Advancing Severe Weather Outreach, Safety, and Public Messaging

As our understanding of the physical and social science aspects of severe weather advances, we must continue to evolve our outreach, safety, and public messaging materials. This project explored the complexities of messaging around concurrent tornadoes and flash floods, tornadoes in tropical systems, and mobile and manufactured home safety before, during, and after severe weather. Relevant literature was reviewed and summarized, with consideration for best practices and future research needs. In addition, interviews were conducted with several National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) across the U.S. A thorough review of NWS informational graphics, the NWS tornado safety webpage, and seasonal safety campaign information was conducted based on the findings from the literature review and interviews. Recommendations for improvements and additions to these graphics, as well as best practices for tornado safety messaging, were produced. This research will support updates and enhancements to safety messaging for mobile and manufactured homes and tornado and flash flood concurrent hazard situations. While there is still much left to explore and research, this work will help propose future policy decisions and frame communication challenges within the Severe Program at the National Weather Service.