Interviewees Needed: Flood Impacts and What You Can Do To Help

If you are a resident living in Pennsylvania with experience in flooding, then we would love to speak with you! Flooding is the most common and detrimental natural disaster that occurs throughout Pennsylvania counties, accounting for billions of dollars in damages across the state, and is most often tied to heavy rainfall. Think back to the most recent heavy rainfall event you've experienced. Did a flash-flood warning appear on your mobile device? Did the flood warning interrupt your radio station? Lindsay Dewar is a Master's student in the Penn State Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, researching residents' perceptions of flood impacts to help address the current gap in the research in terms of backup options for risk communication, or what to do when common avenues of risk communication fail or go offline during a flood event.

The overarching goal of Lindsay's study is to assess the importance and localized effects of risk communication and government flood response, as well as individual opinions regarding these specific aspects of flood events. Additionally, we hope to better understand, from residents, the effects of flood risk and the subsequent changes in flood risk and hazard perception across Pennsylvania communities.

What Should I Expect as a Participant?

• Participants are asked to provide one interview, either in person, over Zoom, or over the phone, spanning approximately 30 minutes.
• Each interview will consist of 7 questions, with room for follow-up or clarifying questions.
• Participants will be asked to be recorded; however, in line with research ethics approvals for this study, they can withdraw their consent for this or other aspects of the study at any time.

Why Should I Participate?

Your participation will:

• Gain a better understanding of flood risk and risk communication pitfalls within Pennsylvania.
• Get in touch with other Pennsylvania stakeholders regarding flood risk.
• Get the chance to assist in graduate research with Penn State students.

Am I Eligible to Participate?

You are eligible to participate if you:

• Are a Pennsylvania resident.
• Have experienced flooding in any regard. This can be on your own property or as a volunteer. Any flood experience is welcome!

If you are interested, please complete this short (1-2 minute) survey. This is just to see if you are a good fit for the research. If you are interested, please fill out the survey by October 31^st. No additional commitment is expected after the initial interview. If you would prefer an in-person interview, arrangements can very likely be made to hold the interview at a place of your choosing.

This work was funded by the Goddard Chair Group at Pennsylvania State University, and has been approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Study approved by Penn State's Office of Research Protections (STUDY00029004). For questions on Research Protections contact the IRB at 814-865-1775 or irb-orp@psu.edu.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please Lindsay Dewar at lmd6526@psu.edu, or Dr. Christopher Scott at cascott@psu.edu. We may also be reached via mobile phone at 703-507-0939. I am looking forward to speaking with you!