Editorial by DAN O'HAIR
The Oklahoman
H1 tip: Risk communication: How you say it

Hurricane Katrina has become a metaphor for what can happen when people don't listen to warnings. Why didn't they heed the warnings, and how was the process different this time when millions of evacuees escaped the wrath of Gustav and Ike?

| Destroyed homes are seen at Crystal Beach, Texas on the Bolivar peninsula on the Gulf Coast, Sept. 2008. (AP Photo/Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept., Earl Nottingham)

Many Katrina survivors heeded the warnings to evacuate New Orleans and lived to tell about it; others did not. In retrospect, we know that Katrina left behind more than physical damage; the psychological scars are everlasting. Communicating risk is more important than ever as a result.

It's my job to better understand the learning process that takes place when communicating information that keeps people safe.

When Gustav and Ike approached the Gulf Coast, millions made the journey north to safety. The difference this time was the real threat to life and property. Social scientists must anticipate what people learn from these experiences if we expect to improve the communication systems in place.

Weather science in Oklahoma is very sophisticated and most Oklahomans pay attention to what weather experts say. But it's still our job to learn how and at what level people understand the information they receive so we craft messages that educate the general public. We also rely on the media who do their part to communicate risk by providing information and service before, during and after a storm.

The warning system is a cascade of events that begins with scientists who track hurricanes. We examine how they make decisions and determine when they communicate their findings to emergency managers and media. We have developed a model that is allowing us to test and document our findings. With a $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, and in partnership with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, we will study two geographical areas in the South over the next two years to learn more about these systems and how people learn from them.

We will ask people what they know about hurricanes to determine their level of experience and how they get their information. We know demographic groups, such as teenagers and young adults, are more likely to get their information from cell phones. Older groups get information from radio or television. We want to study the effect graphics and displays have on people as well. How does color or visuals affect perceptions? We know that language and literacy matters for audiences who don't speak English.

The OU Center for Risk and Crisis Management is a community-based research organization dedicated to communicating risk. The center has an advisory board of 60 people from around the state that consults with us on risk issues that impact their communities. We develop research questions based on their input, then conduct research and take our recommendations back to them for their consideration and dissemination. Understanding perceived risk leads to better communications overall and, ultimately, benefits the public.

O'Hair is director of the University of Oklahoma Center for Risk and Crisis Management. Contact him at hdohair@ou.edu

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