Pub Date : 2023-10-01DOI: 10.1175/wcas-d-23-0093.1
_ _
{"title":"Equity, Inclusion, and Justice: An Opportunity for Action for AMS Publications Stakeholders","authors":"_ _","doi":"10.1175/wcas-d-23-0093.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1175/wcas-d-23-0093.1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48971,"journal":{"name":"Weather Climate and Society","volume":"14 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135274886","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01DOI: 10.1175/wcas-d-23-0010.1
Mary Anne T. Clive, Emma E. H. Doyle, Sally H. Potter, Chris Noble, David M. Johnston
Abstract Multiday severe weather outlooks can inform planning beyond the hour-to-day windows of warnings and watches. Outlooks can be complex to visualize, as they represent large-scale weather phenomena overlapping across several days at varying levels of uncertainty. Here, we present the results of a survey ( n = 417) that explores how visual variables affect comprehension, inferences, and intended decision-making in a hypothetical scenario with the New Zealand MetService Severe Weather Outlook. We propose that visualization of the time window, forecast area, icons, and uncertainty can influence perceptions and decision-making based on four key findings. First, composite-style outlooks that depict multiple days of weather on one map can lead to biased perceptions of the forecast. When responding to questions about a day for which participants accurately reported there was no severe weather forecast, those who viewed a composite outlook reported higher likelihoods of severe weather occurring, higher levels of concern about travel, and higher likelihoods of changing plans compared to those who viewed outlooks that showed weather for each day on a separate map, suggesting that they perceived the forecast to underrepresent the likelihood of severe weather on that day. Second, presenting uncertainty in an extrinsic way (e.g., “low”) can lead to more accurate estimates of likelihood than intrinsic formats (e.g., hue variation). Third, shaded forecast areas may lead to higher levels of confidence in the forecast than outlined forecast areas. Fourth, inclusion of weather icons can improve comprehension in some conditions. The results demonstrate how visualization can affect decision-making about severe weather and support several evidence-based considerations for effective design of long-term forecasts. Significance Statement Severe weather outlook forecasts can be hard to clearly communicate because they show multiple weather patterns across multiple days and regions with varying uncertainty. The purpose of this study is to explore how visual elements of outlook design affect the way that people understand this complex content. We had three separate groups respond to the same series of questions while viewing different modified versions of the MetService Severe Weather Outlook in Aotearoa New Zealand and compared their responses. We find that the way the outlooks’ time window, forecast area, icons, and uncertainty are visualized can influence how people understand outlooks and make inferences and decisions about severe weather. We discuss how these influences may impact communication and action and present several evidence-based considerations for effective outlook design.
{"title":"How Visual Design of Severe Weather Outlooks Can Affect Communication and Decision-Making","authors":"Mary Anne T. Clive, Emma E. H. Doyle, Sally H. Potter, Chris Noble, David M. Johnston","doi":"10.1175/wcas-d-23-0010.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1175/wcas-d-23-0010.1","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Multiday severe weather outlooks can inform planning beyond the hour-to-day windows of warnings and watches. Outlooks can be complex to visualize, as they represent large-scale weather phenomena overlapping across several days at varying levels of uncertainty. Here, we present the results of a survey ( n = 417) that explores how visual variables affect comprehension, inferences, and intended decision-making in a hypothetical scenario with the New Zealand MetService Severe Weather Outlook. We propose that visualization of the time window, forecast area, icons, and uncertainty can influence perceptions and decision-making based on four key findings. First, composite-style outlooks that depict multiple days of weather on one map can lead to biased perceptions of the forecast. When responding to questions about a day for which participants accurately reported there was no severe weather forecast, those who viewed a composite outlook reported higher likelihoods of severe weather occurring, higher levels of concern about travel, and higher likelihoods of changing plans compared to those who viewed outlooks that showed weather for each day on a separate map, suggesting that they perceived the forecast to underrepresent the likelihood of severe weather on that day. Second, presenting uncertainty in an extrinsic way (e.g., “low”) can lead to more accurate estimates of likelihood than intrinsic formats (e.g., hue variation). Third, shaded forecast areas may lead to higher levels of confidence in the forecast than outlined forecast areas. Fourth, inclusion of weather icons can improve comprehension in some conditions. The results demonstrate how visualization can affect decision-making about severe weather and support several evidence-based considerations for effective design of long-term forecasts. Significance Statement Severe weather outlook forecasts can be hard to clearly communicate because they show multiple weather patterns across multiple days and regions with varying uncertainty. The purpose of this study is to explore how visual elements of outlook design affect the way that people understand this complex content. We had three separate groups respond to the same series of questions while viewing different modified versions of the MetService Severe Weather Outlook in Aotearoa New Zealand and compared their responses. We find that the way the outlooks’ time window, forecast area, icons, and uncertainty are visualized can influence how people understand outlooks and make inferences and decisions about severe weather. We discuss how these influences may impact communication and action and present several evidence-based considerations for effective outlook design.","PeriodicalId":48971,"journal":{"name":"Weather Climate and Society","volume":"45 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135809359","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01DOI: 10.1175/wcas-d-22-0133.1
Taylor DeWinter-Maciag, Renee A. McPherson
Abstract Although decision-making in response to tornado warnings is well researched, most studies do not examine whether individual responses to these warnings vary across different geographical locations and demographic groups. This gap is addressed by using data from a decision experiment that places participants virtually in a simulated tornado warning and asks them to minimize the costs of their decisions. The authors examine the following: 1) what demographic attributes may contribute to choices to minimize costs to protect assets at a specific location in a tornado warning, 2) whether there is a spatial component to how these attributes influence decision-making, and 3) if there are specific U.S. regions where individuals do not make protective decisions that minimize their overall cost. Multilevel regression analysis and poststratification are applied to data from the simulated decision experiment to estimate which demographic attributes and National Weather Service County Warning Areas are most associated with the costliest protective decisions. The results are then analyzed using spatial autocorrelation to identify spatial patterns. Results indicate that sex, race, and ethnicity are important factors that influence protection decisions. Findings also show that people across the southern portions of the United States tend to make more costly protective decisions, as defined in this work. Significance Statement Tornadoes, although rare, threaten both life and property. Studies have shown that certain demographic groups are more negatively impacted by disasters than others and are at higher risk of severe weather hazards. We ask if there are demographic characteristics or geographic locations in common among people who are more prone to making protection decisions during tornado warnings to minimize economic costs. Results can help warning providers, such as the National Weather Service, direct resources and education to specific types of decision-makers or locations to improve sheltering decisions.
{"title":"A Spatial Analysis of Decisions Made in Response to Simulated Tornado Warnings in the United States","authors":"Taylor DeWinter-Maciag, Renee A. McPherson","doi":"10.1175/wcas-d-22-0133.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1175/wcas-d-22-0133.1","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Although decision-making in response to tornado warnings is well researched, most studies do not examine whether individual responses to these warnings vary across different geographical locations and demographic groups. This gap is addressed by using data from a decision experiment that places participants virtually in a simulated tornado warning and asks them to minimize the costs of their decisions. The authors examine the following: 1) what demographic attributes may contribute to choices to minimize costs to protect assets at a specific location in a tornado warning, 2) whether there is a spatial component to how these attributes influence decision-making, and 3) if there are specific U.S. regions where individuals do not make protective decisions that minimize their overall cost. Multilevel regression analysis and poststratification are applied to data from the simulated decision experiment to estimate which demographic attributes and National Weather Service County Warning Areas are most associated with the costliest protective decisions. The results are then analyzed using spatial autocorrelation to identify spatial patterns. Results indicate that sex, race, and ethnicity are important factors that influence protection decisions. Findings also show that people across the southern portions of the United States tend to make more costly protective decisions, as defined in this work. Significance Statement Tornadoes, although rare, threaten both life and property. Studies have shown that certain demographic groups are more negatively impacted by disasters than others and are at higher risk of severe weather hazards. We ask if there are demographic characteristics or geographic locations in common among people who are more prone to making protection decisions during tornado warnings to minimize economic costs. Results can help warning providers, such as the National Weather Service, direct resources and education to specific types of decision-makers or locations to improve sheltering decisions.","PeriodicalId":48971,"journal":{"name":"Weather Climate and Society","volume":"22 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135324806","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01DOI: 10.1175/wcas-d-22-0140.1
Hamilton Bean, Kensuke Takenouchi, Ana Maria Cruz
Abstract Since 2019, National Weather Service (NWS) offices have been able to issue 360-character Wireless Emergency Alert (“WEA360”) messages for tornadoes. NWS is now considering changing from a “deterministic” to a “probabilistic” warning paradigm. That change could possibly influence how WEA360 messages for tornado are issued in the future. Recent experimental studies have found that probabilistic hazard information (PHI) forecast graphics improve consumers’ risk perception for tornadoes, but findings from these studies concerning whether PHI forecast graphics improve people’s protective action decision-making are mixed. The present study therefore investigated how mock PHI-enhanced WEA360 messages might influence people’s risk perception and protective action decision-making. Analysis of qualitative data gathered from a combination of questionnaire and focus group interview methods conducted in collaboration with 31 community members in Denver, Colorado, indicated that inclusion of PHI forecast graphics within WEA360 messages elicited high levels of understanding and message believability but did not consistently lead to appropriate precautionary intent. Because warning response is a complex social phenomenon, PHI may not significantly improve protective action decision-making if PHI forecast graphics are eventually presented to consumers via the Wireless Emergency Alerts system. Factors that PHI stakeholders should consider before the adoption of PHI-enhanced WEA360 messages for consumers are discussed. Significance Statement This study examines how consumers respond to and talk about mock WEA360 messages for tornadoes that contain embedded PHI forecast graphics. As NWS considers moving to a probabilistic warning paradigm, stakeholders will need to determine how PHI forecast graphics might be communicated directly to consumers, if at all. Our findings suggest that combining WEA360 messages with PHI forecast graphics creates challenges and complexities related to consumers’ assessment of personal risk and protective action decision-making. Overall, the study suggests that any future PHI-enhanced WEA360 messages provided directly to consumers, if at all, must avoid discrepancies (even subtle) between the level of risk represented by the PHI forecast graphic and the protective action guidance included in the text of the messages.
{"title":"Combining Probabilistic Hazard Information Forecast Graphics with Wireless Emergency Alert Messages: An Exploratory, Qualitative Study","authors":"Hamilton Bean, Kensuke Takenouchi, Ana Maria Cruz","doi":"10.1175/wcas-d-22-0140.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1175/wcas-d-22-0140.1","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Since 2019, National Weather Service (NWS) offices have been able to issue 360-character Wireless Emergency Alert (“WEA360”) messages for tornadoes. NWS is now considering changing from a “deterministic” to a “probabilistic” warning paradigm. That change could possibly influence how WEA360 messages for tornado are issued in the future. Recent experimental studies have found that probabilistic hazard information (PHI) forecast graphics improve consumers’ risk perception for tornadoes, but findings from these studies concerning whether PHI forecast graphics improve people’s protective action decision-making are mixed. The present study therefore investigated how mock PHI-enhanced WEA360 messages might influence people’s risk perception and protective action decision-making. Analysis of qualitative data gathered from a combination of questionnaire and focus group interview methods conducted in collaboration with 31 community members in Denver, Colorado, indicated that inclusion of PHI forecast graphics within WEA360 messages elicited high levels of understanding and message believability but did not consistently lead to appropriate precautionary intent. Because warning response is a complex social phenomenon, PHI may not significantly improve protective action decision-making if PHI forecast graphics are eventually presented to consumers via the Wireless Emergency Alerts system. Factors that PHI stakeholders should consider before the adoption of PHI-enhanced WEA360 messages for consumers are discussed. Significance Statement This study examines how consumers respond to and talk about mock WEA360 messages for tornadoes that contain embedded PHI forecast graphics. As NWS considers moving to a probabilistic warning paradigm, stakeholders will need to determine how PHI forecast graphics might be communicated directly to consumers, if at all. Our findings suggest that combining WEA360 messages with PHI forecast graphics creates challenges and complexities related to consumers’ assessment of personal risk and protective action decision-making. Overall, the study suggests that any future PHI-enhanced WEA360 messages provided directly to consumers, if at all, must avoid discrepancies (even subtle) between the level of risk represented by the PHI forecast graphic and the protective action guidance included in the text of the messages.","PeriodicalId":48971,"journal":{"name":"Weather Climate and Society","volume":"13 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135324298","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01DOI: 10.1175/wcas-d-22-0142.1
Caily Schwartz, Tonya Haigh, Mark Svoboda, Madeline Goebel
Abstract Because flash drought is a relatively new phenomenon in drought research, defining the concept is critical for scientists and decision-makers. Having detrimental impacts on many sectors, it is important to have a consistent definition and understanding of flash drought, between experts and stakeholders, to provide early warning to the community. This study focuses on onset and progression of conditions and demonstrates the difference in flash drought identification for 15 events across six quantitative definitions of flash drought that use the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM). Five flash drought events have been studied in the literature while 10 additional events have been perceived as flash drought by stakeholders. The results show that two of six definitions consistently capture the earliest onset of flash drought and include a large percent area in the identification. A qualitative analysis of management challenges and needs determined by stakeholders was completed using survey data. The results found that managing impacts and better communication and education were the top challenges and more data and enhanced and efficient communication as the top needs to better monitor, manage, and respond to flash droughts. The results demonstrate the need for assessing the characteristics of the definitions to enhance communication and monitoring strategies for large and small-scale flash droughts. Significance Statement The purpose of this study is to better understand how different numerical flash drought definitions characterize multiple flash drought events and how these definitions are useful in addressing the needs and challenges of stakeholders. This is important because definitions may capture different areas in flash droughts, which can impact how end users identify a flash drought. Further, this study uses events identified by the literature and by people familiar with drought monitoring. From these findings, definitions that capture flash drought earliest would help address the challenge of rapid onset and the need of quicker data. Further, definitions by sector would be beneficial to address the scale of impacts. This study identifies the importance of definitions for early warning systems.
{"title":"How is Flash Drought Understood?—Experts’ Definitions and Decision-Makers’ Perceptions","authors":"Caily Schwartz, Tonya Haigh, Mark Svoboda, Madeline Goebel","doi":"10.1175/wcas-d-22-0142.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1175/wcas-d-22-0142.1","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Because flash drought is a relatively new phenomenon in drought research, defining the concept is critical for scientists and decision-makers. Having detrimental impacts on many sectors, it is important to have a consistent definition and understanding of flash drought, between experts and stakeholders, to provide early warning to the community. This study focuses on onset and progression of conditions and demonstrates the difference in flash drought identification for 15 events across six quantitative definitions of flash drought that use the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM). Five flash drought events have been studied in the literature while 10 additional events have been perceived as flash drought by stakeholders. The results show that two of six definitions consistently capture the earliest onset of flash drought and include a large percent area in the identification. A qualitative analysis of management challenges and needs determined by stakeholders was completed using survey data. The results found that managing impacts and better communication and education were the top challenges and more data and enhanced and efficient communication as the top needs to better monitor, manage, and respond to flash droughts. The results demonstrate the need for assessing the characteristics of the definitions to enhance communication and monitoring strategies for large and small-scale flash droughts. Significance Statement The purpose of this study is to better understand how different numerical flash drought definitions characterize multiple flash drought events and how these definitions are useful in addressing the needs and challenges of stakeholders. This is important because definitions may capture different areas in flash droughts, which can impact how end users identify a flash drought. Further, this study uses events identified by the literature and by people familiar with drought monitoring. From these findings, definitions that capture flash drought earliest would help address the challenge of rapid onset and the need of quicker data. Further, definitions by sector would be beneficial to address the scale of impacts. This study identifies the importance of definitions for early warning systems.","PeriodicalId":48971,"journal":{"name":"Weather Climate and Society","volume":"5 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134935531","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01DOI: 10.1175/wcas-d-21-0113.1
Manzoor Hussain Memon, Naveed Aamir, Nadeem Ahmed
Abstract Climate change has forced the world into a state of emergency, but the urgency can also become an opportunity to strengthen the focus on sustainable development and reduce social vulnerability. For developing economies, the first and foremost challenge regarding climate change is to address the knowledge gap on sustainable development and vulnerability. Besides this, evidence-based inputs are needed for the policies and programs that intend to enhance the adaptive capacity and social capital from the gender perspective in comparatively more disaster-prone districts of the country. The environmental impact in terms of socioeconomic conditions specifically pertaining to rural areas of Pakistan cannot be ignored. Natural events such as floods and droughts have raised the question of the social and socioeconomic vulnerability of the rural communities. This paper is an attempt toward understanding that everyone who is affected will be impacted differently by climate change both within the same gender and between different genders, including gender minorities. In addition, an attempt is made to identify the drivers of gender-disaggregated social vulnerability in selected disaster-prone rural communities of the district of Dadu, Sindh Province, Pakistan. Both quantitative and qualitative techniques are employed to examine the differences in gender perception on climate change, experiences related to climate change, disasters, and impacts on their lives. Women and households headed by them are found to be relatively more vulnerable due to their socioeconomic and social status in the rural areas of Pakistan. The paper gives policy directives that not only address the measures for reduction in climate change impacts but also suggest the development of effective disaster management programs, policies, and strategies.
{"title":"Climate Change and Adaptation: Exploring Drivers of Community and Gender-Disaggregated Social Vulnerability","authors":"Manzoor Hussain Memon, Naveed Aamir, Nadeem Ahmed","doi":"10.1175/wcas-d-21-0113.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1175/wcas-d-21-0113.1","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Climate change has forced the world into a state of emergency, but the urgency can also become an opportunity to strengthen the focus on sustainable development and reduce social vulnerability. For developing economies, the first and foremost challenge regarding climate change is to address the knowledge gap on sustainable development and vulnerability. Besides this, evidence-based inputs are needed for the policies and programs that intend to enhance the adaptive capacity and social capital from the gender perspective in comparatively more disaster-prone districts of the country. The environmental impact in terms of socioeconomic conditions specifically pertaining to rural areas of Pakistan cannot be ignored. Natural events such as floods and droughts have raised the question of the social and socioeconomic vulnerability of the rural communities. This paper is an attempt toward understanding that everyone who is affected will be impacted differently by climate change both within the same gender and between different genders, including gender minorities. In addition, an attempt is made to identify the drivers of gender-disaggregated social vulnerability in selected disaster-prone rural communities of the district of Dadu, Sindh Province, Pakistan. Both quantitative and qualitative techniques are employed to examine the differences in gender perception on climate change, experiences related to climate change, disasters, and impacts on their lives. Women and households headed by them are found to be relatively more vulnerable due to their socioeconomic and social status in the rural areas of Pakistan. The paper gives policy directives that not only address the measures for reduction in climate change impacts but also suggest the development of effective disaster management programs, policies, and strategies.","PeriodicalId":48971,"journal":{"name":"Weather Climate and Society","volume":"21 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135323148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-25DOI: 10.1175/wcas-d-22-0125.1
Angelina Dumlao, Neil Debbage
Abstract A cool environment is critical for protecting vulnerable populations from the adverse health effects associated with exposure to extreme heat. Although cooling centers are commonly established to provide temporary heat relief to the public, there is limited research exploring the spatial distributions and accessibility of cooling centers across cities in Texas. The intent of this study was to examine the spatial characteristics of cooling center locations throughout the Texas Triangle megaregion and evaluate the proximity of cooling centers to vulnerable populations. Specifically, spatial clustering analysis was used to quantitatively characterize the spatial distributions of cooling centers in San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas while spatial lag regression was conducted to evaluate the relationships between indicators of socioeconomic vulnerability and proximity to cooling centers. The findings indicated that cooling centers exhibited clustering at short distances, which suggested there were potential spatial redundancies. The distributions of the cooling centers also illustrated possible accessibility issues due to the concentration of the locations in urban cores. The spatial lag regression models highlighted several problematic relationships, as elderly and disabled populations were located at significantly greater distances from cooling centers in San Antonio and Dallas, respectively. However, numerous insignificant relationships were also observed, which suggested that cooling center locations did not consistently marginalize or favor vulnerable populations. Therefore, a higher degree of intentionality that explicitly considers cooling center proximity to the vulnerable populations they aim to serve might be beneficial as planners and emergency managers select cooling center locations in response to extreme heat.
{"title":"Examining the Spatial Proximity of Vulnerable Communities to Cooling Centers across the Texas Triangle Megaregion","authors":"Angelina Dumlao, Neil Debbage","doi":"10.1175/wcas-d-22-0125.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1175/wcas-d-22-0125.1","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract A cool environment is critical for protecting vulnerable populations from the adverse health effects associated with exposure to extreme heat. Although cooling centers are commonly established to provide temporary heat relief to the public, there is limited research exploring the spatial distributions and accessibility of cooling centers across cities in Texas. The intent of this study was to examine the spatial characteristics of cooling center locations throughout the Texas Triangle megaregion and evaluate the proximity of cooling centers to vulnerable populations. Specifically, spatial clustering analysis was used to quantitatively characterize the spatial distributions of cooling centers in San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas while spatial lag regression was conducted to evaluate the relationships between indicators of socioeconomic vulnerability and proximity to cooling centers. The findings indicated that cooling centers exhibited clustering at short distances, which suggested there were potential spatial redundancies. The distributions of the cooling centers also illustrated possible accessibility issues due to the concentration of the locations in urban cores. The spatial lag regression models highlighted several problematic relationships, as elderly and disabled populations were located at significantly greater distances from cooling centers in San Antonio and Dallas, respectively. However, numerous insignificant relationships were also observed, which suggested that cooling center locations did not consistently marginalize or favor vulnerable populations. Therefore, a higher degree of intentionality that explicitly considers cooling center proximity to the vulnerable populations they aim to serve might be beneficial as planners and emergency managers select cooling center locations in response to extreme heat.","PeriodicalId":48971,"journal":{"name":"Weather Climate and Society","volume":"72 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135815678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-06DOI: 10.1175/wcas-d-22-0130.1
Rakesh Gomaji Nannewar, T. Kanitkar, R. Srikanth
Providing knowledge inputs to farmers is critical to reduce their vulnerability and enhance resilience against climate change. In developing countries such as India, where small-holdings and rain-fed agriculture are predominant, knowledge inputs become even more critical. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is providing integrated agrometeorological advisory services (AAS) to farmers since 2008. In this paper, we estimate the scale of access to AAS and its impact on crop yields in 1000 households across ten villages in two agroclimatic zones in India. We find evidence suggesting that access to AAS can have a significant impact on crop yields in the Kharif (June-September) season while other inputs are more important in the case of Rabi (winter) crops. Specifically, the yields of pigeon pea, soyabean, and pearl millet are higher by 233 kg/ha, 98 kg/ha, and 318 kg/ha respectively for AAS beneficiaries. For the entire study area, this translates to a value addition of $9.66 million for these three crops in one season. Our results show that AAS can be an important contributor to meet the developmental goals of enhancing food security in dryland agriculture and building resilience against climate change.
{"title":"Role of Agrometeorological Advisory Services in Enhancing Food Security and Reducing Vulnerability to Climate Change","authors":"Rakesh Gomaji Nannewar, T. Kanitkar, R. Srikanth","doi":"10.1175/wcas-d-22-0130.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1175/wcas-d-22-0130.1","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Providing knowledge inputs to farmers is critical to reduce their vulnerability and enhance resilience against climate change. In developing countries such as India, where small-holdings and rain-fed agriculture are predominant, knowledge inputs become even more critical. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is providing integrated agrometeorological advisory services (AAS) to farmers since 2008. In this paper, we estimate the scale of access to AAS and its impact on crop yields in 1000 households across ten villages in two agroclimatic zones in India. We find evidence suggesting that access to AAS can have a significant impact on crop yields in the Kharif (June-September) season while other inputs are more important in the case of Rabi (winter) crops. Specifically, the yields of pigeon pea, soyabean, and pearl millet are higher by 233 kg/ha, 98 kg/ha, and 318 kg/ha respectively for AAS beneficiaries. For the entire study area, this translates to a value addition of $9.66 million for these three crops in one season. Our results show that AAS can be an important contributor to meet the developmental goals of enhancing food security in dryland agriculture and building resilience against climate change.","PeriodicalId":48971,"journal":{"name":"Weather Climate and Society","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2023-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43912679","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-29DOI: 10.1175/wcas-d-23-0018.1
Kelsey N. Ellis, Jennifer M. First, Stephen M. Strader, N. Grondin, D. Burow, Zachary Medley
Simultaneous and overlapping tornadoes and flash floods are a meteorological hazard with complex societal implications as, when issued at the same time, tornado and flash flood warnings provide conflicting public safety advice. This work assessed potential tornado and flash flood (TORFF) events in a portion of the Southeast from an interdisciplinary perspective with a focus on the climatology, vulnerability, and public perceptions surrounding these hazards. In addition to the conflicting warning advice, TORFFs present a challenge to the public because they can occur at night or in cool seasons, when they are least expected, though they are most common in spring. Also, the storms causing the TORFFs are often not clearly organized, causing a forecast and communication challenge. The public responding to the tornado and flash flood warnings in our study area is more vulnerable to TORFFs than those in other areas, and may lack vehicles and structures to respond safely to one or both hazard threats. Administered survey results suggest that many believe they know what protective actions to take in a TORFF, though they may not believe they are likely in their area. Those that believe they are likely are also more likely to feel prepared to respond. Many climatology and vulnerability characteristics vary between, and at times within, NWS County Warning Areas, highlighting the different communication and preparation needs across the region. Approximately a quarter of flash flood and tornado warnings overlap in the region, for an average of 31 minutes. The frequency of TORFFs and their associated public safety challenges warrant continued investigation.
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