Survey: Radio First Choice For Disaster Info

Despite an uptick in national disasters over the past few years, members of the general public still admit they are not fully prepared, a new survey finds. Fewer than half of national respondents to an Ipsos survey have obtained or accessed basic information to prepare for a disaster such as emergency responder contact info, evacuation routes or shelter locations. During a disaster, they rely more on traditional communications channels such as websites, radio and TV, as opposed to social media, but want better options.

The general population feels most prepared for blizzards (51 percent), floods (47 percent) and hurricanes (33 percent) and least prepared for shootings (15 percent).

Recent post-disaster conversations have focused on social media innovations to address the next disaster —functions like Facebook’s “safe check-in” or live-tweeting from inside the eye of a storm. Despite these conversations, the survey respondents were surprisingly traditional in their preferred communications channels.



Respondents (83 percent) agree that technology plays a critical role in disaster preparedness, particularly in synchronizing efforts and data sources between first responders, aid organizations and other relief personnel. However, respondents (51 percent nationally) are less likely to rely heavily on social media during an event, preferring radio (63 percent) and television (55 percent). Respondents believe that information about shelters, contacts, what to pack and disaster locations would be most helpful to prepare, and would also prefer a text messaging service that provides disaster updates or even a telephone hotline.

Ipsos and Booz Allen Hamilton surveyed more than 1,000 respondents nationally and an additional more than 300 each in California, Florida and Texas, states particularly vulnerable to disasters. Respondents were queried about their preparedness and the value of technology in preparing for and surviving a variety of disasters.