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Hurricane & Tropical Storm Preparedness for Your Town

The Calm Before the Storm
Unlike the holiday season, most of us do not relish the thought of the months-long hurricane season. But, if you are a community’s Emergency Manager or responsible for emergency preparedness, the 2024 season should be top of mind.

In this segment, we’ll focus on recommendations to give residents clear and concise storm-readiness instructions.

There are multiple ways to accomplish this task: print media, digital & social media, and legacy broadcast media. Ideally, you would utilize the full spectrum or a combination of these throughout the season, but let’s look at each individually.

Begin the season by keeping the public storm-aware.

Print Media
There is a range of helpful and informative print media options that can be utilized to get your information out, and those options can easily be morphed to work in the digital and social media realm:

A Comprehensive Handbook would be the information cornerstone of any print media initiative. A great example is the Hurricane Handbook that we’ve collaborated on with Lafayette Utilities System (LUS) for the last couple of years. With content provided by LUS, we designed the handbook to provide crucial information in an easy-to-understand format using clear visuals. Distributed throughout the community, your handbook should be easily available to the general public by placing copies in civic buildings, fire stations, local grocery stores, churches, schools, etc.

A content-rich item, the Comprehensive Handbook should contain all of the information that a resident would need to be completely storm-aware and storm-ready. Typically, the handbook content should focus on three key subjects: Understanding Hurricane Preparedness, Creating a Hurricane Preparedness Plan, and Staying Informed and Taking Action. Here is an outline to follow.

If produced efficiently, the handbook can be converted to a PDF file for posting on your website, and linked on social media sites. Users can download the book to a computer, laptop, or mobile device for easy reference. Additionally, the book can be converted to a digital flipbook.

With a printed handbook, motivate the public to be prepared for survival with engaging graphics & informative copy.

Digital & Social Media
We’ve briefly touched on digital options that complement a printed booklet (PDF posting & downloading availability, or similarly utilizing a flipbook). Localized outdoor advertising media or digital media (banner-style graphics that link to the information) are two additional ways to get preparedness messages to the general public.

Based on a storm preparedness outline, engaging and relevant graphics combined with simple and concise text will get the point across.

Throughout the season, two to three social media posts per week across your channels will keep residents informed and engaged. These posts can be combined into a single-page PDF file to expand upon the specific topic.

Social media initiatives will be the most efficient way to get the word out to a broad population. However, it’s wise to remember that there will always be an under-served segment of your community that may not have access to social and online media; therefore they become vulnerable to an emergency. This is where more traditional communication methods play an important role.

For your social media channels, have a consistent look & feel with your imagery, combined with concise copy, Simple motion graphics or short videos are a plus.

Broadcast Media
Radio and television are still powerful methods of public outreach, especially during hurricane season.

As a public entity or city official, your contacts with local newsrooms and interview programs are vital. Before a tropical event occurs, your Public Information Officer or another member of your team should be proactive and make the public aware of everyone’s responsibilities.

Using the information already developed, institute press conferences, interviews, and media briefings. Utilizing broadcast media and its wide coverage ensures your public is ready to take action when a tropical event occurs.

Your local TV and radio newsrooms or morning show broadcasts will welcome your storm preparedness information for the general public.

Winding Down
By distributing a printed handbook, PDF files, digital files, and utilizing broadcast media and other communication touchpoints, your emergency preparedness goals become transparent and are key to preventing rumors or inaccurate communication.

Whether printed, digital or for broadcast use, a hurricane tracking map is a vital visualization tool to provide the public.

The bottom line for your city, town or public entity – utilizing some combination or all of these informative storm preparedness touchpoints will keep your residents aware. But more importantly, storm-safe and storm-prepared!

The Calm Before the Storm
Unlike the holiday season, most of us do not relish the thought of the months-long hurricane season. But, if you are a community’s Emergency Manager or responsible for emergency preparedness, the 2024 season should be top of mind.

In this segment, we’ll focus on recommendations to give residents clear and concise storm-readiness instructions.

There are multiple ways to accomplish this task: print media, digital & social media, and legacy broadcast media. Ideally, you would utilize the full spectrum or a combination of these throughout the season, but let’s look at each individually.

Print Media
There is a range of helpful and informative print media options that can be utilized to get your information out, and those options can easily be morphed to work in the digital and social media realm:

A Comprehensive Handbook would be the information cornerstone of any print media initiative. A great example is the Hurricane Handbook that we’ve collaborated on with Lafayette Utilities System (LUS) for the last couple of years. With content provided by LUS, we designed the handbook to provide crucial information in an easy-to-understand format using clear visuals. Distributed throughout the community, your handbook should be easily available to the general public by placing copies in civic buildings, fire stations, local grocery stores, churches, schools, etc.

A content-rich item, the Comprehensive Handbook should contain all of the information that a resident would need to be completely storm-aware and storm-ready. Typically, the handbook content should focus on three key subjects: Understanding Hurricane Preparedness, Creating a Hurricane Preparedness Plan, and Staying Informed and Taking Action. Here is an outline to follow.

If produced efficiently, the handbook can be converted to a PDF file for posting on your website, and linked on social media sites. Users can download the book to a computer, laptop, or mobile device for easy reference. Additionally, the book can be converted to a digital flipbook.

Digital & Social Media
We’ve briefly touched on digital options that complement a printed booklet (PDF posting & downloading availability, or similarly utilizing a flipbook). Localized outdoor advertising media or digital media (banner-style graphics that link to the information) are two additional ways to get preparedness messages to the general public.

Based on a storm preparedness outline, engaging and relevant graphics combined with simple and concise text will get the point across.

Throughout the season, two to three social media posts per week across your channels will keep residents informed and engaged. These posts can be combined into a single-page PDF file to expand upon the specific topic.

Social media initiatives will be the most efficient way to get the word out to a broad population. However, it’s wise to remember that there will always be an under-served segment of your community that may not have access to social and online media; therefore they become vulnerable to an emergency. This is where more traditional communication methods play an important role.

Broadcast Media
Radio and television are still powerful methods of public outreach, especially during hurricane season.

As a public entity or city official, your contacts with local newsrooms and interview programs are vital. Before a tropical event occurs, your Public Information Officer or another member of your team should be proactive and make the public aware of everyone’s responsibilities.

Using the information already developed, institute press conferences, interviews, and media briefings. Utilizing broadcast media and its wide coverage ensures your public is ready to take action when a tropical event occurs.

Winding Down
By distributing a printed handbook, PDF files, digital files, and utilizing broadcast media and other communication touchpoints, your emergency preparedness goals become transparent and are key to preventing rumors or inaccurate communication.

The bottom line for your city, town or public entity – utilizing some combination or all of these informative storm preparedness touchpoints will keep your residents aware. But more importantly, storm-safe and storm-prepared!