Region-wide Hazards Planning Survey Now Available

This is an announcement to ask for your participation in a study being conducted by the Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program (SCIPP; www.southernclimate.org) to evaluate regional preparedness for weather-related hazards now and in the future. SCIPP is a new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) research program partnership between the University of Oklahoma and Louisiana State University. The mission of SCIPP is to provide stakeholder-driven climate products, services, and research to decision-makers and information users across the south-central U.S. states of Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Mississippi.

This particular study is an internet-based survey that aims to evaluate local level and state hazard planning process in place across the south-central U.S. in an effort to learn more about information sources used, planning challenges, data needs, and communication processes. In addition, this survey also focuses on climate change perceptions and how climate change may potentially affect hazard planning in your area in the future. The survey is broken down into (4) main sections including personal information, hazard planning, climate change perceptions, and information needs. We expect that it will take approximately 30 minutes to complete; your participation is entirely voluntary but greatly appreciated.

Results of this study will be used to better understand hazard planning information needs across the southern U.S. in an effort to develop new tools that will help with planning across the region. In addition to this research study, our SCIPP team would also be interested in working more closely with you and your organizations long-term; feel free to provide your contact information following the completion of the online survey if you are interested or you may email us directly.

To access the electronic survey, please click here. It will close on November 20, 2009.

For more information on SCIPP or for any questions regarding the survey itself, please contact program managers James Hocker and Lynne Carter at scippsurvey@mesonet.org.

Finally, if you have any colleagues or partner organizations that you feel would be suitable participants for this study, please feel free to pass this invitation along to them. 

Thank you very much for your time and interest in this study, and we hope to work more with you!

Sincerely,

James Hocker
SCIPP Program Manager
University of Oklahoma
scippsurvey@mesonet.org

Lynne Carter
SCIPP Program Manager
Louisiana State University
scippsurvey@mesonet.org