Strengthening Disaster Workforce Communication: A Focus on the Latino Community in Hillsborough County, Florida

Vulnerable populations, particularly non-English speaking communities, face disproportionate challenges during disasters. In Hillsborough County, Florida, 19% of residents are proficient Spanish speakers, underscoring the need for inclusive emergency strategies. This study explores communication barriers, especially those related to language, identified during World Café discussions on emergency preparedness and response within the Hillsborough County community. Racial minority groups are less likely to have an emergency evacuation plan. Meanwhile, Florida state law does not address multilingual emergency communications. Providing Spanish-language training to first responders has the potential to reduce institutional distrust and misinformation within Latino communities, enhance the effectiveness of emergency communication strategies, and mitigate post-disaster impacts on linguistically vulnerable populations. This study involves conducting a literature review and the use of the World Café Method to gather qualitative data from community leaders who responded to Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Participants expressed their ideas through semi-structured small group discussions, mind maps, and reflections on note cards, which were coded and analyzed by the research team. Analysis reveals that, beyond the relatively small number of Spanish speakers in the county, a significant communication gap exists between responder agencies and the Spanish-speaking community due to language barriers. The findings suggest that providing Spanish-language training for community agencies active in disasters can reduce institutional distrust, improve emergency communication strategies, and mitigate post-disaster impacts on linguistically vulnerable Latino communities. At the same time, additional training helps foster community building and address communication barriers through a stronger support network.

The Weather Climate and Society REU program invited 10 students from across the US to conduct research projects related to disaster-vulnerable communities in Florida and other extreme weather-affected areas. These projects were interdisciplinary, integrating social science and physical science aspects of severe weather, climate, and related disasters through field work, interviews, and/or spatial analysis of secondary data in GIS. The PI of this REU is Dr. Jennifer Collins.