Experts break down key obstacles that hinder effective disaster response systems

Some communities leave marks on walls or stone structures showing how high floodwaters reached in the past — a stark reminder of previous disasters and a warning to remain vigilant. When flooding strikes, getting clear, timely alerts to people can be the difference between life and death, yet these messages often fall short.

With climate change driving more frequent and severe floods, the BBC explores what makes flood communication effective by speaking with disaster response experts.

When catastrophic flash floods swept across parts of Texas in 2025, questions quickly arose over whether the flood warnings had been sufficient. Although alerts were issued, some residents said they failed to grasp the severity of the threat.

Getting alerts to people in time to act is essential for saving lives and evacuating vulnerable areas. While warnings are only one part of disaster protection, ensuring that messages convey both the risks and the necessary actions is critical. Sometimes, effectiveness comes down to framing, says disaster communication specialist Keri Stephens, who has observed that some people respond more urgently to instructions about protecting their car than themselves.

Clear instructions

Crafting the right message can be especially tricky with floods. “We’re not taught how to react to floods,” says Stephens. “In the US, schools drill ‘stop, drop and roll’ for fires, but we don’t have equivalent drills for flood emergencies.”

Floods are the most common natural disaster globally, and their frequency is rising. From 1980 to 1999, there were 1,389 major floods worldwide; in the following two decades to 2019, that number nearly doubled.

In the US, the National Weather Service (NWS) issues six types of flood alerts, ranging from “flash flood watch” to “flood warning,” each indicating different risks and urgency levels.

These distinctions can confuse the public, says Joseph Trujillo-Falcón, a professor of climate and atmospheric sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “If people have to spend time figuring out what the alert even means, it delays protective action and reduces compliance. We need plain-language warnings that clearly describe the danger and tell people exactly what to do.”

Studies show flood warnings work best when they describe the hazard, pinpoint the location, and give specific, time-sensitive instructions. They also need to come from sources the public trusts.

Targeted messaging

In the US, men die in floods at significantly higher rates than women, according to a 60-year analysis of fatalities. Men are more likely to attempt driving through floodwaters and engage in other risky behaviours.

Stephens’ research in Texas indicates that the NWS slogan “Turn around, don’t drown” doesn’t strongly resonate with younger men.

Communication strategies should be adapted to different audiences, says Liz Saccoccia, a water security associate at the World Resources Institute in Washington DC. “Women, people with disabilities, older residents, those with low literacy, and those without access to phones or radio need different methods of outreach,” she explains.

Language barrier

A 2022 study found that the urgency of weather warnings can diminish when translated. Trujillo-Falcón points out that the US has a large multilingual population, with 67.8 million people speaking a language other than English at home — roughly one in five Americans. In states like Texas, with large Spanish-speaking communities, multilingual flood alerts can literally mean the difference between life and death.

Word of mouth

A 2021 review of flood alerts found that word-of-mouth warnings — such as door-to-door notifications — convey more urgency and authority, making people more likely to act. Overall, spoken warnings (face-to-face, radio, TV, or phone) tend to be more effective than sirens, text messages, websites, or social media.

Bangladesh, one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, has earned praise for its advanced, low-cost early warning system. It uses text alerts, radio broadcasts, and thousands of multi-purpose shelters, along with large numbers of volunteers who patrol streets with megaphones and go door-to-door to help people evacuate.

Ultimately, says Trujillo-Falcón, using multiple channels is vital. “I think the future of flood warning systems lies not just in official alerts, but in community-based communication,” he says. “Because in the end, we all have a role in protecting each other.”

By Nazrin Sadigova