Responses to a WEA Tornado Warning Text Message: A Health Belief Model Approach

Abstract

This investigation utilized the health belief model (HBM) to examine perceptions of a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) tornado text message, in relation to secondary crisis communication and shelter-seeking intentions. Participants were presented with a mock WEA text message, followed by measures of HBM variables (perceived severity, susceptibility, benefits, barriers), message perceptions (message credibility and message directness), secondary crisis communication, past tornado experience, and shelter-seeking intentions. In general, HBM variables predicted message cues, secondary crisis communication, and shelter-seeking intentions. Past experience predicted shelter-seeking intentions. Secondary crisis communication was positively correlated with shelter-seeking intentions. Implications for understanding responses to WEA tornado warnings are discussed.