Comparing surveyed public information needs to social media responses for severe weather events

One of the most difficult tasks faced by communicators is often choosing how to prioritize information when space and time is limited. This is particularly true for weather forecasts, which attempt to describe hazards with highly variable attributes (like information about the location, timing, chance, severity, and impacts of storms, as well as protective actions that can be taken). This work aims to evaluate how members of the public prioritize weather forecast information attributes, both on average and across severe weather event timelines. Results from survey data will be discussed first, as these indicate respondents’ stated preferences (i.e., what they say they want), and then compared to social media questions from members of the public in response to NWS office and broadcast meteorologists’ posts on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Analysis of the social media data illuminates the publics’ revealed preferences (i.e., what they actually ask about during the days before a severe weather event). Information preferences will be compared across survey and social media data, and a general information framework will be presented based on these data.