"FUSE's main finding echoes what flood survivors have been saying. In the absence of a trustworthy authority, even when warnings reach people, they may be ignored. Indeed, a T exas Tribune article from this week details how rural and unincorporated communities, including residents near Big Sandy Creek in Travis County, depended on their own communities in the absence of any clear official authority on the ground."
""The issue isn't just message delivery, it's messenger credibility," said FUSE's Maria Yuen. "People consistently place a higher trust in information from people they know personally, and trust does directly influence whether people take action." There are also logistical issues with existing emergency communications, such as language barriers and limited digital access. "There's a troubling divide where some residents receive no information at all, while others are overwhelmed by alerts and multiple sources during emergencies," said Yuen."
Catastrophic July floods exposed gaps in Travis County emergency communications, leaving many residents feeling abandoned and reliant on neighbors. The county commissioned FUSE in 2023 to strengthen disaster response and climate resilience planning. FUSE found that messenger credibility matters: even when warnings reach people, they can be ignored if no trustworthy authority exists. Rural and unincorporated communities depended on local networks. Logistical barriers include language differences and limited digital access, creating a divide between residents who receive no information and those overwhelmed by alerts. FUSE proposed a network of trusted community connectors to relay county emergency communications.
Read at Austin Monitor
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