Refining Priorities for Drought Communication...

Refining Priorities for Drought Communication

Prototypes

Project Nighthawk TeamRebecca Ward, Kirsten Lackstrom,

Corey Davis, Emily Foster

Webinar Purpose and Agenda

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• Introduction• Guided discussion:

• Review results from Initial Project Survey• Review and prioritize ideas for drought

information and communication strategies• Open discussion• Wrap-up and next steps

Introductions

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Introduction Guided Discussion Wrap-up & Next Steps

Project Team

North Carolina Climate Office,NOAA’s Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments

NOAA’s Sectoral Applications Research Program (SARP)

“Coping with Drought in Support of the National Integrated Drought

Information” Competition

Webinar Participants

Informed Consent

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More information at http://climate.ncsu.edu/nighthawk

● Participant selection

● Potential benefits and risks of participation

● Confidentiality

Project Background

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Drought is a part of North Carolina’s climate


From Alexander Co. Emergency Services From US Fish & Wildlife Service From Brynn Anderson/AP

Project Background

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How was this map created?

Who is discussing drought in NC, and

how often?

How can I find out about local

conditions?

What does the forecast

show?

How is this affecting my

sector?

Why doesn’t this map reflect conditions I’m

seeing in my area?


Project Background

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Goal: Provide relevant, accessible, and actionable drought-related information to decision makers tailored to specific sectors

Official Title: “Innovating Approaches to Drought Communications with North Carolina Decision Makers”

Codename: Project Nighthawk


The common nighthawk. Photo by Andy Reago and Chrissy McClarren, shared under CC BY 2.0.

Project Nighthawk Phases

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Fall 2018 Summer 2019

Initial Survey - Overview

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• 318 invitations sent to:• NC Cooperative Extension agents and specialists• NC Forest Service regional and district foresters

• Open for responses from Oct. 12 to Nov. 2

Wrap-up & Next StepsIntroduction Guided Discussion

Opened 100 31% of invitees

Completed 52 16% of invitees

Partially completed 48 2 to 81% completion rate

Initial Survey - What We Asked

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1. Communication Channels & Formats

2. Weather, Climate, and Drought Information• geographic scale• decision calendars• usefulness of specific resources

3. Drought Monitoring Processes• US Drought Monitor• North Carolina drought monitoring

4. Impacts and Additional Information Needs


Communication Channels

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• Along with developing resource prototypes, this project seeks to find and use preferred communication channels

• Survey asked which formats were most useful for respondents and their constituents

• Responses indicate room for improvement among current drought communications



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Retrieve on your own Info. is sent to you


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How information is presented


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Users explore alone


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Users explore together with information providers


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For consumers: What factors do you consider when thinking about what to pass onto constituents? Do you look at different

information than they do?

For providers: What feedback have you received regarding communicating information? What has worked well (or not)?

Communication Strategies

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Takeaways so far: Information consumers prefer...• At least partially synthesized/translated information• Exploring individually on their own time• Data and reports pushed to them (instead of going

somewhere to find it)• A variety of formats, from alerts to factsheets to

infographics• Accessing data both online and offline



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Geographic Scales

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Geographic Scales

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Are there products you use now that are on national (or other) scales that would be more useful for you or your constituents if they were translated to local scales?


Information Timescales

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Decision Calendars

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Current conditions and short-range forecasts are most useful for informing decisions about:


Winter Spring Summer Fall

Planting

Ag. management

Crop harvesting

Forest management

Resource allocation

USDA Field Staff Survey

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• In 2016 and 2017, USDA Climate Hubs surveyed Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) staff about weather and climate knowledge and needs


Wiener, S., Roesch-McNally, G.E., and Schattman, R.E. (2018). National survey of USDA Field Staff on Climate and Weather; Results from a survey of Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency Employees. Washington, DC: USDA Climate Hubs.


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• Drought was the most common concern, including in North Carolina


From Wiener, Roesch-McNally, and Schattman (2018)


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• The US Drought Monitor is a widely used resource


From Wiener, Roesch-McNally, and Schattman (2018)

Monitoring Info. - Discussion

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• Survey responses indicated a preference for precipitation and temperature data

• Other drought monitoring information exists• Are these less useful than temperature and precipitation?• Are these useful, but not usable/accessible/discoverable?

• Where do you go for temperature and precipitation information now?• (NWS? TWC? AccuWeather? Newspaper? SCO? TV? Personal

observations?)


Climate Summary Resources

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http://sercc.com/seasonalsummary

http://climate.ncsu.edu/climateblog


SERCC Seasonal Summaries and Outlooks

SCO Climate Blog including Monthly Summaries

http://sercc.com/seasonalsummary

http://climate.ncsu.edu/climateblog

Current Conditions - Discussion

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Where do you typically go for information about current conditions?

For what purposes do you use those resources?

Do you, and if so, how do you, pass on that information to your constituents?

What would improve that communication/translation process?


Current Condition Resources

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State Climate Office current conditions maps

https://climate.ncsu.edu

https://climate.ncsu.edu/map

USGS streamflow mapshttps://waterwatch.usgs.gov

https://climate.ncsu.edu

https://climate.ncsu.edu/map

https://waterwatch.usgs.gov


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Fire Weather Intelligence Portal

https://climate.ncsu.edu/fwip

https://climate.ncsu.edu/fwip


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NC DMAC NWS Raleigh

http://www.ncdrought.org/current.php

http://www.weather.gov/rah/drought

http://www.ncdrought.org/current.php

http://www.weather.gov/rah/drought


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SCO’s Integrated Water Portal


CLIMAS Reservoir Volumes

https://climate.ncsu.edu/water/map

https://www.climas.arizona.edu

https://climate.ncsu.edu/water/map

https://www.climas.arizona.edu

Short, Medium, and Long-Term

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Where do you typically go for information about forecast conditions and outlooks?

For what purposes do you use those resources?

Do you, and if so, how do you, pass on that information to your constituents?

What would improve that communication/translation process?


Short-term = 1-7 days; Medium-term = 1-3 weeks; Long-term = monthly-seasonal-annual

Short- to Medium-Term Resources

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Climate Prediction Center outlookshttp://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov

Cotton Thrips Infestation PredictorWeather-based guidance for planting decisions

http://climate.ncsu.edu/cottonTIP

NWS Forecast Maps and Graphics

https://www.weather.gov

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov

http://climate.ncsu.edu/cottonTIP


Long-Term Resources

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ENSO model predictions https://iri.columbia.edu/our-expertise/climate/forecasts/enso/current/

Seasonal El Niño Impacts on the SW USA, from CLIMAS (AZ-NM RISA)

https://iri.columbia.edu/our-expertise/climate/forecasts/enso/current/

Long-Term Resources

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CPC Seasonal Drought Outlook


NMME (North American Multi-Model Ensemble) Temp. & Precip. Forecasts

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/NMME/




Long-Term Resources

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NWS seasonal outlooks https://www.weather.gov SCO seasonal outlookshttps://climate.ncsu.edu/climateblog


https://climate.ncsu.edu/climateblog

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SCONC’s “About Drought” Story Map


Drought Background ResourcesDrought 101 from SC State Climate Office

http://climate.ncsu.edu/drought/about

http://www.scdrought.com/drought101.html

http://climate.ncsu.edu/drought/about

http://www.scdrought.com/drought101.html

Information Resources - Discussion

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• To what extent are existing resources meeting your needs?

• How could they be improved?

• Visualization (Are maps and graphics clear? Are they at the preferred geographic and/or time scales?)

• Availability (Do you know where to find the information? Do you receive alerts or emails?)

• Clarity (Are they unclear or too complex?)

• Usability (Are they able to inform a specific decision or question?)

• Shareability (Are you able to easily explain or transfer the information to a constituent?)

• For information providers, are you aware of how people are using and consuming this information?



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Drought Monitoring Processes & Resources

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• US Drought Monitor process• NC drought monitoring process


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Use and Perceived Accuracy of Drought Maps

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Broad Ideas:• Create resources about the NC DMAC and the NC

Drought Map • Synthesize & disseminate up-to-date information on

latest drought map, including discussion• Develop a strategic dissemination plan

• Frequency? Location? Formats?

How to Improve Awareness and Perceived Accuracy?(in Drought Monitoring Processes & Products)


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“About NC DMAC” resourcesa. Purpose, history, membership, process, relevanceb. How are NC Drought Map and USDM used in NC?c. Delivery Formats:

i. Infographicsii. Factsheetsiii. Possibly: story maps, videos

d. Delivery Methods: i. Linked from websitesii. Emailsiii. Others?

Wrap-up & Next StepsIntroduction

A Prototype to Consider

Guided Discussion

A Prototype to Consider

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A multi-pronged approach for sharing drought updates:• Summarize DMAC discussion and suggestions to US Drought

Monitor authors to note why changes were (and were not) made across the state

• Information would be accessible from websites and pushed out and printable

• Highlights/key points shared via short email/text alert-type messages

• More details included in factsheets or blog posts• Would use infographics, static or animated maps, and charts

or other graphics


Drought Monitoring - Discussion

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• Will ideas improve awareness and perceptions of accuracy?• Background information on NC DMAC and USDM

processes and products• Synthesized and summarized weekly update

products• How often? Weekly?

• Are there other ways to improve awareness and perceptions of accuracy?

• Do we need to distinguish between agriculture and forestry?


“Landing Page” Examples

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Example Resources to Consider

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Drought monitoring explanation video (from CoCoRaHS)Brief explanation of conditions and how map designations were determined (from CO Climate Center)


Drought Monitoring Processes & Resources - Existing Examples

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Prioritizing Prototypes(before the webinar)

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1. “About NC DMAC” resources2. Updates on NC Drought Conditions from the NC

DMAC3. Tutorials for technical tools4. Updated lists and content for “landing pages”5. Increase discoverability of useful resources,

e.g., seasonal outlooks


Open Discussion

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Which ideas should be our top priorities?

What other information do you need, including for weather, climate, drought, or impact monitoring?


Next Steps

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Post-webinar survey

Upcoming In-Person Feedback Sessions• Late February in-person workshop • Possibly: June NC Association of County Ag.

Agents• NC DMAC Meeting -- possibly a follow-up?

Introduction Wrap-up & Next StepsGuided Discussion

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Thank you!https://climate.ncsu.edu/nighthawk

Refining Priorities for Drought Communication...

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