Information sources for flash flood warnings in Denver, CO and Austin, TX

Hayden, Mary H.; Drobot, Sheldon; Radil, Steven M.; Benight, Charles C.; Gruntfest, Eve; Barnes, Lindsey R.

doi:10.1016/j.envhaz.2007.07.001

Cited by 64 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Beyond further investigations into the physical risks of these types of events, additional social science-oriented studies employing qualitative analysis techniques [e.g., surveybased research such as Hayden et al (2007), which examined sources of flood warning information in Austin, Texas, and Denver, Colorado, and Zhang et al (2007), which examined perceptions and responses to Hurricane Rita forecasts] are required to afford a window into the public's mind during these hazardous situations. For example, just how many people own a NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio and utilize this system as a primary deterrent for nocturnal tornado events?…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The demarcation of the nocturnal period into two separate periods follows the logic that most of the public would be sleeping, most likely passively unwarned, and therefore more vulnerable during the overnight hours in comparison to the other temporal segments. Moreover, persons asleep have a much greater tendency to be unaware of possible environmental cues, which in some cases are an important factor in the initialization of a successful warning process (Hayden et al 2007). A recent poll (Harris Interactive 2007) illustrates that 61% of those surveyed acquired their weather forecasts from local television news or The Weather Channel, with an additional 23% of those surveyed acquiring weather forecasts from Internet sources.…”

Section: A Temporal Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite the small fatality and killer event proportions for evening and overnight tornadoes, the relative threat from these nocturnal events is much greater than for daytime 1 There are no studies, to our knowledge, that have investigated the penetration of All Hazards Weather Radio into American households-the most likely structure of occupancy during nighttime hours. Hayden et al (2007) found that 11% of Denver, CO, and 25% of Austin, TX, residents listed All Hazards Weather Radio as a source they used for weather information. However, the survey did not indicate how many of these residents have a radio plugged in (and with battery backup), with the tone alert turned on, and close to their place of sleep.…”

Section: A Temporal Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

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Vulnerability due to Nocturnal Tornadoes

Ashley

Krmenec

Schwantes

2008

Weather and Forecasting

128

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This study investigates the human vulnerability caused by tornadoes that occurred between sunset and sunrise from 1880 to 2007. Nocturnal tornadoes are theorized to enhance vulnerability because they are difficult to spot and occur when the public tends to be asleep and in weak building structures. Results illustrate that the nocturnal tornado death rate over the past century has not shared the same pace of decline as those events transpiring during the daytime. From 1950 to 2005, a mere 27.3% of tornadoes were nocturnal, yet 39.3% of tornado fatalities and 42.1% of killer tornado events occurred at night. Tornadoes during the overnight period (local midnight to sunrise) are 2.5 times as likely to kill as those occurring during the daytime hours. It is argued that a core reason why the national tornado fatality toll has not continued to decrease in the past few decades is due to the vulnerability to these nocturnal events. This vulnerability is magnified when other factors such as escalating mobile (or "manufactured") home stock and an increasing and spreading population are realized. Unlike other structure types that show no robust demarcation between nocturnal and daytime fatalities, nearly 61% of fatalities in mobile homes take place at night revealing this housing stock's distinct nocturnal tornado vulnerability. Further, spatial analysis illustrates that the American South's high nocturnal tornado risk is an important factor leading to the region's high fatality rate. The investigation emphasizes a potential break in the tornado warning dissemination system utilized currently in the United States.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: A Temporal Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: A Temporal Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Vulnerability due to Nocturnal Tornadoes

Ashley

Krmenec

Schwantes

2008

Weather and Forecasting

128

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…In recognition of this weak understanding in the multihazard research (Klein et al, 2004;Bell and Tobin, 2007), it was often addressed that it is necessary a considerable improvement of expertise in process studies and in mapping of precursor and antecedent conditions of natural phenomena (Hayden et al, 2007;Pender and Neelz, 2007). In particular we need important understanding improvement of magnitude and frequency concepts applied to the earth science.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating hurricane hazards using a GIS system

Taramelli

Melelli

Pasqui

et al. 2008

Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. This paper develops a GIS-based integrated approach to the Multi-Hazard model method, with reference to hurricanes. This approach has three components: data integration, hazard assessment and score calculation to estimate elements at risk such as affected area and affected population. First, spatial data integration issues within a GIS environment, such as geographical scales and data models, are addressed. Particularly, the integration of physical parameters and population data is achieved linking remotely sensed data with a high resolution population distribution in GIS. In order to assess the number of affected people, involving heterogeneous data sources, the selection of spatial analysis units is basic. Second, specific multi-hazard tasks, such as hazard behaviour simulation and elements at risk assessment, are composed in order to understand complex hazard and provide support for decision making. Finally, the paper concludes that the integrated approach herein presented can be used to assist emergency management of hurricane consequences, in theory and in practice.

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“…Identification of the risk occurs when the public first becomes aware of the hazard through receipt of the warning or by seeing or hearing the threat. Many studies (e.g., Legates and Biddle 1999;Tiefenbacher et al 2001;Hammer and Schmidlin 2002;Brown et al 2002;Paul et al 2003;Mitchem 2003;Comstock and Mallonee 2005;Hayden et al 2007) note that the media and warning sirens are the most common dissemination methods used by the public to receive warnings. Sorensen (2000) found that the most rapid dissemination is through the use of reverse 911 telephone systems or tone-alert radios, both of which can alert about 90% of people within about 10 min, compared to 40% alerted by sirens and only 10% alerted by media in the same time frame.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relationship between Tornadic and Nontornadic Convective Wind Fatalities and Warnings

Black

Ashley

2011

Weather, Climate, and Society

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A database of tornado fatalities, nontornadic convective wind fatalities, severe thunderstorm warnings, and tornado warnings was compiled for the period 1986-2007 to assess the spatial and temporal distribution of warned and unwarned fatalities. The time of fatality and location as reported in Storm Data was compared to tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings to determine if a warning was in effect when the fatality occurred. Overall, 23.7% of tornado fatalities were unwarned, while 53.2% of nontornadic convective wind fatalities were unwarned. Most unwarned tornado fatalities occurred prior to the mid-1990s-coinciding with modernization of the National Weather Service-while unwarned nontornadic convective wind fatalities remained at a relatively elevated frequency throughout the study period. Geographic locations with high numbers of unwarned tornado and nontornadic convective wind fatalities were associated with one high-magnitude event that was unwarned rather than a series of smaller unwarned events over the period. There are many factors that contribute to warning response by the public, and the issuance of a severe thunderstorm or tornado warning is an important initial step in the warning process. A better understanding of the characteristics of warned and unwarned fatalities is important to future reduction of unwarned fatalities.

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Information sources for flash flood warnings in Denver, CO and Austin, TX

Cited by 64 publications

References 16 publications

Vulnerability due to Nocturnal Tornadoes

Vulnerability due to Nocturnal Tornadoes

Estimating hurricane hazards using a GIS system

The Relationship between Tornadic and Nontornadic Convective Wind Fatalities and Warnings

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