Justine I. Blanford, Jase Bernhardt, Alexander Savelyev, Gabrielle Wong-Parodi, Andrew M. Carleton, David W. Titley, et al. (2014). Tweeting and tornadoes. In and P.C. Shih. L. Plotnick M. S. P. S.R. Hiltz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2014 Conference Proceedings – 11th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 319–323). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: Social Media and micro-blogging is being used during crisis events to provide live up-to-date information as events evolve (before, during and after). Messages are posted by citizens or public officials. To understand the effectiveness of these messages, we examined the content of geo-located Twitter messages (“tweets”) sent during the Moore, Oklahoma tornado of May 20th, 2013 (+/-1day) to explore the spatial and temporal relationships of real-time reactions of the general public. We found a clear transition of topics during each stage of the tornado event. Twitter was useful for posting and retrieving updates, reconstructing the sequence of events as well as capturing people's reactions leading up to, during and after the tornado. A long-term goal for the research reported here is to provide insights to forecasters and emergency response personnel concerning the impact of warnings and other advisory messages.
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Marius J. Paulikas, Andrew Curtis, & Thomas Veldman. (2014). Spatial video street-scale damage assessment of the Washington, Illinois Tornado of 2013. In and P.C. Shih. L. Plotnick M. S. P. S.R. Hiltz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2014 Conference Proceedings – 11th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 329–333). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: This paper advances a growing body of mobile mapping work which captures building scale tornado damage in order to reveal vulnerabilities, or protections, within an otherwise apparently homogenous damage path. The hope is to find how micro geography, or built environment structure patterning might lead to policy advances with regards to rebuilding of critical infrastructure in tornado prone areas. This paper will use spatially encoded video to record damage patterns for the Washington, Illinois tornado of November 17, 2013. What makes this event notable is the location and time of year which can be considered outside the norm. Individual building damage data are coded using the Tornado Injury Scale (TIS) and then analyzed using two forms of local area spatial analysis – a Getis-Ord (Gi) z-score analysis to identify hotspots of damage, and a Local Moran's I to identify building outliers within hotspots.
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Linda Plotnick, Starr Roxanne Hiltz, & Matthew Burns. (2012). For whom the siren sounds: Public perceptions of outdoor warning sirens in northeast Alabama. In Z.Franco J. R. L. Rothkrantz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2012 Conference Proceedings – 9th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Vancouver, BC: Simon Fraser University.
Abstract: In tornado-prone Alabama, outdoor emergency sirens are used as a major component of the Emergency Alert and Notification System. However there have been no studies to date of the effectiveness of these sirens in Calhoun County. In April 2011 a major tornado swept through this area of northeast Alabama, leaving in its wake over 300 fatalities and massive destruction. This preliminary study examines public perceptions and reactions to the sirens for notification of tornadoes. Faculty and students of a mid-sized university in Calhoun County, Alabama were surveyed before and after the devastating 2011 tornado. Although the respondents find the sirens helpful, they have difficulty understanding the tones and spoken messages emitted by the sirens. Concerns about tornadoes did increase slightly after the 2011 tornado. Those who did experience an increase in concern were likely to change their behavior in preparations and response to tornadoes. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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