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Preliminary Multilingual Survey Results on Earthquake Early Warning and San Diego County’s SD Emergency Multi-hazards App to Improve Equity in Disaster Risk Reduction

Description: 

ShakeAlert® earthquake early warning (EEW) aims to reach individuals' devices before strong shaking occurs, so they can take protective actions such as ‘Drop, Cover, and Hold On’ (DCHO, e.g., McBride et al., 2021). However, there have been few studies to best understand how people receive and respond to EEW alerts, and apps may be missing individuals who are not fluent in English (e.g., limited English proficiency (LEP)). California hosts the largest LEP population (>20% of residents) in the US. San Diego County’s (SDC) SD Emergency app serves a diverse community of over 3.3 million people with ~34% having Hispanic/Latine ethnicity and a large immigrant and refugee population that speaks varied languages. We surveyed SDC residents to find out about their (1) earthquake experiences; (2) hazard warning experiences; (3) familiarity with the SD-Emergency app and how they use the app; (4) barriers to alert comprehension; (5) anticipated responses to EEW; and (6) suggested improvements to better fit their language needs. We offered the surveys in English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Arabic, and Vietnamese, but nearly all responses were to the survey in English, highlighting the challenge of engaging the LEP population. We did find ~30% of respondents had a member of their household with LEP, indicating some input from this community. In partnering with the National Opinion Research Center, we received approximately 900 vetted responses from SDC residents. Our preliminary findings indicate similar responses from LEP and non-LEP households. While most have felt earthquakes, only about a third have received an earthquake alert. Only 5% of respondents report DCHO as their first response to shaking, with Stopped/Stayed Put (65%), Stood in Doorway (14%), and Fled Building (10%) the most common answers. DCHO increases to 12% when asked about protective actions upon receiving an earthquake alert, with Stopped/Stayed Put (47%), Stood in Doorway (16%), and Fled Building (16%) still more common. The increase in DCHO with an alert demonstrates the importance of EEW for protective action, regardless of potential language barriers.

Session: Adventures in Social Seismology: Ethical Engagement, Earthquake Early Warnings, Operational Forecasts, and Beyond [Poster]

Type: Poster

Date: 4/15/2025

Presentation Time: 08:00 AM (local time)

Presenting Author: Michael

Student Presenter: No

Invited Presentation: 

Poster Number: 121

Authors