Integrating direct messaging with flood alerts and warnings: Insights into effectiveness from a registered public user population

Abstract Direct messaging involving simultaneous mass transmission of brief text or voice messages to large numbers of recipients has become a frontline method in flood hazard communications. Messages are intended to serve as cues, drawing recipients' attention to changing conditions, yet the a...

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Main Authors: Alistair Geddes, Andrew R. Black, Michael Cranston
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-03-01
Series:Journal of Flood Risk Management
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1111/jfr3.12972
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author Alistair Geddes
Andrew R. Black
Michael Cranston
author_facet Alistair Geddes
Andrew R. Black
Michael Cranston
author_sort Alistair Geddes
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Direct messaging involving simultaneous mass transmission of brief text or voice messages to large numbers of recipients has become a frontline method in flood hazard communications. Messages are intended to serve as cues, drawing recipients' attention to changing conditions, yet the actual effectiveness of direct messaging among recipient groups remains under‐examined. This article considers direct messaging within the Floodline public flood warning service in Scotland, implemented by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). Within Floodline, messaging is integrated with alerting and warning information, termed straightforwardly ‘Flood Alerts’ and ‘Flood Warnings’. Collaborating with SEPA, we conducted an online questionnaire survey of registered Floodline direct messaging recipients. In this article, our analysis focusses specifically on responses to three open‐ended questions included in this survey, with an iterative qualitative coding approach employed to interpret themes of meaning from the question responses. This analysis gives a clear indication that recipients value Floodline and direct messaging. However, there are also questions raised over the utility of Flood Alerts and related messaging, which we elaborate in the findings and discussion, along with the scope for adding content, linking to other information, and developing closer relationships. Changes being developed by SEPA align with several of these findings.
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spelling doaj-art-112ad2c7eed44f3499742f29b2ef50492025-08-20T02:54:01ZengWileyJournal of Flood Risk Management1753-318X2025-03-01181n/an/a10.1111/jfr3.12972Integrating direct messaging with flood alerts and warnings: Insights into effectiveness from a registered public user populationAlistair Geddes0Andrew R. Black1Michael Cranston2Geography and Environmental Science University of Dundee Dundee UKGeography and Environmental Science University of Dundee Dundee UKGeography and Environmental Science University of Dundee Dundee UKAbstract Direct messaging involving simultaneous mass transmission of brief text or voice messages to large numbers of recipients has become a frontline method in flood hazard communications. Messages are intended to serve as cues, drawing recipients' attention to changing conditions, yet the actual effectiveness of direct messaging among recipient groups remains under‐examined. This article considers direct messaging within the Floodline public flood warning service in Scotland, implemented by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). Within Floodline, messaging is integrated with alerting and warning information, termed straightforwardly ‘Flood Alerts’ and ‘Flood Warnings’. Collaborating with SEPA, we conducted an online questionnaire survey of registered Floodline direct messaging recipients. In this article, our analysis focusses specifically on responses to three open‐ended questions included in this survey, with an iterative qualitative coding approach employed to interpret themes of meaning from the question responses. This analysis gives a clear indication that recipients value Floodline and direct messaging. However, there are also questions raised over the utility of Flood Alerts and related messaging, which we elaborate in the findings and discussion, along with the scope for adding content, linking to other information, and developing closer relationships. Changes being developed by SEPA align with several of these findings.https://doi.org/10.1111/jfr3.12972direct messagingflood risk communicationflood warningpublic understandingqualitative research
spellingShingle Alistair Geddes
Andrew R. Black
Michael Cranston
Integrating direct messaging with flood alerts and warnings: Insights into effectiveness from a registered public user population
Journal of Flood Risk Management
direct messaging
flood risk communication
flood warning
public understanding
qualitative research
title Integrating direct messaging with flood alerts and warnings: Insights into effectiveness from a registered public user population
title_full Integrating direct messaging with flood alerts and warnings: Insights into effectiveness from a registered public user population
title_fullStr Integrating direct messaging with flood alerts and warnings: Insights into effectiveness from a registered public user population
title_full_unstemmed Integrating direct messaging with flood alerts and warnings: Insights into effectiveness from a registered public user population
title_short Integrating direct messaging with flood alerts and warnings: Insights into effectiveness from a registered public user population
title_sort integrating direct messaging with flood alerts and warnings insights into effectiveness from a registered public user population
topic direct messaging
flood risk communication
flood warning
public understanding
qualitative research
url https://doi.org/10.1111/jfr3.12972
work_keys_str_mv AT alistairgeddes integratingdirectmessagingwithfloodalertsandwarningsinsightsintoeffectivenessfromaregisteredpublicuserpopulation
AT andrewrblack integratingdirectmessagingwithfloodalertsandwarningsinsightsintoeffectivenessfromaregisteredpublicuserpopulation
AT michaelcranston integratingdirectmessagingwithfloodalertsandwarningsinsightsintoeffectivenessfromaregisteredpublicuserpopulation