Improving Technical and Risk Communication: An Organizational Study of North Carolina Emergency Management and Hurricane Florence

Background: The relationships between US government emergency management agencies and the public they serve are fraught with distrust and tension. This distrust can be attributed to past disaster responses and a lack of transparency with emergency information. Emergency managers work as technical communicators to share information through multiple platforms and digital spaces. Public trust can be increased by improving communication strategies within emergency management organizations. Literature review: Research to improve communication between emergency management agencies and the public calls for more trust and transparency within government organizations. However, little research has been conducted about the ways an organization's structure and workflow influence communication practices/strategies. Research questions: 1. How do emergency management organizations share information about natural disasters with the public? 2. How can communication strategies and workflow in emergency management organizations be improved? Research methodology: Clay Spinuzzi's topsight is used as a framework to conduct an organizational analysis of North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM) response to Hurricane Florence in 2018. Interviews were conducted and artifacts were collected to investigate Spinuzzi's three levels of activity and create corresponding workflow diagrams. Results: Results indicate a need for standardized emergency management training and additional resources to support emergency managers. Interventions from technical and professional communicators can assist in developing communication strategies and problem-solving techniques. Conclusion: Developing informed communication strategies within an emergency management agency is a complex problem because of the numerous factors that play into the organizational structure and existing protocols. Technical communication scholars can help improve communication practices through local community outreach and additional organizational analyses.