Forecasters Prepare for Hurricane Warnings

By Dave Gradijan

April 26, 2006 — CSO — Experts believe that hurricane warnings need to be translated to be more understandable for potential victims, Reuters reports.

At the American Meteorological Society’s annual conference, researchers said communication needs to be improved between scientists and risk-management professionals. "We speak different languages, use different terminologies," said Sytske Kimball, a meteorology professor at the University of South Alabama, according to Reuters.

Hurricane Katrina quickly became notorious last August when it killed about 1,300 people and inflicted billions of dollars’ worth of damage. Tens of thousands of people didn’t evacuate, according to Reuters.

National Weather Service forecaster Barry Goldsmith said his Florida office hopes to spell out more explicitly what severe conditions like 115 mph winds could mean for inhabitants of a particular area. "Is it any good if the consumers in the end game don’t take any action to protect themselves?" he said, according to Reuters.

Goldsmith said more specific messages could warn, for example, that the impending conditions may destroy older mobile homes, Reuters reports.

U.S. National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield told Reuters that local officials should be trusted to advise residents whether to evacuate an area, although he agreed that someone must make affected people understand what the specific weather conditions will mean to them.

For related CSO content, read The Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

For more hurricane coverage, read Hurricane Season May Catch Some Unprepared and Changes Swirling at FEMA Before Storm Season.

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— Compiled by Dave Gradijan

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