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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.


Message personalization - what does that mean for a WEA?
At the Warn Room, we frequently hear about the need to issue "targeted and personalized" messages. This is primarily in reference to...

Jeannette Sutton
Jan 16


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


Warning Location Information and Zones...
If you send or receive wildfire or hurricane alerts and warnings, you know that there has been a shift to the use of zones to highlight...

Jeannette Sutton
Jul 30, 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


Missing Person Alert Using Plain Language
We frequently see missing persons alerts that are incomplete, difficult to read, and filled with acronyms and jargon. This makes a...

Jeannette Sutton
Oct 20, 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


Should I send a WEA for a weather event?
Sheriff's WEA issued on 6/29/2023 (click image to enlarge) The National Weather Service has the authority and responsibility to issue...

Jeannette Sutton
Jun 28, 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


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


The importance of location information
WEA issued 4/22/23 to persons in Met Life Stadium The research record on alerts and warnings consistently identifies the importance of...

Jeannette Sutton
Apr 21, 2023


Water disruption
Thoughts on message consistency and WEA. Message consistency is a popular topic among risk communicators in the severe weather space. ...

Jeannette Sutton
Feb 26, 2023


"Practice bear awareness"
WEA sent 10/10/2021 Some WEAs are sent for unusual events, such as in the case of an injured bear on the range in Mt Teton County. This...

Jeannette Sutton
Oct 9, 2021
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