State Emergency Management Agencies Research Articles

Social Inclusion and Justice for the Internally Displaced by the Herdsmen-Farmers Conflict in Benue State, Nigeria

Executive Summary Herdsmen-farmers conflict has displaced 1.5 million residents of Benue State, Nigeria, according to government officials. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) have lost livelihoods, farms, personal property and community infrastructure. The paper highlights the social challenges they have experienced and the response by government and international humanitarian agencies (IHAs) to their situations. Based on interviews with 12 IDPs belonging to the displaced population from Guma Local Government Area of Benue State and interviews with seven humanitarian workers, the paper finds that the IDPs: • Have lost family members, neighbors, farms, churches, health centers, and means of mobility. • Cannot safely return home or access their ancestral lands. • Cannot support themselves. • Cannot attend public school or progress to a university. • Lack access to quality health care. • Live with multiple families in insecure shelters. • Cannot reliably obtain birth registration and replace other destroyed documents. • Can register their names, family relations, and former villages, but not their losses, which might lead to compensation and help them to rebuild their lives. The paper makes the following recommendations. • Registration, Effective Remedies and Access to Justice: The Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA), Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs (FMHA) and United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) should document personal and community socio-economic losses to ascertain the extent of damage to IDPs in order to facilitate effective remedies. The Ministries of Justice, the National Human Rights Commission, and UNHCR should support the IDPs by providing them with information and procedures that allow them to secure full compensation for their losses, and with safe, permanent solutions to their situations, including full integration into their host communities, safe and voluntary return home, or resettlement in a third community. • Engage IDPs as Stakeholders: The Benue State Government should ensure that BSEMA communicates to IDPs the possibilities for voluntary and dignified safe return. If return is not immediately foreseeable, BSEMA should offer IDPs the means to relocate and resettle elsewhere. • Provision of Sustainable Social Amenities: BSEMA, the FMHA, and international humanitarian agencies (IHAs) should provide sustainable healthcare, shelter, education in IDP camps, financial assistance and the means to access services outside of IDP camps. • Peace through Establishment of Ranches: Benue State Government’s Peace Commission should resolve the herdsmen-farmer conflict and restore peace by promoting peaceful co-existence between the conflicting parties. Herdsmen should be educated on the procedures for legal land acquisition for ranching, and farmers should be able to seek legal redress when their farms are damaged by grazing cattle. BSEMA and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs should also facilitate voluntary, safe and dignified return of IDPs or their resettlement in another community. • Safeguard IDP Camps: BSEMA and the Nigeria security agencies should safeguard official and unofficial IDP camps. • Inclusive Policy Implementation: The FMHA in collaboration with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) should develop humanitarian response plans that are beneficial to all IDPs in Nigeria irrespective of the cause of their displacement.

Flood and Food Security in the Benue Valley: Stylized Facts

The scientific consensus is that global climatic change is caused by human activities. Global climate variation has altered the pattern of annual rainfall in most parts of the world, resulting in annual flooding with devastating effects on humanity. With many rivers that crisscross the Nigerian landscape, the country has experienced a number of flood incidents along the river basins (valleys) with varying degrees of devastation. This paper, thus, focuses on the effects of flood on food security in the Benue Valley. The specific objectives of the study include: to examine the effects of flood on food supply; prices of agricultural output; and the level of public and private aids to flood victims within the study area. A sample of households and market leaders were interviewed for the purpose of data collection. Data was equally sourced from Non-governmental Organizations, State Emergency Management Agencies, and other written sources. The data was analyzed and presented using simple bar charts. Findings revealed that there is always a gross inadequacy of food supply during the years of devastating floods compared to years of normal annual rainfall. Prices of agricultural products increased by almost 200% and household income declined significantly during the flood disaster years. Findings also revealed that private organizations sometimes render more aids to flood victims than the public sector. To arrest the danger of annual devastating floods in the Benue Valley, the paper recommends better water infrastructure management strategies like the construction of more dams and dredging of River Benue.

COMMUNITY FLOOD DISASTER PREPAREDNESS IN FLOOD-PRONE RURAL AND URBAN COMMUNITIES IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

Flood is a common disaster globally with devastating impact. Community flood disaster preparedness is neglected in developing countries, Nigeria inclusive, especially in the rural areas. This study assessed and compared the level of community flood disaster preparedness in flood-prone rural and urban communities in Kaduna State. A mixed method comparative cross-sectional study design and multistage sampling technique and data obtained from 202 household heads in each study group (rural and urban communities) using pretested structured questionnaires, focus group discussions (FGDs), key informant interviews (KIIs) and observational checklist. Multistage sampling technique was used to select the household heads for the quantitative study. Purposive sampling was used to select the community members for the FGDs, the community leaders and staff of Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for the KIIs. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 23.0. The qualitative data was analysed using content analysis. Majority of both the rural (99.0%) and urban (86.1%) communities were not prepared for flood disaster; 34% and 10% of the rural and urban communities respectively had flood disaster plans. Only 19.3% in the urban communities compared with 1% in the rural communities had early warning systems. There was statistically significant difference on community flood disaster preparedness between the urban and rural communities (p =0.001). Overall, the flood preparedness in both rural and urban communities was very poor, though slightly better in the urban communities. There is need for training of the communities by the relevant stakeholder such as SEMA on flood disaster preparedness.

‘I lost over 700 tubers of yam but am glad I am still alive’: Implications of victimhood and displacement on conflict management – Insights from displaced farmers in North Central Nigeria

This study investigates the victimisation and challenges faced by the displaced agricultural community in North-Central Nigeria. The study argues that the significant loss and suffering experienced within this victimisation context contribute to the emergence of post-displacement stressors and act as catalysts for further acts of violence. A sample of 42 participant was selected using a combination of convenience sampling, snowball sampling, and purposeful sampling techniques. The participant were chosen from Daudu camps 1 and 2 (Mbawa), the Gbajimba internally displaced person (IDP) camp (Nzorov), and the Naka IDP camp (Ikyaghev). Data collection involved 8 focus group discussions with victims and 42 in-depth interviews with primary, secondary, and reintegrated victims, as well as representatives of herders. In addition, 14 key informant interviews were conducted with personnel from active non-governmental organisations (NGOs), IDP camp officials, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) officials, police and army personnel, the head of a local vigilante group, and traditional district heads. Qualitative data analysis was performed thematically using NVIVO 12 Plus, a qualitative data analysis software. The findings highlight that food insecurity emerges as the primary challenge faced by the displaced population. Other challenges include poor living conditions, inadequate healthcare, a lack of employment opportunities, a high number of out-of-school children, emotional difficulties, and water and sanitation problems. Returnees face challenges in reconstructing damaged properties, establishing water sources, and ensuring adequate security. Most participant rely on support from SEMA, humanitarian NGOs, and donations from private individuals and groups. Based on the research results, the study proposes relevant policies for the government and other agencies involved in assisting displaced populations. It emphasises the need for the government to engage with individuals and groups to provide long-term assistance for victims’ rehabilitation, reintegration, and recovery.

Flood Incidences as Public Health Challenge in Katsina State, Northern Nigeria

Flood incidences are one of the major environmental hazards that occur yearly in different parts of the world. The year 2022 has witnessed series of catastrophic floods not experienced in recent times in parts of countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Italy, Pakistan, Niger Republic, Pakistan, South Africa and United State of America. Nigeria like other developing countries in the continent of Africa has also experienced this kind of floods incidences. This paper examines flood incidences as a public health challenge in Katsina state northern Nigeria. Data for the study was generated from a semi-structured questionnaire administered on 100 students. The students are those studying National Diploma in Environmental Health Technology at Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic, Katsina, Katsina State. Data on annual flood incidences from 2018 – 2022 was collected from the Katsina State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) including discussions with the Directors of Information and Search and Rescue. The results have shown that flood incidences within the period under study have become a public health challenge resulting to loss of lives, injuries to victims, destruction of houses and creation of displaced persons among others. These are happening despite the efforts of Katsina State Government to tackle the challenges posed by the floods to public health. It is therefore recommended that on-going flood control projects should continue and more efforts on safeguarding public health from flood incidences be pursued.

Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) funding allocations and relevance for US disaster policy

AbstractThe Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) program has long been a cornerstone of state and local emergency management preparedness efforts. Through the EMPG program, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administers grants to state and local emergency management agencies to accomplish a wide range of tasks such as the development of response and recovery plans, the creation of emergency operation centers, and the hiring of staff, among other activities required to be effective. EMPG provides the predominant federal funding for this mission, and many agencies depend on these funds for their operations. Despite the importance of EMPG, there is a dearth of empirical research about the program. This study explores this gap by evaluating how EMPG funds were distributed across United States counties from 2014 to 2020. Using FEMA and US Census data, we conducted a county‐level analysis using robust regression statistical analysis to determine factors affecting funding awards. Findings indicate that high population, high diversity, a strong economy, and high risk (measured using both the National Risk Index score and the number of federal disaster declarations per county) increased the likelihood that a county would receive EMPG funds, with high‐risk urban counties rather than rural counties receiving more funding.

A Comparative Assessment of Household Flood Disaster Preparedness in Floodprone Rural and Urban Communities in Kaduna State, Nigeria

Background: Households are important elements in food disaster preparedness and play important role in its management. This study compared household food disaster preparedness in food-prone rural and urban communities in Kaduna State.
 Methods: The comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among households in foodprone rural and urban communities in 2019. The study population were household heads. The sample size for the study was 202 each for the rural and urban communities. Respondents were selected by multi- stage sampling technique. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Community members, community leaders and staff of Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) were also purposively selected for focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS 23.0 and the qualitative data using content analysis.
 Results: The mean ages (+SD) of the household heads in the rural and urban communities were 39.4±12.9 years and 43.7±13.9 years, respectively. Ten (2.5%) of the households in the urban communities were very prepared against foods but none in the rural communities. The most available household disaster preparedness elements in the rural communities were radio 150 (74.3%), flashlight 139 (68.8%) while house food insurance was non-existent. For the urban communities, the most available elements were availability of non-perishable food 147 (72.8%), household evacuation destination 147 (72.8%) while the least was house food insurance 2 (1.0%).
 Conclusion: The household food disaster preparedness was poor in both the rural and urban communities. There is need for effective food disaster education and training by SEMA for both communities.

Developing Effective Project Management Strategy for Urban Flood Disaster Prevention Project in EDO State Capital, Nigeria

Emphasizing the need to provide a coordinated flood management strategy in the country and avoid acting in an isolated way when it occurs, improving the attitude of flood control during floods, and controlling floods with comprehensive analysis are among the main purposes of the current study. In this study, the environment’s physical, technological, social, economic, and political characteristics are considered to assess the urban flood risk. This study entails a discussion of flood hazard control in Benin City, the capital city of Edo State of Nigeria. The research methodology involves employing both interviews and questionnaire distribution. First, three key persons involved in flood control are interviewed at the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), which coordinates disaster risk reduction in the state, and then, the responses are classified into themes that are used to prepare the questionnaire to be distributed in four main regions. The questionnaires are distributed to the employees in institutions concerned with flood control and to the general population living in the region. Based on the obtained results from the interviews, some methods that could be applicable in controlling flooding in the region are listed. The results showed that the most important ones are flood warning systems, flood prevention through using the building resilient infrastructure and community programs, protection and mitigation through using natural processes, and strategic implementation of a flood emergency plan through sustainability.

EMERGENCY RELIEF MATERIALS ADMINISTRATION AND THE WELFARE OF INTERNALY DISPLACED PERSONS IN MAIDUGURI, BORNO STATE

The study focuses on interrogating emergency relief materials administration and the welfare of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Maiduguri. Internal displacement has rendered over 2 million people in Nigeria homeless, with Maiduguri hosting over 1.6 million as at May, 2021. These IDPs are camped by governments across the nation, while some of them went to stay with friends or relatives who reside in neighboring local government areas or states. The study adopts Joseph’s prebendalism theory which explains a situation in which public officials use their position of trust to amass wealth through criminal means. Both primary and secondary sources of data collection were used. The primary source employed the use of Focus Group Discussion from among the IDPs in selected camps as well as IDPs outside camps. Key Informants Interviews with government officials at NEMA and SEMA, etc., was used; while online newspapers, radio reports, etc., served as secondary sources. The findings of the study show that some officials of the national and state emergency management agencies divert emergency relief materials meant for IDPs for their personal gains. It also shows that this diversion of relief materials affects the general welfare of the IDPs. The study recommends among other things that an agency should be created to coordinate and monitor the activities of the national and state emergency management agencies and all other agencies and NGOs with regard to the collection and distribution of relief materials and rehabilitation of IDPs.

Federal/State/Local Collaboration Networks in Disasters Case Study

The purpose of this case study, with a biblical perspective, was to analyze intergovernmental collaboration networking during disasters by evaluating six areas that require additional research: 1) An analysis of the strong federal direction of national goals or greater flexibility; 2) The analysis of the effects of federal management roles in emergency management positions; 3) A discussion of how states address major hazards without federal encouragement; 4) Analysis of advantages to developing local capabilities that reduce hazards; 5) Discussion on the likelihood of local officials addressing risks to life and property without outside funds or support with recommendations for the future. Effective communication during natural and man-made disasters reduces response time and when practiced with local community volunteers periodically develop collaboration and cooperation with private, public, and nonprofit organizations. Therefore, this study examines frameworks of local, state, and federal emergency management agencies and their inter-organizational communication patterns during times of uncertainty for the development of skills in interagency situations.

Between Policy Goals and Actual Outcome: An Assessment of the National Disaster Management Framework in Nigeria, 2010-2020

In Nigeria, research on disaster management has witnessed tremendous attention in recent years. However, no known study has directly assessed the country’s main disaster management policy framework. Introduced in 2010 to replace the National Disaster Response Plan, the National Disaster Management Framework (NDMF) represents Nigeria’s attempt to depart from a response-driven system to a proactive and comprehensive one within its federal political structure having three levels of government. In assessing the Framework, two sets of criteria were used. The first is in line with its pre-determined goals while the second set was drawn from the ecological context of the Framework. Data for the study were generated from both primary and secondary sources. In-depth interviews were conducted with two senior officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA); and General Managers of the State Emergency Management Agency of Oyo, Ekiti, Lagos, Osun, and Ogun States. Besides, the NDMF and other secondary materials were read and critically reviewed to generate secondary data. Findings show that despite over a decade since its introduction, the NDMF has not been able to engender the realization of a holistic disaster management system in the country. Rather, it generated rivalry among government agencies assigned to manage disasters. The perceived alienation of many stakeholders especially at the State level in its formulation process; poor funding and lack of political will to execute the provisions of the Framework are notable causes. Knowing the importance of a policy framework in actualizing the goals of disaster management, the paper recommends that stakeholders in the country, especially those at the state and local government levels should be repositioned to play more active roles in the operationalization and implementation of the NDMF.

The Impact of Ambulance usage on the Conveyance of Accident Victims in Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (Lasema)

The benefits of planning a reliable and effective ambulance and emergency service for healthcare delivery are an indicator of sustainable development. This study assessed the impact of ambulance usage on the conveyance of accident victims in the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA). Simple random sampling was used to sample respondents from the Agency. A total of fifty (50) structured questionnaires were administered to respondents. The questionnaire consists of twenty-one items and was prepared in such a way that it contains all the items under the survey. A simple frequency table was employed to analyze the data obtained. The research revealed that 62 % of the respondents were male and 38 % female while about 42 % accounted for insufficient ambulance vehicles which made the ambulance and emergency services not effective and efficient due to poor planning. Other factors include poor telecommunication service, negative perception that ambulances carry dead bodies, the demand for payment before patients are transported by ambulances, high cost of fuel, shortage of ambulances and the patients’ renege to fulfil an agreed bills and services. At a significant level of 0.05 using Pearson Correlation, Ho calculated (0.630) was less than H1 tabulated (1) and it was inferred that the positive impact of ambulance usage by accident victims can help promote sustainable ambulance usage and good healthcare delivery. The study concluded that public education on ambulance and emergency services will help rid of false perceptions.

All Creatures Safe and Sound: The Social Landscape of Pets in Disasters

All Creatures Safe and Sound: The Social Landscape of Pets in Disasters

Institutional Capacity and the Roles of Key Actors in Fire Disaster Risk Reduction: The Case of Ibadan, Nigeria

Inefficient and ineffective fire management practices are common to most urban areas of developing countries. Nigerian cities are typical examples of high vulnerability and low preparedness level for fire disaster. This study examined the institutional framework for fire disaster risk reduction (FDRR) and explored the roles of key actors in fire disaster preparedness in Ibadan, a large traditional city in Nigeria. The study was anchored on the concept of urban governance. A case study research design was adopted using primary and secondary data. Primary data were obtained through field observation aided by a structured checklist and key informant interview. Interviews were conducted on key officials of the major organs for FDRR—Oyo State Fire Service (OSFS) and Oyo State Emergency Management Agency (OYSEMA). The study identified a disjointed and fragmented approach to fire management. Matters relating to fire risk reduction and disaster recovery were domiciled under the OYSEMA, while emergency response to fire disasters was the prerogative of the OSFS. The results show that only five out of 11 local government areas had public fire stations; only three fire stations had an on-site water supply; three fire stations lacked firefighting vehicles; and distribution of fire stations and facilities was uneven. Two fire stations responded to 80% of all fire cases in 12 years. The study concluded that the institutional structure and resources for fire risk reduction was more empowered to respond to fire disaster, rather than facilitating preparedness capacity to reduce disaster risk.

Arms Conflicts, Community Safety, Security and Reintegration Challenges in Madagali Local Government Areas of Adamawa State, Nigeria

Since 2009 the North east of Nigeria has been engulfed in arms struggles by the Boko Haram insurgents. This menace has brought serious setbacks to the socio-political and economic development of the region. The three states mostly affected by recurrent and pervasive violence are Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY). The Federal and States governments concerned responded swiftly to this menace through military operations and humanitarian interventions through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA). This study therefore examines Arms Conflicts, community safety, security and Reintegration challenges in areas affected by the Insurgency in Madagali local government Areas of Adamawa State, Nigeria. The study used a combination survey, observation and available documents. The paper clearly established that: peace is progressively returning to some communities in the studied conflict area as evident in the gradual return of economic and social activities with the last violent attack on the community being in 2018 even though neighbouring communities are still experiencing attacks from the Boko-haram insurgents. Similarly, there are new emerging trend in the conflict dynamics particularly the emergence of new crimes such as kidnapping for ransom, abduction, drug abuse and trafficking, cattle rustling, rape and other forms of sexual and gender based violence in the community. The paper established that communities in Madagali are in urgent need of critical infrastructures such as water, electricity, doctors, health services, humanitarian support and employment opportunities. In addition the study revealed that although humanitarian support and assistance exist, such interventions are inadequate for the large population of IDPs and host community and the process of sharing is marred by irregularities, sharp practices and favouritism that tend to deepen exclusion and generate tension. That the community has shown commitment to peace building, social cohesion and reintegration by demonstrating willingness to accept and reintegrate those associated with the insurgents. In particular, those who were forced into joining the insurgents but have re-joined the community or those that had undergone the de-radicalisation process through participation in the safe corridor programme of the government. The study recommended among others: the need for the Federal government of Nigeria to expand and consolidate the operational capacity of the security architecture in the counter insurgency through, recruitment of additional personnel, weapon upgrade, and motivation and above all provide logistic support to the relevant agencies

Cutting Through the Noise: Predictors of Successful Online Message Retransmission in the First 8 Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In this paper, we investigate how message construction, style, content, and the textual content of embedded images impacted message retransmission over the course of the first 8 months of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States. We analyzed a census of public communications (n = 372,466) from 704 public health agencies, state and local emergency management agencies, and elected officials posted on Twitter between January 1 and August 31, 2020, measuring message retransmission via the number of retweets (ie, a message passed on by others), an important indicator of engagement and reach. To assess content, we extended a lexicon developed from the early months of the pandemic to identify key concepts within messages, employing it to analyze both the textual content of messages themselves as well as text included within embedded images (n = 233,877), which was extracted via optical character recognition. Finally, we modelled the message retransmission process using a negative binomial regression, which allowed us to quantify the extent to which particular message features amplify or suppress retransmission, net of controls related to timing and properties of the sending account. In addition to identifying other predictors of retransmission, we show that the impact of images is strongly driven by content, with textual information in messages and embedded images operating in similar ways. We offer potential recommendations for crafting and deploying social media messages that can “cut through the noise” of an infodemic.

University-Public Partnerships for Disaster Recovery: Promoting Community Resilience Through Research, Teaching, and Engagement

This article describes a state-supported, multiuniversity, interdisciplinary effort to address unmet disaster recovery needs identified by six hard-hit, low-capacity North Carolina communities following Hurricane Matthew. At the request of the director of the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management and the state governor, university officials created a team of faculty, practitioners, and students called the Hurricane Matthew Disaster Recovery and Resilience Initiative (HMDRRI). This 2-year program delivered research, teaching, and engagement activities of the sort that are not typically undertaken by federal or state emergency management agencies, insurance providers, or nonprofit organizations. HMDRRI also offered graduate students in land-use planning, landscape architecture, and architecture opportunities to help provide community assistance under the supervision and mentoring of faculty and practitioners. An overarching goal of the program was to help build greater rural resilience, an outcome that has received inadequate attention from academics and practitioners.

ASSESSING THE EFFECTS OF THE 2019 FLOOD IN YOBE STATE COMMUNITIES AND POSSIBLE MITIGATION APPROACH

Flood is one of the natural disasters that cause serious damage to property, environment and human livelihood. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports over the years have indicated that climate related disasters will more than double between 2000 to 2050 in comparison to their occurrence in the 20th century. It is evident that many communities around the world are becoming vulnerable to flood. Vulnerability is shaped by internal factors which (e.g poverty, age, weakness) these increase the degree of human exposure, and the external factors include (e.g susceptibility to climate change and socio-economic factors). It also depends on the sensitivity and adaptive capacity of a system to natural disasters. This study assessed the impacts of the 2019 flood in Yobe State, where data were obtained through Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (YOSEMA). YOSEMA is among the governmental organisations in the state that provides support and relief to flood victims and affected households. Secondary data was collected from YOSEMA (2019 flood report) to assess affected households and communities in the state. The 2019 flood events have affected over 5,000 households and had caused 4 deaths in the state. In this study, Holistic Flood Mitigation Approach was proposed to improve flood mitigation measures. This approach advocates for shifts from reactive approach (relief) to proactive approach (reduce risk). This can be conducted using the vulnerability indicators for the holistic approach. Further studies will be conducted to assess the level of household vulnerability in order to understand the recovery pace of communities

More Monitoring, Less Coordination: Twitter and Facebook Use between Emergency Management Agencies

Abstract Social media applications facilitate information sharing between agencies, yet scholarship primarily focuses on government-to-citizen communication. This article explores how agencies use social networking applications and microblogs such as Twitter and Facebook to share information and interact with each other. Public information officers (PIOs) from 35 state emergency management agencies were interviewed, and transcripts were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Findings demonstrate that PIOs employ Twitter and Facebook to monitor content for situational awareness, post training opportunities, network with other agencies, and share and reuse content in different ways. Fewer agencies directly coordinate preparedness information campaigns during nonthreat periods and risk communication during emergency response operations. General impediments to those practices include lack of personnel, insufficient technical knowledge, and preferences for other channels. In all, Twitter and Facebook complement—but do not take the place of—other information and communications technology (ICTs) that facilitate operational coordination.

Adoption of Multilingual State Emergency Management Websites: Responsiveness to the Risk Communication Needs of a Multilingual Society

ABSTRACT This article draws on the risk communication and responsiveness literature for theoretical context to investigate the adoption of multilingual websites at state emergency management agencies. It analyzes the 50 state websites on their multilingual presence of emergency-related information available to the public. It uses a binary logistic regression to model the determinants of their multilingual e-government usage for risk communication. The study reveals that state emergency management agencies adopt multilingual websites (1) to be responsive to the needs of populations who may not speak English, (2) to reduce state and immigrant vulnerability to disasters through effective risk communication, and finally (3) when better economic conditions prevail in their states. The study also supports the idea that public administrators are not driven by prevailing political and ideological sentiments in the states when making policies to communicate risk. By adopting multilingual websites, states are demonstrating that a multilingual society constitutes an important collective voice.