of the Spanish-speaking community in Nassau and Queens Counties, New York during the summer of 2022 to gain insights into how the brochures are working and possible improvements to be made. Survey results indicate that while the Spanish-language brochure is somewhat effective, several changes could be made to improve clarity and relatability. For example, the translation of the term Rip Current itself used by the NWS was found to be confusing by Spanish speakers of certain ages and dialects. Moreover, some of the graphics contained in the brochure were difficult to understand for users with limited knowledge of beach hazards. To work towards ameliorating those issues, a virtual reality simulation of a rip current was developed in Spanish, to promote awareness in a new and engaging way. A pilot study of the new simulation's efficacy was conducted in 2023. The results of the two surveys can be used directly by the NWS and other agencies to improve their Spanish risk communication tools, and also as a guide when translating hazard information into other languages.