Abstract
Heat is the leading weather-related killer in the United States. Although previous research suggests that social influences affect human responses to natural disaster warnings, no studies have examined the social impacts of heat or heat warnings on a population. Here, 201 surveys were distributed in Metropolitan Phoenix to determine the social impacts of the heat warning system, or more specifically, to gauge risk perception and warning response. Consistent with previous research, increased risk perception of heat results in increased response to a warning. Different social factors such as sex, race, age, and income all play an important role in determining whether or not people will respond to a warning. In particular, there is a strong sense of perceived risk to the heat among Hispanics which translates to increased response when heat warnings are issued. Based on these findings, suggestions are presented to help improve the Phoenix Heat Warning System.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Atwood LE, Major AM (1998) Exploring the “cry wolf” hypothesis. Int J Mass Emerg Disasters 16:279–302
Brucker G (2005) Vulnerable populations: lessons learnt from the summer 2003 heat waves in Europe. Eurosurveillance 10:147
Carter MT (1980) Community warning systems: the relationship among the broadcast media, emergency service agencies and the National Weather Service. In: Disaster and the Mass Media. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 214–228
Centers for Disease Control (2002) Heat-related deaths in four states, July–August 2001, and United States, 1979–1999. Morb Mort Wkly Rep 51:567–570
Ebi KL, Teisberg TJ, Kalkstein LS, Robinson L, Weiher RF (2004) Heat watch/warning systems save lives: estimated costs and benefits for Philadelphia 1995—1998. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 85:1067–1074
Hansson RO, Noulles D, Bellovich SJ (1982) Knowledge, warning, and stress: a study of comparative roles in an urban floodplain. Environ Behav 14:171–185
Hiroi O, Mikami S, Miyata K (1985). A study of mass media reporting in emergencies. Int J Mass Emerg Disasters 3:21–50
Janis IL (1962) Psychological effects of warnings. In: Man and society in disaster. Basis Books, New York, pp 84–86
Kalkstein LS, Barthel CD, Greene JS, Nichols MC (1996a) A new spatial synoptic classification: application to air mass analysis. Int J Climatol 16:983–1004
Kalkstein LS, Jamason PF, Greene JS, Libby J, Robinson L (1996b) The Philadelphia hot weather health watch/warning system: development and application, summer 1995. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 77:519–1528
Kilbourne EM (1997) Heat waves and hot environments. In: Noji EK (ed) The public health consequences of disasters. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 245–269
Mogil HM (1980) The weather warning and preparedness programs: the national weather service and the mass media. In: Disaster and the mass media. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., pp 205–213
National Weather Service (2006) Heat wave: a major summer killer http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/brochures/heat_wave.shtml
O’Riordan T (1986) Coping with environmental hazards. In: Kates RW, Burton I (eds) Themes from the work of Gilbert F. White: geography, resources and environment, vol 2. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, pp 272–309
Perry R, Lindell M, Greene M (1982) Crisis communications: ethnic differences in interpreting and acting on disaster warnings. Soc Behav Pers 10:97–104
Perry RW, Lindell MK (1997) Aged citizens in the warning phase of disasters: re-examining the evidence. Int J Aging Hum Dev 44:257–267
Sandman PM (1994) Mass media and environmental risk: seven principles. Risk Health Safety Environ 5:251
Shen TF, Howe HL, Alo C, Moolenaar RL (1998) Toward a broader definition of heat-related death: comparison of mortality estimates from medical examiners’ classification with those from total death differentials during the July 1995 heat wave in Chicago, Illinois. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 19:113–118
Sheridan SC (2002) The redevelopment of a weather-type classification scheme for North America. Int J Climatol 22:51–68
Sheridan SC (2006) A survey of public perception and response to heat warnings across four North American cities: an evaluation of municipal effectiveness. Int J Biometeorol (n press)
Sheridan SC, Kalkstein LS (2004) Progress in heat watch-warning system technology. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 85:1931–1941
Sims JH, Baumann DD (1983) Educational programmes and human response to natural hazards. Environ Behav 15:165–189
Sorensen JH (2000) Hazard warning systems: review of 20 years of progress. Nat Hazards Rev 1:119–125
Vaughan E, Nordenstam B (1991) The perception of environmental risks among ethnically diverse groups. J Cross-Cult Psychol 22:29–60
Villa J (2005) Heat wave claims 18 lives in 5 days. The Arizona Republic July 21
Vitek JD, Berta SM (1982) Improving perception of and response to natural hazards: the need for local education. Journal of Geography: 225–228
WHO (2004) Health and global environmental change, Series No.2. 124
Whitman S, Good G, Donoghue ER, Benbow N, Shou WY, Mou SX (1997). Mortality in Chicago attributed to the July 1995 heat wave. Am J Public Health 87:1515–1518
Whyte AVT (1986) From hazard perception to human ecology. In: Kates RW, Burton I. (eds) Themes from the work of Gilbert F. White: geography, resources and environment Vol. 2. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, pp 240–271
Withey SB (1962) Reaction to uncertain threat. In: Man and society in disaster. Basis Books, New York, pp 93–123
Withey SB (1976) Accomodation to threat. Mass Emerg 1:125–130
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Appendix A
Appendix A
Survey Text
Adam Kalkstein, a PhD student from the Geography Department at Arizona State University, is conducting a project to help improve weather warning systems in Phoenix. All information you share is strictly anonymous; there will be no association between you and the information you give. Furthermore, I will never ask for your name, address, phone number, etc. This study has been approved by the ASU Institutional Review Board and shouldn’t take more than five minutes to complete. Thanks for your participation!
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kalkstein, A.J., Sheridan, S.C. The social impacts of the heat–health watch/warning system in Phoenix, Arizona: assessing the perceived risk and response of the public. Int J Biometeorol 52, 43–55 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-006-0073-4
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-006-0073-4