A practical guide for natural hazard risk communication

This guide presents a proactive, step-by-step approach that staff across all of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) line offices can use to communicate risk and uncertainty, with a focus on how to convey risk information to stakeholders outside the agency. To help NOAA personnel communicate effectively, the guide references and draws available NOAA risk communication tools, protocols, and models, and other sources as needed.

This practical guide will help readers create a plan for risk communication that incorporates best practices and lessons learned from NOAA, other agencies, and researchers and practitioners - particularly the best practices described in the documents in the box above and the list on the next page. Worksheets will guide readers through the key steps in communicating risk and uncertainty. These steps recognize that risk communication is not a one-way, linear activity, but rather an iterative process that depends on ongoing dialogue between NOAA and its audiences and stakeholders.