An exploratory study of the influence of severe weather radar broadcasts

Abstract

The local television weathercaster is an essential communicator of severe weather information to the public, but the impact of the particular aspects of his or her severe weather broadcasts has received little scholarly attention. To fill this gap, the current study examines the influence of two severe weather broadcasts where the weathercaster was located either on or off the screen. Specifically, we examine risk perception, recall, and intent to take protective action from a tornado. Our results indicate that the presence of the weathercaster on-screen did not lead to significant differences in risk perception, behavioral intent, or recall-with the exception of the intent to call someone in the tornado's path to alert them. In this one instance, respondents who viewed a reflectivity video without the weathercaster on screen were more likely to call someone living in a specific location in the video. The video that illustrates risk with a velocity image led to lower overall perceived risk, and less likelihood to take shelter. The differences are most likely related to differences in the spoken message rather than visual differences between the two radar types. This is supported by other differences in risk perception for locations within each video, where locations in the spoken message were rated higher in terms of risk perception and likelihood to take action than locations not mentioned verbally, even when the location verbalized was not labeled on the map.

Dealing with inconsistent weather warnings: effects on warning quality and intended actions

“…This highlights the importance of including a warning text with hard numbers which help people to compare warnings that have the same content but may be visualized differently. This speculation is also supported by Sherman‐Morris and Lea () who found that the weathercasters’ accompanying commentary, and not the graphics, increased the likelihood of taking action. In addition, the results could depend on the choice of the selected natural hazard.…”

“…They used a scenario in which participants were told they were driving through an unknown region of the United States to investigate wireless emergency alert weather warning message effectiveness across one of four conditions (text, text + polygon, text + radar image, text + radar image + polygon). They indicate that their findings along with those of Canham and Hegarty () and Sherman‐Morris and Lea () highlight the equivocal influence of weather graphics on comprehension.…”

“…This study indicates that shades of blue are the most difficult to interpret. In Sherman‐Morris and Lea () the impact of two different types of radar images on warning recipients was tested. Respondents who viewed a reflectivity display appeared to have higher perceptions of risk and higher likelihoods of taking protective action than those who viewed a velocity display.…”

Perceptions and Expected Immediate Reactions to Severe Storm Displays

“…Examination of demographic variables has found that having at least a high school diploma is positively related to responding to a warning message . Females are more likely than males to provide high p s judgments, avoid warning confirmation from environmental cues, and to shelter in safe locations, but there is conflicting evidence on their tendency to seek warning confirmation from social sources.…”

“…Drost et al (21) found that an animated video was superior to a traditional TV presentation and an audio-only presentation of warning information in its impact on recipients' retention of information contained in the warning message. Sherman-Morris and Lea (22) tested the impact of two different types of radar images on warning recipients. They found that respondents who viewed a reflectivity display had higher perceptions of risk and higher expectations of shelter inplace than those who viewed a velocity display.…”