We've Got Cows—But Do We Really? The Perception of Storm Spotters as Part of a Natural Hazards Integrated Warning System

Individuals who reside in the United States are subjected to a multitude of natural hazards including thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, floods, wildfires, and more. As such, it is crucial to implement a natural hazards Integrated Warning System (IWS) that assesses possible natural hazards, disseminates valuable meteorological information, and spurs protective actions in an effort to protect both life and property from an impending disaster. One method that has contributed to the overall understanding of natural hazards, and therefore the advancement of a natural hazard IWS, is field observation, or more specifically, storm spotting. The utilization of storm spotters can be traced back to the early 1940s, yet there is limited research pertaining to the overall perception and utilization of storm spotters during hazardous weather despite frequent acknowledgement of their involvement and importance within the IWS. This dissertation research is unique in that it aims to more formally conceptualize the perception of storm spotters as part of an IWS from the perspectives of storm spotters themselves, as well as from the three primary IWS actors: National Weather Service (NWS) employees, emergency management personnel, and television meteorologists. There are three primary goals of this research: (1) to better understand the sociodemographic characteristics of storm spotters, (2) to more formally define what it means to be storm spotters, and (3) to understand the perceived roles of storm spotters before, during, and after a hazardous weather event and/or warning situation. To accomplish these goals, an exploratory sequential design mixed-methods approach is utilized. Phase one involves qualitative research methods that begins with an informational survey distributed to both NWS SKYWARN spotters and members of Spotter Network. From the survey respondents, storm spotter participants are chosen for semi-structured interviews in which they are asked questions related to the research objectives. Focus groups with the three aforementioned primary actors within an IWS are also conducted. Phases two and three involve quantitative survey development and subsequent research methods to evaluate the generalizability of the qualitative data. Ultimately, this dissertation aims to better understand the perception of the diverse network of storm spotters within the context of a natural hazards IWS to potentially improve overall effective weather warning practices that may be adopted by practitioners across the weather enterprise.