A Content Analysis of The Messaging by the Governor Surrounding Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma

A Content Analysis of The Messaging by the Governor Surrounding Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma Abstract Natural disasters are a growing concern in the United States as their impacts have the potential to affect millions of Americans. This paper evaluates the video messaging of the incident commanders during Hurricane Harvey and Irma based on four criteria: (1) message appeals, (2) information cues, (3) safety claims and (4) communication of risk reduction behaviors. This is important as the role of the Governor as the Incident Commander was greater this past hurricane season than ever before in the past. This provides a great opportunity to explore this new role in more depth and examine what was being communicated and when and to whom. Using YouTube as a medium to obtain old statements provided by the Governors, this study will examine the timeframe and content of the messages and compare them against one another