How Urban Economically Disadvantaged People Receive Weather Information in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The National Weather Service is working to create a Weather Ready Nation (WRN) that is resilient to increased vulnerability to extreme weather and water events. The WRN initiative looks to empower emergency managers, first responders, government officials, businesses, and the public to make fast, smart decisions to save lives and livelihoods.

In this presentation, the focus is on the economically disadvantaged families and the impact of income level on vulnerability to hazardous events. Three essential questions are asked as part of this research.

• What if all of the public is unable to make the same fast, smart decisions to protect against impacts of hazardous events due to lower income levels?
• Are economically disadvantaged families at a greater risk of being severely impacted by hazardous weather because they do not have access to or knowledge of appropriate technology to get information that higher income households have?
• Which ways of communication are most effective for receiving weather information such as severe weather, heat waves and cold spells among the urban poor?

These topics were researched in the urban center of Milwaukee, Wisconsin from winter 2016 through fall 2017 through community meetings and surveys. Results of this research will be shared in this presentation.