Tornado Radar Images and Path Directions: An Assessment of Public Knowledge in the Southeastern United States

Abstract

Due to the current use and reliance on tornado warning polygons, several published articles have concentrated on themes related to risk perception and interpretation of risk within and outside of polygons. Despite the general success of warning polygons, not everybody is able to spatially estimate their risk by looking at maps with tornado warning polygons. Using polygons in conjunction with radar images can improve comprehension and better inform protective action decision-making for tornado warnings. Additionally, a potential latent area of research is how past tornado tracks and climatological knowledge about tornado path directions may influence tornado risk perception and protective action decision-making. In this study, we surveyed 1023 individuals across the southeastern United States. Participants were asked to rate their level of concern for a tornadic supercell moving toward two locations. They were also asked to name the direction tornadoes usually come from and travel toward in their counties. Results indicated significantly more concern about the radar reflectivity within the supercell than concern about the location of the hook echo. Additionally, the perceived directions of tornado paths across the region were inaccurate with 75 percent of the sample either not answering, indicating that they did not know the most common direction for tornado paths, or answering that tornadoes travel in uncommon or unrealistic path directions. The Atlanta metropolitan area was used as a case study to illustrate inaccurate perceptions of path directions.