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Recent research in crisis and risk communication has examined information seeking preferences across varying audiences in the time leading up to natural disasters. Such an understanding is critical for targeting risk information messages such that they will have the maximum intended impact on those seeking to take protective actions. Until recently, these studies have largely ignored the relative importance of mediated sources alongside community groups and other grassroots organizations. To that end, the current study surveyed 1030 Florida residents in the aftermath of 2022’s Hurricane Ian in the United States. In addition to replicating past findings concerning media preferences across the demographic spectrum, the current study offers evidence that marginalized and at-risk communities may be especially reliant on community resources for information about protective actions concerning an environmental hazard. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for crisis communication researchers and emergency managers alike. 

A lengthy history of research in the crisis communication literature has documented sex differences in information needs and responses. Response Styles Theory is introduced as a potential explanatory mechanism for these findings, which may be attributable to differences in rumination tendency. A representative survey of over 5000 US residents explored information seeking and risk perceptions regarding the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Results support the argument that previously observed sex differences may be accounted for rumination, and rumination is predictive of specific (but not general) risk estimation. Rumination may also drive information seeking and subsequent depressive symptoms, especially among men. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for risk and crisis communicators, and our consideration of gender norms and their impact on risk message processing 

Building on previous crisis and risk literature, this study investigates media dependencies, information seeking, preparation behaviors and rumination tendencies among individuals living on the Atlantic seaboard who were impacted by Hurricane Dorian in 2019. Consistent with previous work, participants continue to perceive television, a legacy media, as the most important source of information—both initially and throughout the event. This study also analyzed the extent to which information seeking, preparation behaviors and rumination tendencies may be related, drawing from recent work that has suggested that rumination tendencies may help explain sex differences in information seeking. Results suggested that those with higher rumination tendencies were more likely to perceive all sources of information as very important, with the exception of television, which was heavily relied upon by most participants. Rumination tendencies did not explain the variance in any of the three preparation behaviors examined. Overall, most participants had an emergency kit and an evacuation plan in place, while socioeconomic status positively predicted home preparation.