Improving Effectiveness of Weather Risk Commumication on the NWS Point-and-Click Web Page - Joseph Galbraith

Joseph Galbraith

Reference:

Demuth, J. L., Morss, R. E., & Lazo, J. K. (2013). Improving Effectiveness of Weather Risk Commumication on the NWS Point-and-Click Web Page. American Meteorological Society , 711-727.

Theme: When accessing weather information online, it is important for the user to get up to date accurate and easily understandable information.  The NWS Point-and-Click system must be modified to make understanding the information apparent.

Summary:

• The National Weather Service's point-and-click (PnC) web page is the main channel through which weather risk information is broadcasted to the user.

• Users like this system because it gives them custom information for their geographic location.

• The research conducted found that several aspects of risk information are not effectively communicated through this system.

• Two aspect of the information were researched to seek ways for improvement.  They were threat existence and threat timing.

• The study used developed designs that added new textual and graphical information pieces.

• Studies showed that using boxes superimposed on the map helped users identify where the threat existed,

•The study also showed using start and stop times in the text of the hazardous warning helped users understand the timing of an event better.

Application to the lesson topic:

We must understand the tools that are available to us and how to make them better.  This website could be considered a risk communication tool and a crisis communication tool.  The NWS PnC system will help us prepare for an event and track the risk during the event as well.

Application to emergency services:

Tools like this are very valuable in emergency services.  We should know how to use them to our advantage.  We should also seek improvements of these systems.  A thorough weather brief should always be included in emergency management operations.  With today's technology we are able to predict events with more accuracy and fore warnining then ever before.