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Read. Understand. Apply.
The Warn Room blogs apply 70 years of research to the practice of alerts and warnings. We show how evidence-based changes to message content, style, and structure can create more effective warnings.


Incomplete messages put lives in danger
This past week, a catastrophic storm ripped through the Southeast US, leaving communities destroyed and more than 230 deaths (so far). ...

Jeannette Sutton
Oct 7, 2024


Message Content Order Can Affect Readability and Action
Wireless Emergency Alerts are typically sent during periods of imminent threat, where emotions are heightened and information seeking...

Jeannette Sutton
Nov 9, 2023


A Clear, Concise HazMat Message
This message includes the contents that motivate people to act and does so in a clear and concise manner. It provides information about...

Jeannette Sutton
Oct 28, 2023


WORDS MATTER!
Technical language and jargon may accurately describe the context and the hazard but at what cost? The editor is taking a bit of a detour...

Jeannette Sutton
Sep 23, 2023


Content order can affect readability.
Did you know that social scientists investigated the best order of WEA message contents? They did! And it looks something like the...

Jeannette Sutton
Sep 23, 2023


A 5 Star Warning!
Issued 9/22/2023 (click image to enlarge) The Warning Gallery loves to display messages that exemplify good messaging. This message,...

Jeannette Sutton
Sep 22, 2023


You're yelling again...
This use of ALL CAPS can sure make things difficult for message readers. The Editor took the liberty of making some changes to this WEA....

Jeannette Sutton
Sep 16, 2023


Include actionable instructions in an alert
A BOIL WATER notice can be confusing to many people leading to questions like: Why do we have to boil water? for how long? Will it really...

Jeannette Sutton
Aug 19, 2023


Including hazard impact information increases message understanding
Sometimes, threats and hazards may seem self-explanatory; other times, a hazard impact statement will help the receiver to understand why...

Jeannette Sutton
Aug 5, 2023


Warning messages must include the hazard
WEA issued 7/10/2023 It's entirely possible that a local message recipient will know why they are advised to evacuate immediately. If...

Jeannette Sutton
Jul 12, 2023


Post-event messages should inform people that they are safe.
WEA issued 6/27/2023 Researchers are learning a great deal about how to effectively communicate that an event has ended, an order has...

Jeannette Sutton
Jun 28, 2023


An unfamiliar hazard and a local area emergency
At The Warn Room, we don't claim to be experts in all hazards, which is why adding hazard impact information to a message really helps...

Jeannette Sutton
May 13, 2023


Location information update
(WEA sent 4/23/23) The editor's desk draws from research to suggest improvements to the hazard impact statement and to specify the...

Jeannette Sutton
Apr 23, 2023


What is this unnamed hazard that you warn of?
WEA issued on 4/20/23 for a brush fire Decades ago, disaster researchers Mike Lindell and Ron Perry developed the Protective Action...

Jeannette Sutton
Apr 19, 2023


Brushfire
To the left (click image to enlarge), we include the original 90-character WEA and a revised 272-character WEA. The first message on the...

Jeannette Sutton
Feb 19, 2023


Lead with fear?
New Palestine, Ohio Train Derailment. February 3-6, 2023 The messages sent to alert the Village of New Palestine, OH were absolutely...

Jeannette Sutton
Feb 9, 2023


The problem of the unnamed hazard
WEA sent 12/17/2022 Shelter in place, and its cousin evacuate now, are orders that are frequently included in WEAs as well as the Common...

Jeannette Sutton
Dec 17, 2022


Does "until further notice" mean another notice will follow?
WEA sent 11/15/2022. While it is understandable that alert originators would prefer to limit their use of WEA to prevent over-alerting (a...

Jeannette Sutton
Nov 15, 2022


The importance of message consistency.
Top WEA sent 11/4/2022 1:23 pm CDT Bottom WEA sent 11/4/2022 1:20 pm CDT External message consistency is just as important as internal...

Jeannette Sutton
Nov 3, 2022


When the hazard isn't named...
WEA sent 10/24/2022 @ 1:22 am When a hazard isn't named and a protective action is recommended, message receivers are likely to delay. A...

Jeannette Sutton
Oct 23, 2022
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