State Emergency Management Agencies’ Hazard Analysis Information on the Internet

Abstract

This study examined hazard analysis information on state emergency management agencies’ (SEMAs’) Internet Web sites. The results showed that 3 of the 51 SEMAs in the United Stales did not have Web sites accessible to the public, and another 13 provided no hazard analysis information on their Web sites. Among those that da provide information about hazards, most address relatively few of the hazards to which their states are vulnerable. Moreover, there is poor correspondence of the hazard agents addressed on SEMA Web sites with either long-term vulnerability determined from hazard maps or recent impacts defined by federal major disaster declarations. This suggests that states are missing a major opportunity to educate local emergency managers and the public about the hazards to which they are vulnerable. Several recommendations are made for improving the content and format of hazard analysis information on SEMAs’ Web sites.