Household Preparedness Research Articles

Flash flood preparedness in Golestan province of Iran: A community intervention trial

To evaluate effectiveness of a community-based preparedness program for flash floods. A controlled community intervention trial with preassessment and postassessment. Fifteen intervention villages and 16 control villages in Golestan province of Iran. People more than six years of age. Intervention program consisted assembling Village Disaster Taskforces (VDTs), training of VDTs and community, evacuation drill, and program monitoring. Individual participation in household preparedness actions including, preparedness meeting, risk mapping, preparation of emergency supplies, assisting vulnerable people, and evacuation drill. Our intervention improved preparedness of local community for flash floods in term of all interested outcome measures. For instance, adjusted odds ratio for participation in an evacuation drill in intervention area in postassessment compared with preassessment was 29.05 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 21.77-38.76), whereas in control area it was 2.69 (95% CI: 1.96-3.70). Difference in these odds ratios was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Participation in a family preparedness meeting and risk mapping were helpful in motivating individuals to take other preparedness actions. Women were found prepared as much as the men. Younger people showed lower participation in preparation of family emergency supplies but higher attendance in evacuation drills. Participation in evacuation drills decreased with increasing age. It was a positive association between risk perception and taking all preparedness actions. Flood preparedness programs should focus on participatory risk assessment and preparedness techniques, strive to improve risk perception and female capabilities, and ensure providing assistance to the older people during evacuation.

Hazard perceptions and preparedness of Taranaki youth

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between participation in hazard education programs and levels of hazard awareness, risk perceptions, knowledge of response‐related protective behaviour and household preparedness.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire examining various measures including participation in hazard education programmes, risk perceptions and household preparedness was delivered under teacher guidance to high school students in three different locations in the Taranaki Region of New Zealand. A total of 282 valid questionnaires were returned. Data were analysed by means of chi‐squared, t‐test and ANOVA.FindingsStudents who have participated in hazard education programmes are more likely to have better knowledge of safety behaviours and higher household preparedness. However, even with hazard education, some aspects of hazard awareness and the uptake of family emergency plans and practices were found to be poor. Overall, hazard education was found to be beneficial and helps to create potentially more‐resilient children and communities.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is limited to the views of the students. The study would benefit from a parallel study of parents or caregivers to give a more accurate report of household preparedness and family emergency plans and practices. The research highlights areas of change for future hazard education programmes and provides support for the continued inclusion of this topic in the curriculum.Originality/valueThe paper offers insight into the effectiveness and benefit of incorporating hazard education into the school curriculum in New Zealand.

Recent changes in flood preparedness of private households and businesses in Germany

Using the focusing event framework, a comprehensive analysis of private households’ and businesses’ preparedness was undertaken in the aftermath of the 2002 and 2006 flood events on the Elbe River in Germany. In August 2002, preparedness of households (n = 235) and businesses (n = 103) was low: 30% of the households and 54% of the businesses took no precautionary measures before the flood event. Many undertaken emergency measures were ineffective, since only 26% of all households knew how to react when the flood warning came, and only 9% of businesses had an emergency plan in place. Due to this extreme flood, double-loop learning occurred in many households and businesses, so that many did implement precautionary measures. The distribution of adopted precautionary measures for households fits well to Preisendorfer’s low-cost hypothesis, but does not apply for businesses. Only 10% of the households (n = 112), but still 29% of the businesses (n = 41) were unprepared before the flood in 2006. Significant improvement in flood preparedness activities is still necessary. Particularly for businesses, regulatory programs and programs encouraging proactive behaviour should be implemented. The focusing event framework proofed to be a useful tool for a differentiated analysis of the responses to and learning due to a disaster also in the commercial and private sector.

Financial Sophistication, Salience, and the Scale of Deliberation in UK Retirement Planning

Whether people appreciate the importance of saving for the future, and whether they intend to do so, are not well understood. On the basis of a representative sample of UK residents, we show that the perceived importance of pension planning is positively correlated with respondents' risk tolerance, age, and income, and whether their spouses participate in employer-sponsored pension plans. Those less likely to believe planning for the future is important are younger, earn less, are women, and will rely upon others for their expected retirement welfare. It is also apparent that generic sources of information provided remotely or at the national scale for individual and household pension planning, preparedness, and knowledge of annuities do not stand comparison with the perceived value of intimate and specialist advisory relationships. The unit of retirement planning is typically the household; it rarely functions at the region and national scales. To understand these findings better we frame their interpretation with reference to recent behavioural research that emphasises people's limited cognitive and social resources and the use of heuristics such as salience in setting priorities. Our findings have important implications for the scope and significance of the relational turn in economic geography.

Disaster Preparedness of Households with Special Needs in Southeastern Pennsylvania

Individuals with disabilities are disproportionately vulnerable in evacuation emergencies, and they face numerous challenges accessing resources for response and recovery. The aim of this study was to compare the preparedness behaviors of households with and without special-needs members. A random-digit-dial telephone survey was conducted of 501 adults in southeastern Pennsylvania in 2008. The survey instrument gathered data on sociodemographic characteristics, disability status/functional limitations, and preparedness behaviors related to an evacuation emergency. Analyses were conducted in 2009 and included multiple logistic regressions. Data were weighted to correct for unequal probabilities of selection and response. Nineteen percent (n=95) of respondents reported living in a household in which someone had a transportation-related special need requiring assistance in case of an emergency. Households with a special-needs member had greater odds of having arranged a place to meet (OR=2.2; 95% CI=1.26, 3.88); located a shelter (OR=1.8; 95% CI=1.05, 3.24); or packed a bag (OR=1.8; 95% CI=1.02, 3.21). No significant differences were identified with respect to awareness of evacuation routes, purchasing of food and water, or creation of an emergency plan to guide evacuation decision-making. Despite both greater vulnerability to disaster and numerous messages by governmental and nongovernmental organizations, households with special-needs members are not more likely to engage in time-consuming preparedness behaviors such as planning and buying. Understanding the motivations and behaviors of special-needs groups is critical to designing informed risk-communication messages and interventions to bolster the preparedness of the most vulnerable populations.

Culture of preparedness: household disaster preparedness

PurposeThis paper aims to examine household preparedness in response to disasters and the role of non‐profit organizations in the public's preparedness.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses the context of hurricane preparedness of Central Florida residents, using the mail survey method as a data collection tool.FindingsThe findings of the study emphasize the importance of household and individual preparedness in response to natural disasters, specifically to hurricanes. If individuals are not ready, then nobody is ready. The paper finds that households, even with significant experience of disasters, can be complacent in response to disasters.Originality/valueThe paper focuses on household preparedness and emphasizes that the emergency management community needs to make a significant effort in training households.

The Significance of Socio-Economic Status, Financial Sophistication, Salience and the Scale of Deliberation in UK Retirement Planning

Many British workers rely upon their accumulated pension savings for retirement income. Whether they appreciate the importance of saving for the future, and whether they intend to do so, are not well-understood. Based upon a representative sample of UK residents, we show that the perceived importance of pension planning is positively correlated with respondents' risk tolerance, age and income, and whether their spouses participate in employer-sponsored pension plans. Those less likely to believe planning for the future is important are younger, earn less, are women, and will rely upon others for their expected retirement welfare. It is also apparent that generic sources of information provided remotely or at the national scale for individual and household pension planning, preparedness, and knowledge of annuities do not stand comparison with the perceived value of intimate and specialist relationships. The unit of retirement planning is typically the household, rarely the region, and hardly ever the nation. To better understand these findings we frame their interpretation with reference to recent behavioral research that emphasizes people's limited cognitive and social resources and the use of heuristics such as salience in setting priorities. The implications of this framework and our empirical findings for the design and delivery of private pensions conclude the paper.

Household disaster preparedness and information sources: Rapid cluster survey after a storm in New South Wales, Australia

BackgroundA storm-related disaster in New South Wales, Australia in June 2007 caused infrastructure damage, interrupted essential services, and presented major public health risks. We investigated household disaster preparedness and information sources used before and during the disaster.MethodsRapid cluster survey of 320 randomly selected households in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia.Results227 households (71%) responded to the survey. By the day before the storm, 48% (95%CI 40–57%) of households were aware of a storm warning, principally through television (67%; 58–75%) and radio (57%; 49–66%) announcements. Storm preparations were made by 42% (28–56%) of these households.Storm information sources included: radio (78%; 68–88%); family, friends, colleagues and neighbours (50%; 40–60%); and television (41%; 30–52%). Radio was considered more useful than television (62%; 51–73% vs. 29%; 18–40%), even in households where electricity supply was uninterrupted (52%; 31–73% vs. 41%; 20–63%).Only 23% (16–30%) of households were aware that the local government-operated radio network has a designated communication role during disasters. A battery-operated household radio and appropriate batteries were available in 42% (34–50%) of households, while only 23% (16–29%) had all of: a torch, battery-operated radio, appropriate batteries, mobile phone, emergency contact list and first aid equipment.ConclusionBroadcast media are important information sources immediately before and during disasters. Health services should promote awareness of broadcast networks' disaster role, especially the role of radio, and encourage general household disaster preparedness. A rapid cluster survey conducted shortly after a natural disaster provided practical, robust information for disaster planning.

The Effects of Confidence in Government and Information on Perceived and Actual Preparedness for Disasters

This research examines perceived and actual preparedness for two types of natural hazard risks: earthquakes in the Los Angeles County area and hurricanes within the New Orleans metropolitan area. Using data collected from a sample of households in these regions, the influence of individuals' confidence in local government to manage a disaster and exposure to disaster preparedness information sources were tested as explanations for levels of perceived and actual preparedness. Regression analyses show that a high level of confidence in local government to manage a disaster and exposure to more preparedness information sources were associated with a higher level of perceived preparedness. No support for a potential dampening effect of confidence in local government on household preparedness actions was found. The results also reveal only limited support for the impact of information exposure on actual preparedness. The results for actual preparedness vary between the study areas; therefore, we follow the analysis with a discussion of these differences and the implications drawn from the research.

Factors Associated with Hurricane Preparedness: Results of a Pre-Hurricane Assessment

Previous studies of hurricane preparedness have generally used indirect measures to ascertain household preparedness, including time intervals between preparation and hurricane landfall and past evacuation. This study sought to directly measure hurricane preparedness by asking residents of a high-risk coastal North Carolina county to report whether their household had an evacuation plan and a disaster supply kit with at least 3 days of food and water for each family member and pet as recommended by the American Red Cross. The survey was conducted six weeks prior to the start of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season. Past hurricane experience increased the likelihood of a household having a disaster supply kit. However, living in multi-unit housing or a mobile home significantly decreased the likelihood of having a disaster supply kit. Past hurricane experience, past evacuation experience and anticipated evacuation under a mandatory evacuation order were important factors related to a household having an evacuation plan. Residence in a designated flood zone, demographic characteristics of the household, pet ownership, and perceived risk were not significantly related to preparedness. Public health and emergency management officials should work together to determine effective interventions that can improve personal preparedness based on factors other than personal hurricane experience.

Coping with floods in the city of Dresden, Germany

During August 2002 and again in March 2005 as well as in April 2006 the city of Dresden was hit by floods. The flood in 2002 was an extreme event, only comparable to flooding in 1862 and 1890 in Dresden. The flood discharge in 2006 was the second highest discharge since 1940 at the Dresden gauge although its return period was only about 15 years. This special situation enables a comparison of the preparedness of authorities and households in the flood endangered city of Dresden in 2002 after a long period of relatively low flood discharges and in 2005/2006 just a few years after a severe flood event. Before August 2002, the flood risk awareness and flood preparedness of authorities and households in Dresden was low. The inundation channels and the Elbe riverbed had not been maintained well. Just 13% of the households had undertaken building precautionary measures. The severe flood situation as well as the low flood preparedness led to tremendous damage, e.g., losses to residential buildings amounted to 304 million €. After 2002, the municipal authorities in Dresden developed a new flood management concept and many households were motivated to undertake precautionary measures. Building precautionary measures had been actually undertaken by 67% of the households before the floods in 2005 and 2006. Flood damage was significantly lower, due to the less severe flood situations and the much better preparedness. It is an important challenge for the future to keep preparedness at a high level also without recurrent flood experiences.

県型保健所管内市町村における災害時の栄養・食生活支援に対する準備状況

A nationwide survey was conducted among the registered dietitians (RDs) of prefectural health centers to determine their preparedness for disasters within the municipalities they serve. The return rate was 70.2% (n=278). It was found that RDs understood details of the plans for stockpiling emergency food rations for 62.2% (707 out of 1, 137) of the municipalities under their jurisdiction. Of the 320 municipalities who had made plans for emergency stores, only 37.2% had actually established such stores.To manage the problem of budgeting for food stores, a system based on the most efficient use of resources should be created to help change the perception of such food stores. The number of locations where the most vulnerable residents of communities have not yet received advice or instruction about individual household preparedness from either prefectural or municipal health centers is in excess of 70%. Since it is unrealistic to provide administrative assistance to all individuals during a disaster, advice and instruction should be given under normal conditions to inform and educate each resident in advance of a disaster.

Mitigating the health impacts of a natural disaster — the June 2007 long‐weekend storm in the Hunter region of New South Wales

A severe storm that began on Thursday, 7 June 2007 brought heavy rains and gale-force winds to Newcastle, Gosford, Wyong, Sydney, and the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales. The storm caused widespread flooding and damage to houses, businesses, schools and health care facilities, and damaged critical infrastructure. Ten people died as a result of the storm, and approximately 6000 residents were evacuated. A natural disaster was declared in 19 local government areas, with damage expected to reach $1.5 billion. Additional demands were made on clinical health services, and interruption of the electricity supply to over 200,000 homes and businesses, interruption of water and gas supplies, and sewerage system pump failures presented substantial public health threats. A public health emergency operations centre was established by the Hunter New England Area Health Service to coordinate surveillance activities, respond to acute public health issues and prevent disease outbreaks. Public health activities focused on providing advice, cooperating with emergency service agencies, monitoring water quality and availability, preventing illness from sewage-contaminated flood water, assessing environmental health risks, coordinating the local government public health response, and surveillance for storm-related illness and disease outbreaks, including gastroenteritis. The local ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) radio station played a key role in disseminating public health advice. A household survey conducted within a fortnight of the storm established that household preparedness and storm warning systems could be improved.

Families and Disaster Behavior: A Reassessment of Family Preparedness

Disaster researchers have consistently emphasized that the family is a principal conduit for disaster behaviors and critical for its individual members’ survival. Evidence for this claim, however, is problematic as it is based primarily on anecdotal and ethnographic evidence restricted to ongoing or post-disaster coping behaviors. Such evidence should focus on the preparedness stage where family disaster behavior is critical for subsequent chances of survival. Reassessing the primacy of the family-disaster link at the preparedness stage was accomplished by analyzing a representative Israeli sample (n=814) of family household units. Focusing on the household unit provided access to its members, internal familial social processes and household pre-disaster preparedness levels. The households were divided into traditional, cohabiting and single family structures. The initial analysis showed that variations in household structure had inconsistent and in some cases no impact on core disaster preparedness behaviors. Testing a series of alternative explanations related to internal familial social processes found that the extent and intensity of family social networks and gender of the household head did predict differences in preparedness levels. Apparently, the impact of families on preparedness—a vital factor in subsequent disaster behaviors—does not appear to be the result of its structure but the social processes inherent within the household. Being a family in its many diverse forms but lacking these essential familial ingredients is no guarantee of being prepared for disasters.

Preparedness of households and catering establishments for incidents involving radioactive contamination

This short paper describes a number of investigations carried out to ensure preparedness for crises involving radioactivity to catering operations and private households in Finland. The specific recommendations for catering kitchens during crises were published in 1994. A study to determine the level of adherence to these recommendations is summarised here, together with its findings and subsequent recommendations. Another study on the pre-planning of crisis menus is described. New challenges for the catering kitchens are touched upon. A crisis food preparation booklet for households is described and based on consumers' attitudes suggestions are made for how this can be improved in the future.

Are there differences between households with children and without children regarding the degree of household preparedness for a disaster such as fire, flood, earthquake, blackout or devastating act such as a terrorist attack in the community?

Study objectives: The purpose of this study is to compare the level of disaster preparedness for individual households with and without children. Methods: This was a prospective survey of a convenience sample of English-speaking adults in the emergency department waiting area (includes patients and visitors) during a 3-month period in 2004. The survey asked for the following information: demographics, including number of children in the household; whether the individual had a specific disaster plan in effect for their family; knowledge of disaster plans at their place of work or their children's school or daycare center; whether they had essential supplies, medications, batteries, battery-powered radios, smoke detectors, or carbon monoxide detectors at home; and whether they had a communication plan in effect. These are current recommendations by the Department of Homeland Security and the American Red Cross. Results: A total of 414 surveys were completed by participants: 78% between the ages of 30 to 69 years, 56% female participants, 70% white, 64% married, 87% with a high school or greater level of education, 51% with children in the household, and 30% with household income greater than $100,000 per year. We obtained the following results. Fifty-five percent of households with children reported having done no specific disaster planning for the family compared with 63% of households without children (<i>P</i>=.0883). Fifty-three percent of households with children compared with 46% of households without children (<i>P</i>=.1782) reported changing their degree of preparedness after the blackout in the Northeast in 2003. Forty-seven percent of households with children are aware of the guidelines for household disaster preparedness compared with 45% of households without children (<i>P</i>=.7329). Forty percent of households with children versus 50% of households without children have no knowledge of disaster plans at work (<i>P</i>=.0344). Thirty-eight percent of participants with children in the household are not aware of their school or daycare disaster plans. Sixty-three percent of participants with children compared with 71% without children in the household (<i>P</i>=.2678) have no portable easy-to-carry container with essential supplies. At home, 88% versus 83% of participants have a battery-powered radio, and 91% versus 92% of participants with and without children have a flashlight, respectively. Eighty-eight percent of participants with children versus 72% without children have a first aid kit at home (<i>P</i>=.0097). Fifty-two percent versus 56% of participants with and without children reported having "special needs" items such as formula and medications in the house in case of an emergency. Seventy-nine percent of households with children versus 65% of households with children have a 3-day supply of food at home (<i>P</i>=.0380). Seventy-six percent of households with children and 62% without children have a 3-day water supply (<i>P</i>=.0509). We found that 91% of households with children versus 86% without children (<i>P</i>=.1132) have smoke detectors, and 53% of households with children versus 37% without children (<i>P</i>=.0009) have carbon monoxide detectors. The plan about communication strategies in case of an emergency showed that 48% of households with children versus 32% without children have a designated place to meet outside the neighborhood (<i>P</i>=.0426); 37% of households with children versus 45% without children have an out-of-state family member or friend as contact, and of those with a contact, only 48% of households with children versus 50% responded that every household member knows the telephone number; in 44% of households with children versus 35% without children, every household member knows the e-mail address of that contact. Conclusion: We found that households with children seemed to be best prepared for an emergency. In comparing households with and without children, there were some statistically significant differences. Households with children have a better knowledge of work disaster plans (60% versus 50%, <i>P</i>=.03) and are more likely to have a designated place to meet outside the neighborhood in case of a disaster (48% versus 32%, <i>P</i>=.04). Households with children compared with households without children more often have a first aid kit at home (88% versus 72%, <i>P</i>=.01), a carbon monoxide detector (39% versus 27%, <i>P</i>=.02), and a 3-day supply of food at home (79% versus 65%, <i>P</i>=.04).

Is your household prepared for a disaster such as fire, flood, earthquake, blackout, or a terrorist attack in your community?

Study objectives: The purpose of this study is to determine the level of individual household preparedness for a disaster. Methods: This was a prospective survey of a convenience sample of English-speaking adults in the emergency department waiting area (includes patients and visitors) during a 3-month period in 2004. The survey asked for the following information: demographics: whether the individual had a specific disaster plan in effect for their family, knowledge of disaster plans at their place of work or their children's school or daycare center; whether they had essential supplies, medications, batteries, battery-powered radios, smoke detectors, or carbon monoxide detectors at home; and whether they had a communication plan in effect. These are current recommendations by the Department of Homeland Security and the American Red Cross. Results: A total of 414 surveys were completed, with these results: 78% of participants were between 30 to 69 years of age, 56% were women, 70% white, 64% married, 87% with high school or greater level of education, 50% with children in the household, and 30% with household income greater than $100,000 per year. We obtained the following results: 59% reported having done no specific disaster planning for the family, 45% have no knowledge of disaster plans at work, 38% of participants with children in the household are not aware of their school or daycare disaster plans, and 65% of participants have no portable easy-to-carry container with essential supplies. However, after the extensive blackout in the Northeast in 2003, 49% reported changing their degree of preparedness. At home, 88% reported having a battery- powered radio, and 93% reported having a flashlight. Fifty-five percent of participants reported having special needs items such as formula and medications in the house in case of an emergency. We found that 88% of households have smoke detectors, but only 43% have carbon monoxide detectors. We obtained the following results about communication plans in case of an emergency: 60% do not have a designated place to meet outside the neighborhood, and 60% do not have a designated out-of-state family member or friend as a contact. Of those people surveyed who have a designated contact, only 49% of the time does every household member know the telephone number of the contact, and only 39% of the time does every household member know the e-mail address of that contact. Conclusion: Although there have been significant government efforts to improve disaster planning at the state and federal level, 59% of households have not done any planning for a disaster at home, 45% of households are not aware of a workplace plan, and 38% are not aware of their children's school or daycare plan for a disaster. We found that the majority of people do not have a designated place or person to contact in case of an emergency, as has been recommended by the American Red Cross.

Down but Not Out: Earthquake Awareness and Preparedness Trends in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area, 1990–1997

This paper reports results of a telephone survey in the St. Louis metropolitan area assessing household earthquake awareness and preparedness in November 1997. This survey extends time-series data on awareness and preparedness in the area, which I obtained from earlier surveys conducted in October 1990, February 1991, July 1992, and May 1993. The previous surveys constitute the only time-series data assessing the effects of a pseudo-scientific earthquake prediction (in this case, one made by the late Iben Browning) with measurement of attitudes and beliefs both before and after disconfirmation of the prediction. In general, the new survey shows that both the perceived risk of a damaging earthquake and levels of household preparedness in the region have undergone steady, long-term declines since 1991. There has also been some decline in concern about earthquake risk since 1992. Nonetheless, there has been some lasting effect of preparation actions taken in response to Iben Browning's 1990 pseudoscientific earthquake prediction. For all three preparedness actions for which data are available from 1990 through 1997, the 1997 data indicate a higher level of preparedness than was observed in October 1990, two months before the date on which Browning said a damaging earthquake was likely. And the level of preparedness is much higher than was observed in the larger New Madrid region in another survey taken in 1987.

Earthquake Hysteria, before and After: A Survey and Follow-Up on Public Response to the Browning Forecast

Telephone surveys were conducted in the St. Louis metropolitan area, Cape Girardeau, MO, and Sikeston, MO, in October, 1990 and February, 1991, before and after the date on which Iben Browning predicted a damaging New Madrid earthquake would occur. The surveys revealed that a sizeable minority clearly believed Browning's prediction, with a much larger group ambivalent about it. Those with lower levels of education, women, those whose thinking about the prediction was influenced by a minor earthquake that occurred in September, those closer to the New Madrid Fault, and those who expected a war with Iraq were more likely to believe the prediction. Many planned changed in schedules, and such plans were strongly influenced by the perceived actions of significant others. In contrast, they were not strongly influenced by believing or not believing the prediction. When the date of the predicted quake arrived, far fewer actually changed their schedules than had indicated plans to do so, and schedule changes were largely a product of school or work cancellations. The prediction did contribute to an increase in household preparedness which was sustained two months after its disconfirmation, but the actions most often taken were ones that were easiest to take. People close to the fault reported higher levels of preparedness. Despite the disconfirmation of the prediction, most respondents still viewed a damaging earthquake as likely withoin the next 10 to 15 years.

Social Location and Self-Protective Behavior: Implications for Earthquake Preparedness

Participation in household preparedness activities is examined in light of the first highly publicized earthquake prediction issued for the Central United Stales. Drawing on earlier research conducted in California, this paper examines the adoption of self-protective measures in Memphis, Tennessee. Survey data show that while people in this city are generally aware of and concerned about the earthquake hazard in their community, few have adopted the necessary precautions to reduce the negative effects of a damaging earthquake. However, those respondents who were most likely to engage in self-protective behavior are situated in structurally advantageous locations. Thus, future community-wide planning and preparedness efforts must be more attentive to limitations on household resources when advocating individual responsibility for safety.