Education key to hazardous weather safety, UNL researcher says

Nebraska's severe weather awareness week passed in March, and since then parts of the state have been hard hit by hail, wind, torrential rains and tornadoes. However, as exemplified by the May storms in the Hastings-Grand Island and other areas this spring, the risk from flash flooding is also a severe weather threat.

Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the risks from severe weather and fail to stay adequately informed and alert. Matthew Parker, assistant professor of geosciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, oversees a research study and a student-led outreach effort to increase awareness of the flash-flooding risk and to encourage Nebraskans to stay well-informed about weather threats and severe weather safety.

During fall 2004, UNL surveyed 1,807 Nebraska residents to gauge their knowledge and awareness of the hazards from thunderstorms. For example, according to this study: * 80 percent of Nebraskans feel it is "very important" to stay informed of the threat from tornadoes. * 60 percent of Nebraskans do not feel it is "very important" to stay informed of the threat from flash flooding. * 79 percent of Nebraskans do not receive severe weather information via NOAA (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration) weather radio. * 75 percent of Nebraskans say thunderstorms have "modest" or "not much" impact on their daily lives.

"The discrepancies in the data on perceived versus actual risks and the ambivalence of Nebraskans about weather risks are highlighted in this research," said Parker. While Nebraskans appear to heed the danger of tornadoes, they also appear to not stay adequately informed about impending tornado threats. They also appear to downplay the significance of flash-flooding, he said.

"From 1988-2003, more people died from floods than from tornadoes, hurricanes or lightning strikes," Parker said. "And most of Nebraska's thunderstorms, and many flash floods, occur at night when citizens are sleeping, with their televisions off. NOAA weather radio sounds an alarm as soon as any kind of warning is issued for a specific area."

"Education is the key to hazardous weather safety," he said.

This summer, students and faculty at UNL are doing research and creating Internet information and outreach tools to increase Nebraskans' understanding of dangerous weather. Their work will be featured at www.meso.unl.edu.

CONTACT: Matthew D. Parker, Asst. Professor, Geosciences, (402) 472-2416