Tips in Natural Disaster Crisis Management

When Hurricane Katrina occurred, the United States was dumbstruck. We were not prepared for such a large crisis and as a result, hundreds of thousands of people were left without homes for long periods of time. People panicked: crime spiked, stores were burglarized, people were stranded, and illness broke out. The biggest issue was where to put all of the people. Some residents had to be relocated to FEMA trailers, and even those were hard to come by immediately following the hurricane. Most had to leave their homes of many years and move to other states, or move in with friends and family. As a country, we swore to never be so unprepared again.

Now, Japan has suffered an unfortunate natural disaster as well as a nuclear tragedy. From our prior experiences with natural disaster crisis management, we are able to use the current situation in Japan as an educational tool.

Ragan.com PR specialist Tripp Frohlichstein has spent the past 10 years consulting employees from Ameren Nuclear Plant in appropriate disaster etiquette. The Ameren employees were doubtful these tactics would ever need to be used, as we all hope, but the issues with the nuclear plant in Japan make us alert.

1. Be honest: “Honesty is the best policy.” When there are conflicting reports between different media sources, the public goes into panic mode. Yes, ideally you want to avoid distressing the public, however the most important goal is the safety of the people. Withheld information, if it leaks, will damage credibility.
2. Be proactive: Get information out as quickly and as often as possible. Use social media to guarantee fast communication.
3. Have an effective internal flow of information: Consistency is key. Appoint a single spokesperson to speak to the public and employees to make sure that there are no discrepancies in information.
4. Use plain talk: Using unnecessarily complex words should be avoided. Make sure to speak in a clear, concise way so that the entire public will be able to understand, not just nuclear scientists.
5. Practice: Without it, we will be left unprepared if a crisis does occur. This aided Ameren in developing better communication skills, broadcasting the most vital information, and remaining on good terms with the public.

As you keep these tips in mind, do you think Japan is adequately communicating with the public?

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member and PRSSA External Communications Committee member Marianna Morris.