To the Southwest Corner: Tornado Myths and Socio-Demographic Vulnerability
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Kent State University / OhioLINK
2013
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| Online Access: | http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1366627060 |
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ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-kent13666270602021-08-03T05:22:27Z To the Southwest Corner: Tornado Myths and Socio-Demographic Vulnerability Hoffman, Rebecca Lynn Geography Physical Geography Sociology Atmospheric Sciences Behavioral Sciences Tornadoes Myths Environmental perception Awareness Preparedness Hazards Tornado safety The origins of modern common tornado myths can be traced back as far as the late nineteenth century. Since 1950, forecasting technology has evolved quickly and efficiently; in 1950 tornadoes came with little to no warning, and presently people can be warned as much as 24 hours in advance of an impending storm. However, the year 2011 produced the third largest death toll on record. Educating the public is a daunting task when information is constantly changing, especially when the public has pre-conceived notions which may stem from tornado myths. This study focused on the socio-demographic factors behind these myths in an effort to become aware of which parts of the population need to be re-educated on safety practices. Surveys were sent to random home addresses in four U.S. metropolitan areas. The results from a series of chi-square tests revealed associations between gender and the belief that tornadoes are less likely to strike cities or near bodies of water. The tests also revealed association between gender and the perceived regions in which people believe tornadoes occur most often. Finally, the tests revealed association between location of residence and the perceived regions in which people believe tornadoes occur. While these were significant results, it is difficult to target re-education by gender and location alone. It can be concluded that the general public would benefit greatly from re-education in a manner which not only reaches the masses, but from a method in which they are able to easily retain the information. 2013-04-22 English text Kent State University / OhioLINK http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1366627060 http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1366627060 unrestricted This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: some rights reserved. It is licensed for use under a Creative Commons license. Specific terms and permissions are available from this document's record in the OhioLINK ETD Center. |
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NDLTD |
| language |
English |
| sources |
NDLTD |
| topic |
Geography Physical Geography Sociology Atmospheric Sciences Behavioral Sciences Tornadoes Myths Environmental perception Awareness Preparedness Hazards Tornado safety |
| spellingShingle |
Geography Physical Geography Sociology Atmospheric Sciences Behavioral Sciences Tornadoes Myths Environmental perception Awareness Preparedness Hazards Tornado safety Hoffman, Rebecca Lynn To the Southwest Corner: Tornado Myths and Socio-Demographic Vulnerability |
| author |
Hoffman, Rebecca Lynn |
| author_facet |
Hoffman, Rebecca Lynn |
| author_sort |
Hoffman, Rebecca Lynn |
| title |
To the Southwest Corner: Tornado Myths and Socio-Demographic Vulnerability |
| title_short |
To the Southwest Corner: Tornado Myths and Socio-Demographic Vulnerability |
| title_full |
To the Southwest Corner: Tornado Myths and Socio-Demographic Vulnerability |
| title_fullStr |
To the Southwest Corner: Tornado Myths and Socio-Demographic Vulnerability |
| title_full_unstemmed |
To the Southwest Corner: Tornado Myths and Socio-Demographic Vulnerability |
| title_sort |
to the southwest corner: tornado myths and socio-demographic vulnerability |
| publisher |
Kent State University / OhioLINK |
| publishDate |
2013 |
| url |
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1366627060 |
| work_keys_str_mv |
AT hoffmanrebeccalynn tothesouthwestcornertornadomythsandsociodemographicvulnerability |
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1719419048206270464 |