How ready is ready? Measuring physical preparedness for severe storms

Abstract

This paper investigates use of inventories, or checklists of activities, as an emergency management tool to motivate preparedness action in individuals. It develops the inventory concept to provide the foundation for a more targeted approach to storm preparation communication and community engagement. It also examines the potential efficacy of alternatives to paper-based checklists, such as web or smartphone applications. Academic and grey literature was reviewed to collect activities for a storm inventory for emergency agencies to measure individual preparedness and individuals to measure their preparation progress. The resulting master list was refined for application and tested for useability in a pilot study of semi-structured interviews in a storm-susceptible community in Queensland, Australia. Also, clustering items by type of preparedness activity reveal where strengths and weaknesses exist in individual preparedness. For instance, preparation for leaving and safety planning were shown to be the areas of weakest activity in the pilot sample, while preparation of the house for a storm was the strongest area. In addition, behaviour change literature shows potential for effective use of an inventory-based smartphone application in motivating preparation activity. Data collected by a storm preparedness smartphone application could show where a communication or engagement program for targeted communities should be focused. It is supported by health literature that identifies preferences of individuals to make progress on complex tasks in stages, the value of lists to achievement of goals and demonstrated increase in uptake of activities prompted by smartphone applications over web or paper-based diaries.

Targeted Communication for Bushfire Preparedness: Using an Inventory Cluster Approach

“…On this basis, this study will test the usefulness of the cluster approach to examining bush re preparation as proposed by and further developed in a storm context by Ryan and King (2020). It will also explore its potential for use to uncover legitimate messaging hooks, or nudges, as the foundation for successful community engagement and communication activities.…”

“…These researchers expanded the clusters of activities by splitting Paton's structural activities into 'reducing danger to the house' and 'reducing the vulnerability of the house' (ie structural and landscaping activities), by adding 'preparation to leave safely', and splitting survival activities into 'safety planning' and 'active house defence' (McLennan et al, 2014;. This was developed into ve slightly different clusters for storm preparation (Ryan & King, 2020), with active house defence removed, and with the addition of a cluster of activities for preparation for post-impact survival. Ryan and King's (2020) additional, post-impact survival cluster was not one considered by McLennan and Elliott (2011) in their original work, possibly because until 2019-20, bush res were more localised events in which survivors could more easily reach unaffected areas for aid and post-crisis survival.…”

“…Ryan and King (2020) attempted to connect inventories with a more nuanced understanding of how to in uence preparation behaviour but were not able to properly test their process beyond a small pilot study on storm preparation, recommending that a random sample survey be the next step. Their research found that inventories nd usefulness in providing both a foundation for and measure of academic preparation behaviour research, and as a benchmark for agencies to use in developing community engagement programs that target and improve speci c preparation activity (Ryan & King, 2020).…”

“…The value of the cluster approach to measuring preparation levels is that the variables used to determine the level of preparation can be grouped so that strengths and weaknesses in an individual's preparation plans can be identi ed. For instance, Ryan and King (2020) found examples of individuals who scored very highly in the cluster of activities that measured preparation for reducing the danger to the house, but very low in preparations to evacuate when evacuation was identi ed as an option. In public relations and health prevention campaigns, this ability to measure certain aspects of behaviour in segments of a community can guide the design of communication and community engagement campaigns (Austin & Pinkleton, 2015;Kim, 2019).…”

Spatial and temporal zoning of watershed resilience using a multidimensional composition approach

“…In its vision for disaster prevention, the UN Secretary‐General stressed the importance and necessity of reducing inequalities, promoting resilience, and preventing social collapse, increasing the risk of conflict (Saja et al, 2020; United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, 2015). The international community is not able to tame the natural forces, but it can predict the intensity of the forces to protect the people and make their assets and infrastructure as well as their livelihoods more resilient to hazard adjustment activities (Burton et al, 1978; Kates, 1976; Lindell & Perry, 2000; Ryan & King, 2020). In addition, the identified criteria and dimensions according to the conditions of each watershed can act as a starting point for the participation of stakeholders and experts in the planning and preparation processes, both inside and outside the watershed community.…”