Notice2024-02658
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Tornado Watch/Warning Post-Event Evaluation
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
February 9, 2024
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 28 (Friday, February 9, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 28 (Friday, February 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9129-9130]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-02658]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Tornado Watch/Warning Post-Event Evaluation
AGENCY: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment
preceding submission of the collection to OMB.
DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed
information collection must be received on or before April 9, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3a74757b7b146a687b7a54555b5b145d554c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ace2e3eded82fcfeedecc2c3cdcd82cbc3da">[email protected]</span></a>. Please
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0797 in the subject line of your
comments. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise
sensitive or protected information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed
to Dr. Makenzie Krocak, Research Scientist, NOAA NSSL, 120 David L.
Boren Blvd., Norman, OK 73071, 405-325-0805, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cba6aaa0aea5b1a2aee5a0b9a4a8aaa08ba5a4aaaae5aca4bd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1f727e747a7165767a31746d707c7e745f71707e7e31787069">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
Each year over 1,000 tornadoes affect communities across the United
States, yet little is known about how individuals receive, interpret,
and respond to information from NOAA relating to this hazard. In fact,
only a small sample of tornadoes ever receive study, and most often
those are only the most violent tornadoes. No generalizable, or even
relatively large-scale information on tornado forecast and warning
response after real-world events exists. The NOAA National Weather
Service (NWS) and National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) designed the
data collection instrument to allow for more routine collection of this
information. Respondents include members of the United States public
who have been in or near a tornado, received a tornado warning, or were
in or near a strong storm that made them concerned about tornadoes.
They answer questions about the ways they received, understood, and
responded to information about the event, including NWS watch and
warning information. This survey is delivered through a web application
hosted by NSSL called Tornado Tales, available online at <a href="https://inside.nssl.noaa.gov/tornado-tales/">https://inside.nssl.noaa.gov/tornado-tales/</a>.
After approval of our initial data collection instrument (that
shown on the website), the OU Cooperative Institute for Severe and
High-Impact Weather Research and Operations (CIWRO) and NOAA NSSL
Behavioral Insights Unit carried out post-event data collections for
multiple tornado events, validating the questions and identifying
issues for improvement. This fieldwork led to several needed
improvements, including the addition of questions about the event more
broadly, changing some response types, rephrasing some questions that
were interpreted too broadly, and including questions about efficacy
and the availability of forecast information to individuals. While the
revisions have added questions to the survey, their improved clarity
should allow for faster response times per question. We estimate the
time to complete the survey is five to ten minutes on average. Subject
recruitment will primarily be done by NOAA NSSL and its partners
advertising the survey via websites and social media outlets. In
addition to these efforts, there is also the possibility that during
post-storm damage assessment activities NWS forecasters may direct
impacted individuals to the Tornado Tales website.
In addition to the changes to the survey instrument, researchers at
NOAA NSSL and at the OU CIWRO Behavioral Insights Unit would like to
conduct interviews with emergency managers, broadcast meteorologists,
and members of the public after certain tornado events. These more in-
depth interviews will collect similar information to the survey
instrument from members of the public, broadcast meteorologists, and
Emergency Management personnel who recently experienced a tornado
event. The interviews will walk respondents through a timeline of
events leading up to the tornado event. Researchers will use a skip-
logic approach, meaning participants will only answer questions about
the time periods relevant to their personal experience. The purpose of
these interviews will be to more thoroughly explore how residents,
broadcast meteorologists, and Emergency Managers received, understood,
and responded to tornado forecasts and warnings. Given the in-person
nature of these interviews, we expect them to take between 15 and 30
minutes on average.
II. Method of Collection
The method of data collection currently gathers tornado survivor
stories through a web-based interface (<a href="https://inside.nssl.noaa.gov/tornado-tales">https://inside.nssl.noaa.gov/tornado-tales</a>). Specific questions in the web-based application are
aimed at discovering whether and how information about potential
tornado threats was received across time, including tornado watches and
warnings, and what action citizens did or did not take as the event
unfolded. We use a `skip-logic' method in the survey so that
individuals only answer questions that are relevant to their
experiences.
The interviews will be conducted in-person or via video call with
individuals who recently experienced a tornado event. Researchers will
also use a skip-logic approach during the interviews such that
respondents will not be asked questions that are not relevant to their
experience (i.e., questions about time periods before respondents
received any forecast or warning information). Consent will be obtained
to take notes and record the interviews.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648-0797.
Form Number(s): None.
[[Page 9130]]
Type of Review: Revision.
Affected Public: Individuals or households.
Estimated Number of Respondents: survey: 1,200, interviews: 50.
Estimated Time per Response: survey: 5-10 minutes, interviews: 15-
30 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: survey: 200 hours, interviews:
25 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: None.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Legal Authority:
IV. Request for Comments
We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2024-02658 Filed 2-8-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-KE-P
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