Public has fair level of confidence in public safety during weather and natural disasters, survey finds

Severe storms have been growing in strength due to climate change. Massive heat waves are currently hitting regions across the United States, while wildfire season is well underway. So is hurricane season. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information (NOAA), as of July 11 there have been nine weather/climate disaster events in the U.S. this year. In 2021, 20 weather/climate disasters occurred, with costs of more than $145 billion. Preparedness is key to save lives and minimize damage caused by these events, but how prepared does the public think they are? According to the 2022 National Disaster & Severe Weather Preparedness report by Rave Mobile Safety, while 90 percent of respondents are just as concerned or more concerned about severe weather now than they were two years ago, only 27 percent of respondents feel very or extremely prepared to face severe weather.

The report, which was released this week, is compiled from the results of a national survey conducted in June of more than 1,000 people. In addition to preparedness, it also looked at how much trust people have in their both their local public safety authorities and their workplaces to keep them safe in a natural disaster. According to Rave, the objective of the study was to “inform organizations about public safety sentiments and steps that can be taken to better protect employees and residents with adverse events take place.

Key findings in the report show that nearly 86 percent of the public have at least a fair level of confidence that first responders, public safety and emergency management teams are adequately prepared to handle natural disaster and severe weather events. That breaks down to 13 percent with a very high level of confidence, 26 percent have a high level and 47 percent have a fair level of confidence. Only 2 percent of respondents say they have a lack of confidence in their local public safety/emergency management agencies.

Almost half of respondents (46 percent) said that more communications with local officials leading up to severe weather events would make them feel more prepared, while 30 percent of respondents want more local resources—including targeted mailings, flyers, and public information sessions—detailing ways to prepare for severe weather events.

In a statement, Rave CEO Todd Piett said, “It’s become widely accepted that natural disasters and severe weather incidents are part of our lives and will continue to impact lives for the foreseeable future. Residents, employers and those charged with protecting communities can no longer wait until severe weather strikes—they must be prepared year-round for outreach and integrated response at a moment’s notice. Having open lines of communication and appropriate technological resources in place can greatly improve how communities address these chaotic incidents. While we can’t stop these events from happening, individuals, businesses and communities can limit their impact through proactive planning and cohesive communications.”

The full National Disaster & Severe Weather Preparedness report is available here for download.