Identification of tornado protective actions of Oklahoma State University students — A pilot study

Abstract

Tornadoes account for the most violent of all-natural atmospheric hazards known to mankind (National Weather Service 2008). On average, the United States experiences approximately 1,200 tornadoes annually (NWS 2008). They are categorized by the Enhanced Fujita Scale (Fujita 2007) developed in 2007 as an update to the 1971 Fujita Scale (Fujita 1971) to rate tornadoes not solely on wind speeds anymore but more on the damage caused by the tornado. The aim of this study is threefold; one, chronologically identify the earliest literature on tornado warning preparedness to the latest study as of 2020, two, determine the process in tornado risk perception, and three, analyze the principles of Lindell and Perry's (2012) Protective Action Decision Model (PADM) as it ascertains to tornado preparedness as it relates to Oklahoma State University students. As a theoretical foundation, the PADM guides the ebbs and flows to finding a research question and deductively testing the research hypothesis. The intended outcomes of this study necessitated the use of external data sources for quantitative purposes. The data was collected via DynaSearch using computer simulations to perceive the risk of tornadoes through a series of stages. These stages grew from a severe thunderstorm watch to a complete tornado warning. A pilot study that coincides with this project had 119 participants from Oklahoma State University. The participants examined DynaSearch visual (images) and written (text) sources of information within the survey. The demographics of participants were noted at the end of the survey for collective purposes and will be noted in this subsequent study. Much of this study will analyze the literature from 2004 to 2019, using works from various disciplines ranging from disaster science to sociology. Some findings in this project may pave the way for future tornado research that may be deemed significant. Ultimately this project has a diverse data corpus to increase its validity and reliability. The experiment involving the OSU students was under control of the research team to manage any issues that arose during the research process.