Researchers from the Institute for a Disaster Resilient Texas (IDRT) and the Institute for Science, Technology and Public Policy (ISTPP) Published an Article in Science of the Total Environment

“Indirect experiences and storm risk perceptions: Case study–Texas, United States,” a recent study by a team of co-authors from two top research institutes, explores how Texas residents perceive storm risks and the powerful role indirect experiences play. The study finds that indirect influences from experts, social networks, and political elites significantly shape public risk perceptions, not just direct exposure to storms. Experts, through their focus on higher risk, and social networks, through personal accounts of disaster impacts,  tend to raise public concern and awareness. Yet, political influence can sometimes lower risk perceptions, especially if messages focus more on resilience and reconstruction than on actual dangers.

The authors emphasize that effective disaster communication and policy must account for these pathways: informed education programs, balanced political messages, and strong community networks can help people better understand and prepare for risks. Grover’s team notes that future policies should bridge the gap between real risks and how they’re perceived, improving community resilience in a world facing increasingly unpredictable weather.

The data used in the study was gathered as part of a National Science Foundation CRISP Project (# 1832662), “Anatomy of Coupled Human-Infrastructure Systems Resilience to Urban Flooding: Integrated Assessment of Social, Institutional, and Physical Networks.”