Rachel Hogan Carr - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Rachel Hogan Carr

Weather, Climate, and Society

Communicating the threat of severe winter weather is not simply a matter of the number of inches ... more 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 ...

AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts, Dec 1, 2018

Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

Objetivos: Determinar las complicaciones que se presentan en el periodo preoperatorio, intraopera... more Objetivos: Determinar las complicaciones que se presentan en el periodo preoperatorio, intraoperatorio y postoperatorio de los pacientes operados de aneurisma cerebral roto en el Hospital Sabogal de 2006 a 2014. Estudio cuantitativo, observacional, descriptivo, transversal y retrospectivo. Métodos: Se revisaron las historias clínicas de los pacientes operados (clipaje) de aneurisma cerebral roto, que reunían los criterios de inclusión. A través de gráficos, se muestra las complicaciones. Resultados: De 109 pacientes operados, se evaluaron 67 (61.46%) historias clínicas. Fueron 47 mujeres (70.14%) y 20 varones (29.85%), de 22 a 82 años de edad, 35 tenìan entre 45 y 65 años de edad (52.23%), 49.25% aneurismas de comunicante posterior, 29.85% aneurismas de cerebral media, 13.43% aneurismas de comunicante anterior, 24.37% vasoespasmo global, 7.46% hidrocefalia, 50.74% neumonía intrahospitalaria (NIH), 22.38% problemas del lenguaje y 35.82% (24 casos) fueron operados entre el 4 to y 10 mo día. Conclusión: Más mujeres que varones padecen de esta enfermedad. Complicaciones: prequirúrgico: resangrado (13.43%), vasoespasmo (22.38%), neumonía intrahospitalaria (10.44%); intraoperatorio: rotura del saco aneurismático (31.34%), disección difícil (53.73%); postoperatorio: isquemia cerebral tardía (26.86%), clipaje inadvertido de la arteria pericallosa o rama temporal y/o frontal de la cerebral media (7.46%), infarto cerebral distal (10.44%), neumonía intrahospitalaria 29 (43.28%), hemiparesia (25.37%), hemiplejia (11.94%), afasia, disartria (22.38%) y desorden hidroelectrolítico (85.07%). Recomendaciones: Proceder a cirugía entre el 4to y 10mo día, que son considerados días "prohibidos".

Journal of Extreme Events, 2021

In May 2020, the New York City (NYC) Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency (MOCR) began convening ... more In May 2020, the New York City (NYC) Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency (MOCR) began convening bi-weekly discussions, called the Rapid Research and Assessment (RRA) Series, between City staff and external experts in science, policy, design, engineering, communications, and planning. The goal was to rapidly develop authoritative, actionable information to help integrate resiliency into the City’s COVID response efforts. The situation in NYC is not uncommon. Extreme events often require government officials, practitioners, and citizens to call upon multiple forms of scientific and technical assistance from rapid data collection to expert elicitation, each spanning more or less involved engagement. We compare the RRA to similar rapid assessment efforts and reflect on the nature of the RRA and similar efforts to exchange and co-produce knowledge. The RRA took up topics on social cohesion, risk communication, resilient and healthy buildings, and engagement, in many cases strengthening ...

The next generation of STEM professionals needs to understand interconnections between human and ... more The next generation of STEM professionals needs to understand interconnections between human and Earth systems to be able to address complex, multifaceted, emerging global environmental issues. Interest in STEM fields and professions can begin in middle school. To educate and connect middle school students to Earth systems and STEM fields, we created an interactive Science on a Sphere Ⓡ (SOS) and arts-based program, called 6 Degrees of Connection. The program was developed through an iterative review process involving undergraduate interns, middle school students, and teachers. This program was tested alongside a traditional SOS program, assessed with formative and summative evaluations, and revised based on feedback from educator workshops and student questionnaires. Almost 800 6th-8th grade students from Baltimore, and rural and small urban Pennsylvania schools participated in the process, completing front end research and post-program surveys, in addition to an arts-based activit...

Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 2021

Uncertainty is everywhere and understanding how individuals understand and use forecast informati... more Uncertainty is everywhere and understanding how individuals understand and use forecast information to make decisions given varying levels of certainty is crucial for effectively communicating risks and weather hazards. To advance prior research about how various audiences use and understand probabilistic and deterministic hydrologic forecast information, a social science study involving multiple scenario-based focus groups and surveys at four locations (Eureka, California; Gunnison, Colorado; Durango, Colorado; Owego, New York) across the United States was conducted with professionals and residents. Focusing on the Hydrologic Ensemble Forecast System, the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service, and briefings, this research investigated how users tolerate divergence in probabilistic and deterministic forecasts and how deterministic and probabilistic river level forecasts can be presented simultaneously without causing confusion. This study found that probabilistic forecasts introduc...

Weather and Forecasting, 2018

When extreme river levels are possible in a community, effective communication of weather and hyd... more When extreme river levels are possible in a community, effective communication of weather and hydrologic forecasts is critical to protecting life and property. Residents, emergency personnel, and water resource managers need to make timely decisions about how and when to prepare. Uncertainty in forecasting is a critical component of this decision-making, but often poses a confounding factor for public and professional understanding of forecast products. A new suite of products from the National Weather Service’s Hydrologic Ensemble Forecast System (HEFS) provides short- and long-range forecasts, ranging from 6 h to 1 yr, and shows uncertainty in hydrologic forecasts. To understand how various audiences use and interpret ensemble forecasts showing a range of hydrologic forecast possibilities, a research project was conducted using scenario-based focus groups and surveys with community residents, emergency managers, and water resource managers in West Virginia and Maryland. The resear...

Weather, Climate, and Society, 2016

Coastal flood risk communication is most effective at motivating action when the medium and timin... more Coastal flood risk communication is most effective at motivating action when the medium and timing of delivery provide understandable information with clear directives when residents need it most. The U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) has many useful coastal flood forecast tools and products, but how and when this information is delivered are of critical importance. To assess how coastal residents understand and interpret NWS coastal flood products and the best mechanisms for delivery, five focus groups (including residents and emergency managers) in Monmouth and Ocean Counties in New Jersey were conducted. These focus groups employed a scenario-based approach that walked participants through the seven days leading up to Hurricane Sandy. Results support the use of emergency briefing packages as a preferred method for disseminating storm and flood risk information. However, changes to improve visual clarity, provide more succinct information, and localize messages must be undertake...

Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 2016

Given the constant bombardment of weather information in different formats and time frames with d... more Given the constant bombardment of weather information in different formats and time frames with different levels of certainty, how does an important message make an impact? For weather and river forecast offices, this is a pressing question given a likely future of increasing high-impact storm events. These offices need to quickly and effectively motivate public response to impending events such as flooding. Currently, communication of flood potential is accomplished through a suite of forecast and warning products, including river hydrographs, precipitation forecasts, and flood watches and warnings. Despite advances in forecast accuracy and lead time, people fail to respond to warnings and often suffer substantial damages and loss of property. To understand how the public uses and interprets National Weather Service (NWS) flood products, an extreme storm scenario was presented using NWS forecast products in a series of focus groups in the Delaware River basin (Pennsylvania–New Jers...

page 1 Part I: Introduction page 2 Part II: An Introduction to the Floodplain Management Communit... more page 1 Part I: Introduction page 2 Part II: An Introduction to the Floodplain Management Community ..... page 9 Part III: Developing a Theoretical Model for Flood Risk Preparedness.. page 16 Part IV: Analysis and Recommendations page 45 Part V: Conclusion page 106 Bibliography page 112 Appendix A: List of Acronyms page 124 Vita page 125