Mountain Living and the Importance of Local Information Outlets for Severe Weather By Angela Hessenius, Joanna Parkman, Deanna Corin, and Montana Eck Valle Crucis flooding / Photo by Jaybird Aerial Photography, www.jaybirdaerials.com
W
hether you have been here all your life, or just enjoy visiting the mountains, you have likely experienced some sort of severe weather or natural hazard in the mountains of western North Carolina. Between the Horton Fire in 2016, Hurricane Florence in 2018, and an ice storm just months ago, mountain communities of the Old North State are well acquainted with a variety of natural hazards. The impacts of these events can affect the regional economy and pose significant risks to public health and safety. Moreover, these events are predicted to grow in frequency and intensity over the coming years due to a changing climate. Native Appalachians and frequent visitors know how volatile the weather can be in these ancient hills, but it is not always clear where residents can turn for trusted information in moments of crisis or uncertainty. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted information challenges as communities have had to navigate conflicting information from various sources to keep themselves safe. As the number of potential sources continues to grow in this technological age, what makes an information source, such as social media or your local news station, a trustworthy place to turn to when getting information on severe weather events? That’s one of the questions a group of researchers at Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill set out to investigate this year as part of an interdisciplinary Bass Connections (https://bassconnections.duke.edu/) research project focused on wildfires and public trust.* Initially, the team intended to conduct in-person interviews in Ashe and Watauga counties to hear firsthand accounts of unpredictable weather events in the information age, but public health concerns required an alternative approach for the research. Students created an online survey to ask questions within these
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communities about trust, risk perceptions, and where people get information in order to understand how individuals make choices when preparing for hazards or severe weather. Drawing from the insights and networks of local organizations, the team partnered with the New River Conservancy Citizen Science Program and North Carolina Cooperative Extension Centers in Watauga and Ashe Counties to connect with residents. With nearly 80 survey responses from Ashe, Watauga, and Rockingham Counties, we began to uncover some of the factors that influence trust and information-seeking in the High Country and the upper Piedmont region. One of the key findings from these survey responses is that there is some discrepancy between the types of sources that people trust the most and the sources that people nonetheless use regularly. For example, the sources that were ranked as most trusted included local online weather sources (such as Ray’s Weather Center) as well as state officials, county health departments, and county emergency response agencies. When asked which sources people turned to the most often for information during a natural hazard or severe weather event, residents again ranked local online weather sources as the most frequently used source. However, the next most frequently used source was social media, which ranked last in terms of sources that survey respondents trusted generally. The next most often-used information sources were local news stations, local newspapers, and neighbors or family members. While there is still a lot to learn, one important reason for this mismatch could be that the sources that are most trusted are not the same as the sources that provide the most easily-accessed and widely available information. Trusted sources might not provide new information at the same rate as a person’s social media feed does.
From COVID-19 to natural hazards such as wildfires, communities in the southern Appalachian mountains—like communities across the country—will continue to face risks to public health and safety. One of the most important ways to prepare for and adapt to these uncertainties is to have trusted sources of information that people can rely on. During a hazard or disaster, access to accurate and trusted information can save lives. We all face the challenges of navigating a world where information is everywhere, but we may not completely trust whether that information is accurate, reliable, or truthful. “Even though we are seemingly awash in information,” says Dr. Brian Southwell, co-director of the project at Duke, “people nonetheless sometimes struggle to make sense of information or to find relevant information to their specific needs.” The collaborative Duke-UNC research project suggested some key takeaway messages for both consumers and communication professionals serving the High Country. Having a go-to source of trusted information during an extreme weather event can be a key part of disaster preparedness and resilience. Some residents in western North Carolina might not currently have a regular source of information about extreme weather and weather-related hazards that they rely on, so there are opportunities for future initiatives. Government officials and news media can work to provide accessible information and build trust with constituencies, but importantly being a trusted source alone does not guarantee information access for residents. For example, research results showed that county and state governments are highly trusted but not as frequently turned to for information. This indicates an opportunity for improving channels of communication from these local levels to
