ABSTRACT
Disasters, whether natural, technological, or human induced, can impose rapid, catastrophic loss of life, injury, and costly damage to property and infrastructure. Modern warning technology, however, has the potential to save lives, reduce injuries, and limit property and infrastructure damage. This chapter will discuss key definitions and concepts pertinent to disaster alerts and warnings, provide a brief overview of emergency alerts and warning systems used worldwide to warn the public when a hazard event occurs, and discuss recent developments in emergency alert systems. Two key theoretical models that provide a framework for understanding the role alert and warning messages play in motivating people to take protective action will be presented, as will evidence-based recommendations for constructing warning messages that effectively motivate self-protective responses. The chapter will also present case studies – the absence of warning messages for wildfire events in Gatlinburg, TN, and Paradise, CA, and an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile alert wrongly sent to residents of Hawaii – to highlight challenges in preparing and disseminating effective warnings. Finally, the future of alerts and warnings will be discussed, including research needs.
