Houston Daily

Researchers from the University of Houston have collaborated with Space City Weather to improve the site's flood forecast scale, aiming to help Gulf Coast residents better prepare for severe weather. The Space City Weather blog, operated by meteorologists and journalists Matt Lanza and Eric Berger and sponsored by Reliant, has become a key source for weather information in the region, particularly during flood events.

The Space City Weather Flood Scale was created following major floods between 2015 and 2019. It uses clear language such as “hundreds of homes may flood” or “freeway frontage roads may become impassable” to describe potential impacts. Despite its popularity, Lanza questioned whether even enhanced forecasts prompted enough public action.

University of Houston Professor of Psychology Steven Paul Woods noticed this concern and offered his expertise. “My lab does work on how people access, understand and use health information, so I thought we could adapt some of that ongoing work and our expertise in psychological science to answer questions about weather communication, and help keep Houstonians informed and safe,” said Woods.

Woods involved doctoral student Natalie C. Ridgely in the project, which became her dissertation research. The team recruited 100 Gulf Coast residents for experiments using different versions of the flood scale—one standard version and one enhanced with specific protective actions at each risk level.

“In brief, yes! People in the weather-protective cue group did a better job of planning for the storms,” said Woods. “We were able to improve flood-protective plans for the people who were at greatest risk of being unprepared.”

Lanza welcomed these findings: “Frankly, it feels great to be able to expand the Space City Weather Flood Scale to help people take action. One of my biggest concerns about the scale was that we came up with it ourselves, which is fine in a vacuum. But as a scientist, I wanted us to make sure we were pushing out something that was adding value to storm prep, not adding confusion. Does it pass the test of being meaningful and scientifically sound? And who better to help solidify that than an expert in psychology?”

Hurricane season began June 1 and continues through November 30 this year. The updated flood scale now includes both impact descriptions and suggested protective actions at each stage.