ABSTRACT
Issue Doubt, skepticism, and uncertainty have become part of individual views of our capacity to deal with disasters. The response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 raised many questions about our risks associated with natural hazards. People have doubts about government policies and processes, as well as the priorities of both businesses and community-oriented agencies. As agency representatives, we can no longer just say that we know what is best. We must be sensitive to how we communicate about risk and how our risk communication strategies may be received by others. Understanding how individuals perceive risk to hazards and how the communication of risk impacts individual and organization actions is essential in reducing vulnerability to hazards. People no longer see that hazards and our vulnerability are associated with chance and factors outside human control. People appreciate that our systems are not perfect, have limitations, and may be vulnerable to human and organizational failures. We can enhance the public’s understanding of hazards and risks and improve organizational adaptive measures by increasing our communication of risks. What can be done to strengthen our individual, community, and organizational resilience?
