A hazard communications expert examines post-earthquake alert messages after a false alarm

Newswise – Newswise – ALBANY, NY – In May 2020, residents of Ridgecrest, California, received an emergency text from ShakeAlert, an early warning system for the West Coast operated by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), telling them that a large earthquake had been detected and to take cover. However, the vibration did not follow. It was a technical error.

The false alert, the first of its kind in the United States, was followed shortly by a post-alert message, stating that the message had been “suppressed” and “requires investigation”. Early warning alerts are only intended to be sent to people who may feel a tremor of magnitude 5 or greater.

Janet Sutton, University Adjunct Professor of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity (CEHC), studies disaster and risk communication, with a focus on public alerts and warnings issued via mobile devices and social media.

The incident afforded Sutton a unique opportunity to learn more about the importance of earthquake early warning and post-warning messages.

“The Ridgecrest region experienced a major series of earthquakes just 10 months before the false alarm,” said Sutton. “People were really on edge from that experience. When they got the false alarm, many of them groaned for long periods of time and were confused, even after receiving the post-alert message.

“There was a real mismatch of understanding between what the alert system is, how it works, and whether it is really safe to return to normal life.”

Earthquake alert messages

To better understand public perceptions of the accident, Sutton and a team of researchers, funded by the National Science Foundation, conducted one-on-one interviews with 40 people in the Ridgecrest community. This was followed by a series of focus groups in Southern California with individuals who were not affected by the false alarm.

The conversations focused heavily on the post-alert message to get a sense of how it is perceived and what information people need most after a false earthquake alert. The research team also shared alternative post-alarm messaging options with the focus group.

“There is very limited research on public perceptions and responses to messages in scenarios like this. We have been able to target both individuals who have been directly affected by an earthquake false alarm and those in nearby areas that could be at any time in the future,” Sutton said. “We believe our discussions can serve as a valuable resource to help with future messaging for ShakeAlert and other early warning systems.”

safety first

The main findings included that people with or without prior earthquake experience expressed confusion about the incident, specifically about why the false alarm was being sounded and what was being “investigated”.

The post-alert message also praised those who acted in response to the initial alert, saying “If you protect yourself, well done”, which was largely viewed negatively. Instead, study participants wanted an honest statement about their current level of safety.

While one study participant explained, “Nothing is of course very clear, nor do we know that there is no major earthquake imminent in the area,” others said they would have preferred a message with more specific language such as “No further action is required” or “ The incident passed.

“The immediacy of the post-alert message suggests that prioritizing the informational and emotional needs of the audience would be an appropriate communication strategy,” Sutton said. “Addressing concerns about what is known about safety first, followed by regulatory reputation and public education second, may provide some kind of reassurance to message recipients that the risk has been effectively managed.”

Recommendations based on the discussions were shared in this month’s International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction.

Post-warning research into the future

Prior to publishing the paper, Sutton presented the team’s findings during a virtual Social Science Research Symposium in October, hosted by the USGS ShakeAlert Social Science Working Group. The symposium presented social science research on public messages and public perceptions of earthquake early warning systems in the United States and abroad.

Although they were focusing on earthquake messages, Sutton said it would also be important for future research to explore how best to improve the language of post-alarm messages across a range of other hazard events.

Other collaborators on the research include Michelle Wood of the Department of Public Health at California State University, Fullerton, and recent CEHC graduates Savannah Crouch and Nicholas Wu.

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