This was my first talk as a scientist. It was given to a small, mostly female audience. The atmosphere was very iighthearted which made it a lot easier to talk. The speech was about 16 minutes. The quesiton and answer went great!

1. Toni Rosati Public perceptions of tsunamis

2. “Eventually, all coastal communities inCalifornia will have tsunami warning signs.” Troy Nicolini, NWS

4. 147 respondents in the Los Angeles coastal area were surveyed

5. 22 Likert Scale Questions, 4 Multiple Choice, 1 Qualitative Question

8. Devastating waves have hit the Santa Monica area as recent as 1964

10. RESULTS 66% think the warning signs are an effective method of public communication But very few respondents were aware the tsunami warning signage and evacuation route plans existed.

11. RESULTS

12. The Qualitative Question…

14. Far too many people would NOT know what to do in the event of a tsunami. Over 42% failed to report that they would seek higher ground.

15. Respondents believe the government is being resonsible, but most have been unaware and unaffected by the efforts.

16. Many are expecting to be warned in ways that are notcurrently organized (texting, sirens) or are simply impossible (newspaper).

18. Public communication expectations must be understood

19. NOAA should make efforts to meet or adjust those expectations to match emergency management plans and capabilities.