The Nurture Nature Center

ABSTRACT Flooding is a disruptive and devastating natural hazard for communities all around the world. To combat the negative effects of flooding, it has become a global priority to implement and research flood early warning systems (FEWS). However, previous research did not comprehensively examine both the technological and social dimensions of FEWS nor the knowledge of their availability and status around the world. To address these gaps, this paper completes a narrative review and synthesizes best practices in FEWS warning and system design, and introduces a “FEWS Around the World” repository which catalogs 3–4 examples per region across six continents. Our analysis shows that while most FEWS include design features outlined in the literature such as timeliness, human capacity, and integration, fewer implement novel components related to impact‐based warnings, participatory science, bottom‐up approaches, advanced technology, and maintaining a preparedness fund, highlighting gaps and opportunities for improvement. Examples demonstrate how these characteristics manifest in diverse contexts, from community‐based systems in Nepal to AI‐driven systems like Google's Flood Hub. By bridging design principles with observed global practices, this paper is designed to aid researchers, practitioners, and communities in people‐centered FEWS development, implementation, and operation, improving resilient flood risk management.

Abstract Communicating the threat of severe winter weather is not simply a matter of the number of inches of snow or degrees of cold; it also considers the potential impacts of the storm. The winter storm severity index (WSSI) is a graphical product from the National Weather Service that presents anticipated impacts from forecast winter weather for a range of winter conditions. To assess the utility of the WSSI and how an impact-based winter weather forecast product is interpreted and used to inform decision-making, a mixed-methods social science study was conducted by the Nurture Nature Center in coordination with the Weather Prediction Center. Through focus groups and surveys, testing in the Hydrometeorological Testbed, and iterations on design and category descriptions, several themes emerged about how professional stakeholders understand, interpret, and use this product for communicating about impending winter weather. There is perceived utility in the WSSI for situational awareness and as part of a package of other information to inform decision-making. However, there is variability in interpretations of impacts, resulting from differences in geography, community readiness, and experience, among other factors, which creates complications in communicating the forecast. Furthermore, many users seek quantities related to winter weather, suggesting that education about what impact-based products include and what data are shown is necessary. Understanding the factors that influence perspectives on impact levels and the variable needs for winter weather information across regions improves forecasters’ abilities to effectively communicate and provide critical information that helps end users prepare for severe winter weather. Significance Statement Effectively communicating severe winter weather is critical to supporting communities in being prepared for and mitigating weather-related losses and damages. The winter storm severity index focuses on impacts to provide awareness of impending winter weather, information that is useful but not always interpreted consistently, requiring an understanding of factors influencing perspectives on impact levels and user education.