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Communicating risk has been widely accepted as a key strategy in mitigating the the impact of disasters. The concepts and practices of risk communication have been evolving since the 1980s due to the complexity and diversity of risk, developments in the communication sciences, and the complex nature of stakeholders and media. Failure to communicate risk may lead to an increase in the number of fatalities in future events. In this study, disaster risk communication (DRC) is proposed based on Lasswell’s communication model and seen as an interactive process of exchanging information and opinions about risk among individuals, groups, and institutions to help them reduce uncertainty and undertake appropriate decisions and actions in the event of disaster. This study also describes the case study of the Smong story, which was successfully used to convey a simple tsunami risk message and help people make appropriate decisions, undertake appropriate actions, and save lives during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. It involves multiple factors, such as messages about the nature of risk and other messages, not strictly about risk, that express concerns, opinions, or reactions to risk or to legal or institutional arrangements for risk management in strengthening community preparedness before, during, and after disasters.