Weathering the Storm with Resident Feedback Data

As cities and counties around the country deal with severe weather, Zencity is here to help. Click the weather icons to reveal the data insights we provided to our partners based on their residents' organic feedback.

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West Coast (10)

california

Fire

September 3, 2020

Fire

August 27, 2020

Fire

August 26, 2020

Fire

August 26, 2020

Fire

August 24, 2020

Fire

August 20, 2020

Fire

September 15, 2020

Fire

September 22, 2020

Bobcat Fire

September 24, 2020

Fire

August 27, 2020

Mountain Plains (4)

texas

Hurricane Hannah

August 6, 2020

Hurricane

September 24, 2020

Hurricanes Laura and Marco

August 26, 2020

Flood

June 11, 2020

Midwest (3)

iowa

Storm

August 27, 2020

Storm

September 9, 2020

illinois

Storm

August 12, 2020

Southeast (11)

north-carolina

Hurricane Isaias

August 5, 2020

louisiana

Storm

July 29, 2020

Thunderstorm Sally

September 23, 2020

mississippi

Hurricanes Laura and Marco

September 3, 2020

Hurricane Sally

October 1, 2020

Hurricane Zeta

November 10, 2020

florida

Hurricane Dorian

September 18, 2019

Flood

October 6, 2020

georgia

Hurricane

September 29, 2020

Hurricane Dorian

September 3, 2019

Tornado

October 20, 2020

Northeast (1)

massachusetts

Flood

July 1, 2020

Legend:

Tornado

Storm

Hurricane

Flood

Fire

Thank you!

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West Coast (1/6)

Zencity insight

California

fire

Though discourse about the LNU Lightning Complex Fires dropped by 37% in this California city, residents were still engaging with updates. Zencity data showed that the discourse had shifted to focus on displays of solidarity and support by the community.

September 3, 2020

SCORE OVER TIME

LNU Lightning Complex Fires: Discourse volume gradually drops and positive sentiment increases, mostly as a result of displays of solidarity and expressions of gratitude

As noted in the previous insight, interest in the LNU Lightning Complex fires was very high, making up most of the discourse in the city. In the days since (August 21 – September 2), volume discourse gradually dropped.

108,956 interactions about this issue were recorded during this time period. While the issue was still a central topic of discussion in the city, discourse volume dropped by 37% in the past week and a half.

Alongside a drop in volume, positive sentiment actually increased – from 5% to 20%. This spike in positive sentiment around the fires was the result of displays and solidarity and support by the community – extended to firefighters as well as to those affected by the fires. In addition, positive sentiment was inspired by appreciation and gratitude for the tireless efforts of the city’s first responders and city crews.

Overall, while residents are still engaged and are keeping updated on the fires, the discourse is shifting to focus on the community, specifically on the strength of the community in coming together to recover.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

California

fire

When major fires spread in this California county, its team was constantly providing updates and instructions on multiple channels. Data revealed that residents were voicing issues regarding the County’s website, the frequency of updates, and questions about returning home. This showed the County exactly where their response was needed.

August 27, 2020

EVACUATIONS - QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ON OFFICIAL CHANNELS

Recent fires: while residents appreciate first responders' hard work to keep them safe, comments on official county updates reveal confusion

Over the past ten days, discourse about fires elicited over 30K interactions, accounting for half of the county’s discourse.

Most of the conversations focused on evacuations (62%), with official sources comprising 51% of this topic’s discourse.

Here are the main takeaways from resident discussions on official channels:

The sheriff’s Facebook page was the leading source in communicating about evacuations, eliciting 86% of the official discourse.
Shares comprised 32% of the interactions, reflecting an urgency to inform others.
Likes comprised 29% of the discourse, suggesting that residents appreciated the updates.
30% of the discourse was explicitly positive, reflecting comments thanking first responders for their work to keep residents safe.
A small share of negative sentiment (5%) mostly reflects comments expressing fear or sadness. Also, some commenters suspected that campers or homeless individuals started the fire.

While the response was overall thankful, an analysis of the comments reveals some confusion about official updates and notifications:

Many commenters complained about the website and map (96 interactions). Commenters claimed they were not “user friendly”: website is “too busy”, hard to find information, the interface is bad on mobile. Also, some claimed that the website and map updates should have been more frequent.
Some commenters directly stated they did not receive proper updates and alerts, claiming they should have been more frequent, clear, and detailed (43 interactions).
A few commenters raised questions about areas that were evacuated, stating they are confused about whether they can return home (11 interactions).

The analysis suggests that more frequent updates on social media, especially by the sheriff’s Facebook page, would be highly appreciated. Also, it may be advised to post an additional reminder about the use of the county app for notifications.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

California

fire

Analyzing residents’ negative interactions surrounding major fires in this California city revealed that evacuation orders were not clear, the city map was too blurry, and that updates should be more frequent, clear and detailed.

August 26, 2020

EVACUATIONS - QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ON OFFICIAL CHANNELS

Recent fires: while residents appreciate first responders' hard work to keep them safe, comments on official city updates reveal confusion

Over the past week, discourse about fires elicited over 43.5K interactions, dominating the city’s discourse (77% of the total conversations).

More than half of the conversations focused on evacuations (64%), with official sources comprising 37% of this topic’s discourse.

Here are the main takeaways from resident discussions on official channels:

The police account was the leading source in communicating about evacuations, eliciting 71% of the official discourse.
Shares comprised 36% of the interactions, reflecting an urgency to inform others.
Likes comprised 27% of the discourse, suggesting that residents welcomed the updates.
15% of the discourse was explicitly positive, reflecting gratitude for first responders’ work to keep residents safe.
A small share of negative sentiment (5%) mostly reflects concerns for loved ones and frustration about recurring fires each year.

While response was overall thankful, an analysis of the comments reveals substantial confusion about official updates and notifications:

Many commenters raised questions regarding specific areas, suggesting that evacuation orders were not clear (139 interactions).
Some commenters complained about the map not being clear (59 interactions), either because it was too blurry when zooming in or due to lack of clear lines separating areas of mandatory and advisory orders. Also, a few commenters claimed that the map updates should have been more frequent.
Some commenters directly stated they did not receive proper updates, claiming they should have been more frequent, clear, and detailed (56 interactions).

The analysis suggests that more frequent updates on social media, especially by the police accounts, would be highly appreciated. Also, it may be advised to post an additional reminder about the use of the city app for notifications.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

California

fire

60% of fire-related conversations in this California city were about air quality, with residents debating air quality reports amongst different weather apps. Zencity’s data showed that official city messaging on the matter seemed to ease this confusion.

August 26, 2020

FIRES - DISCOURSE BREAKDOWN

Analysis of discourse on recent fires shows that the effect on air quality was a top concern; official communications seemed to ease initial confusion about air quality measures

Over the past week, conversations regarding fires elicited 1,998 interactions, comprising 10% of the total city discourse from August 18-26.

Notably, most of the conversations (60%) were focused on the effects of the fires such as smoke and air quality:

Analysis shows that initially, there was some confusion about measures of air quality, as commenters shared with each other data from different apps containing contradicting reports.
Official city messaging regarding air quality seemed to alleviate this issue, evident by a lack of continued questions or confused comments. Therefore, it may be effective to communicate not only air quality data but also inform residents on the type of sources or apps that are reliable.
Heavy smoke also raised some inquiries about whether there are fires within city borders. While these inquiries were minimal and resolved rather quickly, they raised questions regarding the evacuation guidelines in case of evacuation orders for the city.

Much of the remaining discourse was comprised of shares of posts about the fire (29%), reflecting a sense of urgency to inform others about the developing events.

The response to fire updates indicates that effects on air quality were residents’ top concern. While official communications on this topic seemed to ease confusion, it may be advised to further communicate reliable data about air quality, and clarifications on fire locations and guidelines in case evacuations are required.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

California

fire

Data showed this California city which channels were most effective for emergency communications regarding the LNU Lightning Complex fires; the fire department was the leading official source, and the County’s channels were the leading external sources.

August 24, 2020

LNU Lightning Complex Fires - Popular Words on Official vs Unofficial Channels

LNU Lightning Complex fires: while discourse on official channels was comprised of expressions of community appreciation toward the City's fire department, conversations on unofficial channels focused on the evacuation orders

Over the past week, conversations regarding fires were the main focus of residents’ conversations – as the LNU Lighting Complex Fires accounted for 67% of all conversations in the city.

Notably, 42% of the conversations were in response to official communications. The main takeaways from an analysis of these conversations are as follows:

The fire department was the leading source in communicating about fires, with updates eliciting 76% of the official discourse.
Likes comprised 40% of the discourse, suggesting that residents appreciated the clear and frequent updates.
Shares comprised 22% of conversations, reflecting residents’ need to distribute the updates.
A large part of the discourse was explicitly positive (51%), reflecting comments thanking the fire department for keeping them safe.
There was a 6% negative sentiment among the discourse, mostly reflecting frustration with the fact that fires occur in the same location each year. Also, some commenters were upset by the FD staff shortage and the governor’s cut in Cal Fire’s budget. Finally, few commenters expressed concerns about the effects of the smoke.

While the discourse on official channels contained mostly expressions of appreciation by the community, the conversations on unofficial channels focused on evacuations:

The leading sources among unofficial channels were county sources (63% of the discourse).
Shares comprised 46% of conversations, indicating a sense of urgency to inform others about the regional updates.
The share of positive and negative sentiment was similar – 8% each. While the positive sentiment reflects comments thanking the first responders, the school district, and each other for their care, the negative sentiment reflects sadness, fear, and anxiety regarding the evacuations.

It should also be noted that Zencity’s analysis of discourse in cities that issued evacuation orders for their residents identified the following issues in need of consideration:

Alignment between cell notifications and online maps;
Verifying that the alert system notifies all of the residents in areas that are ordered to evacuate, even during a power outage;
Ensuring that the meaning of marks on maps are clear and that it is easy to understand which areas are shown as one that needs to evacuate, including a distinction between mandatory and advisory evacuations;

Overall, the response to official updates regarding the fires indicates that despite some concerns, residents are expressing a calm reaction and high trust in the local fire department. In comparison, the response on unofficial channels – reflecting a more regional discourse – indicates higher concerns and some confusion about evacuation orders.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

California

fire

Early into the LNU Lightning Complex Fires, Zencity’s data identified issues with one California city’s emergency communications including problems with notifications, unclear maps and confusing messages.

August 20, 2020

SENTIMENT OVERVIEW (OFFICIAL SOURCES)

Notably, Zencity’s analysis identified concerns about alerts and maps:

Misalignment between cell notifications and online maps;
The alert system did not notify some of the residents in areas that were ordered to evict, some suggested that this is due to an outage;
Residents received error messages in response to their phone alert, so they did not know where to evict;
Confusion about the meaning of marks on maps and which areas exactly it show to evacuate;
Some did not understand whether the online maps show mandatory or advisory evacuations.

LNU Lightning Complex Fires: Residents exhibit a relatively calm reaction in response to official updates about evacuations; some concerns about the functionality and accuracy of alerts and maps were identified

Over the past couple of days, the LNU Lightning Complex fires generated a considerable increase in the city discourse. Between August 18-20, the volume of the city’s total discourse was 38X higher than the average in the last week and a half (August 8-17). The fires were virtually the sole topic of interest among residents, with evacuations of city areas as the main issue.

The City’s official sources generated 20% of the discourse about evacuations. Here are the main takeaways from the resident discourse on official channels:

The police department was the leading source in communicating updates about evacuation orders, with updates eliciting 90% of the official discourse.
Shares comprised 43% of conversations, indicating an urgency to inform as many people as possible about the updates.
Likes comprised 20% of the discourse, suggesting that residents appreciated the updates.
5% of the discourse was explicitly positive, reflecting gratitude for keeping residents informed, and the police and fire departments’ hard work to keep residents safe.
There was 5% negative sentiment among the discourse, mostly reflecting concerns about the evacuation of the prison and inmates’ well-being. Anxiety and concern about loved ones was prevalent among the negative comments as well.

Notably, Zencity’s analysis identified concerns about alerts and maps:

Misalignment between cell notifications and online maps;
The alert system did not notify some of the residents in areas that were ordered to evict, some suggested that this is due to an outage;
Residents received error messages in response to their phone alert, so they did not know whether to evict;
Confusion about the meaning of marks on maps and which areas exactly it shows to evacuate;
Some did not understand whether the online maps show mandatory or advisory evacuations.

Overall, the resident response to evacuation updates indicates that despite some anxiety and confusion, residents are expressing a calm reaction. This is supported by the high neutral sentiment, as well as likes and shares, indicating that residents are staying informed.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

California

fire

As resident conversations around clean air centers spiked in this California city, Zencity’s analysis revealed that the City’s official channels were residents’ main source of information on the topic and that communication was overall well received.

September 15, 2020

CLEAN AIR CENTERS - DISCOURSE BREAKDOWN BY SOURCE

Clean air centers: official sources were the main driver of discourse, with no questions or concerns raised by residents. Official communication was also crucial for informing residents about clean air centers for the unhoused.

During the weekend, conversations about air quality elicited almost 3K interactions – 21% higher than the entire discourse volume in the previous ten days.

Consequently, conversations about clean air centers also peaked this weekend, eliciting 600 interactions. an analysis of these conversations reveals the following:

Most of the discourse (54%) was in response to official posts made by the City’s official accounts or by the Mayor. These posts received over 250 likes and shares with only a handful of comments, indicating that information was clear. The few comments suggested opening churches and using them as clean air centers as well.
News articles about the centers comprised another 29% of the discourse. All of the discourse was comprised of likes and shares with no comments or concerns.
Notably, news outlets did not mention clean air centers for the unhoused. While posts about these centers comprised only 14% of the discourse, they had a relatively high reach – an average of 22 interactions per post, compared to an average of 18 interactions on posts about other centers.

The analysis suggests that residents appreciate the city’s updates on clean air centers and that the information was clear. The importance of official communication is demonstrated by the fact that official channels comprised most of the discourse, and offered information that was not posted by news outlets.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

California

fire

A data analysis for this California city detected the main themes in residents’ discussions about wildfires. 1/5 of related conversations referenced recent wildfires and heat waves due to climate change. In addition, many residents expressed concern about the impact of the crisis on vulnerable communities and unhoused people. The idea of expanding the City’s tree canopy was mostly supported, while the City’s Green New Deal was criticized for being inadequate.

September 22, 2020

MAIN THEMES IN THE DISCOURSE - WILDFIRES

Wildfires and Climate Change: A fifth of the discourse about the wildfires mentions climate change with a focus on vulnerable communities

Over the time period of September 1-21, the discourse in the city about the wildfires consisted of 367K interactions – 7% of all city-wide discourse.

18% of the discourse about the wildfires made direct reference to climate change (67.5K interactions). Most of the discussion asserted that there is a direct connection between the wildfires and heatwaves and climate change and that the climate crisis is here.

The following were additional themes emanating from the discourse:

Reference to the city’s homeless and impoverished communities in the context of the climate crisis was most prominent, generating 11K interactions. The conversation mentioned the uneven burden experienced by unhoused people and marginalized communities lacking access to adequate cooling technologies or stable shelter. Residents noted the impact of the climate crisis would be most acutely felt by this population, a problem requiring adequate response and protections by the City (in the context of current heat waves and fires, as well as future climate-related events).
The idea of expanding the city’s tree canopy and mitigating the heat in urban areas generated 4,758 interactions and was mostly supported.
The City’s Green New Deal generated 3,489 interactions, yet elicited high negative sentiment (28%) for not setting ambitious enough goals. Criticism was mostly leveled at the program’s inadequacy to provide proper solutions to combat climate change, with commenters expressing skepticism about its perceived limited effectiveness and scope.

In summary, about a fifth of the conversation about the wildfires and heatwaves referenced these events in relation to climate change. A prominent theme in the discussion was the impact of the climate crisis on the city’s most vulnerable communities and communities of color. In terms of proposed solutions, the tree canopy idea elicited slightly more attention and support, while the City’s Green New Deal was criticized for being inadequate to address the gravity of the situation.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

California

fire

For this California city a data source analysis revealed that the City’s instagram page was the leading official source in driving resident engagement regarding the Bobcat fire and was highly effective in keeping residents informed.

September 24, 2020

WILDFIRES: DISCOURSE DISTRIBUTION ON OFFICIAL PAGES (BY SOCIAL NETWORK)

#BobcatFire: The City's Instagram page generated a majority of the engagement compared to other official pages, suggesting it is where residents were most attentive to City updates

Since September 6th, the Bobcat Fire elicited nearly 80K interactions which comprised 30% of the city discourse.

Official updates and messaging comprised 23% of the overall discourse about the wildfire. Sentiment on official messaging was 98% neutral, suggesting a relatively calm response by residents. No significant concerns or needs were found among resident comments regarding alerts or information shared by the City.

Zencity conducted an analysis of resident engagement with the City regarding the wildfire:

The City’s Instagram page was the most popular form of engagement, comprising 75% of the discourse on official channels. Engagement on Instagram was mainly in the form of Likes and limited commentary, suggesting that it is a channel that residents use to stay informed with City updates.
Twitter followed in volume and comprised 19% of official conversations. Unlike other platforms, on Twitter some residents initiated engagement with the City themselves (by tagging it in their post), including some criticism that not enough information was disseminated by the City. It is important to note that such criticism comprised less than 1% of the overall discourse on official pages and does not seem to represent widespread concerns.
Finally, the City’s Facebook page received the least engagement, and only accounted for 7% of the official discourse. Nevertheless, Shares were the most widespread on this platform and accounted for 32% of the engagement on the City’s Facebook page.

Overall, messaging on Instagram was the most effective in engaging residents on updates regarding the Bobcat Fire.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

California

fire

During the August wildfires, a popular words analysis for this California city indicated that residents were relatively calm and positive. Leading the discourse was a sense of gratitude towards the police department for their assistance to neighboring cities.

August 27, 2020

DISCOURSE ABOUT THE FIRES ON OFFICIAL CHANNELS - POPULAR WORDS

Response to the fires on official channels indicates a calm response; most conversations were driven by the PD, as residents expressed appreciation and pride in their efforts to assist neighboring cities

Over the past ten days, conversations about fires elicited over 32K interactions, comprising 14% of the total city discourse (August 17-27).

Notably, the response to posts by official sources accounted for 14% of the discourse on the topic. The main takeaways from resident discussions on official channels are as follows:

Police accounts were the leading source for communication about the fires, eliciting 87% of the official discourse.
Likes comprised 61% of the discourse, suggesting that residents highly appreciated the updates.
Shares comprised 10%, reflecting a need to inform others about the developing events.
21% of the discourse was explicitly positive, reflecting comments thanking the PD for assisting first responders in neighboring cities.
A small amount of negative sentiment (2%) did not reflect any common themes, but rather anecdotal comments about the governor or the mayor.
Official posts about the city’s cleaner air centers elicited 8% of the discourse, comprised mostly of likes and shares.

It should be noted that there were also many mentions of air quality and ash on unofficial channels, yet it seems that residents simply acknowledged the topic rather than raise substantial concerns. This is evident by a relatively small amount of negative sentiment (11%), which mostly reflects debates about the effectiveness of masks.

Overall, discourse about the fires on official channels indicates a calm response – as reflected by both low negative sentiment and relatively low interest in cleaner air centers. The most prominent theme was an appreciation for the the PD’s efforts to assist neighboring cities.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

Texas

hurricane

Updates by this Texas city during Hurricane Hanna received a mostly positive reaction. However, data showed that some residents were expressing dissatisfaction with the update frequency of the city map and the lack of response to calls.

August 6, 2020

OFFICIAL CHANNELS DISCOURSE - POPULAR WORDS

Residents reactions to the City's updates during Hurricane Hanna manifest the importance of real-time information on road closures, and residents' great appreciation for the City's service crews

Hurricane Hanna and the subsequent flooding generated in total 31K interactions, comprising 10% of citywide discourse (July 23 – August 5). These conversations included both general updates about the storm as well as discourse about flooding and drainage issues.

25% of all flooding-related discourse was generated by the City’s official posts. Residents primarily used these platforms to show appreciation towards the City, and highlight and the importance of real-time information:

11% of the interactions on official sources were positive, compared to just 3% negative. Supportive feedback was mostly driven by the updates about the service crews’ work as residents expressed their gratitude and appreciation.
The most popular post, which was intensively shared by residents (over 600 shares), included an informative list of all the road closures and power outages in the city. This corresponds with many commenters who used the online platform to ask their community about the road conditions in different parts of the city.
Notably, on official channels, people expressed dissatisfaction with the update frequency of the city map or the lack of response to calls.

At the same time on unofficial channels – which comprised the majority of discourse – people used these platforms to express criticism over the city’s drainage infrastructure condition. A dominant theme was a reference to the perceived misuse of the City’s budget to fix the drainage issues.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

Texas

hurricane

For this Texas county experiencing hurricane season, a data analysis highlighted what residents were mainly concerned with. However, a deeper dive into the data also revealed that residents were relying mostly on their local municipalities for information, rather than the County.

September 24, 2020

MAIN ISSUES OF DISCUSSION - HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS

Discourse about hurricanes and tropical storms increases over the past week; Sandbags distribution is prominent in the discourse and elicits residents’ help in spreading the word

Since the beginning of September, the discourse about hurricanes and tropical storms in the County consisted of 14,113 interactions (September 1-23). We note that this is slightly higher discourse volume than in August (12,452 interactions).

A significant aspect of the discourse during this past week was sandbags distribution (3,371 interactions). The issue of sandbags distribution was the most talked-about aspect of the general hurricane and tropical storms conversation.

Additional issues that made up the hurricane-related discourse were possible coastal flooding (2,621 interactions) and, to a lesser extent, beach closures (1,124 interactions).

The discourse around sandbag distribution was mostly driven by the Cities in the county and local news, with official County communications accounting for 7% of the discourse around sandbags. This suggests that residents in the county were more likely to engage with their municipality on this issue and were less reliant on information and distribution from the County itself.

Sentiment around the sandbag distribution was almost entirely neutral (95%) and consisted primarily of “shares” and comments tagging individuals. This indicates a strong urge by residents to disseminate this information further and means that residents were instrumental in improving outreach.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

Texas

hurricane

In one Texas city, data showed that local media outlets were residents’ main source of information regarding tropical storms Laura and Marco, (80% of the discourse). Therefore, these were the outlets that the City needed to stay on top of to ensure the right messages were reaching its community.

August 26, 2020

TS LAURA AND MARCO - DATA SOURCE BREAKDOWN

Residents express interest in following information on the impending storms, while notably moderate and calm in their response; news media is the dominant source of information and updates but helps increase reach of City’s communications

Over the past week (August 20-26), tropical storms Laura and Marco were the most discussed issue in the city – generating 310K interactions and comprising 35% of the discourse in the city.

While residents were highly engaged in conversations about the impending storms, sentiment was not a large factor in the discourse. Neutral sentiment made up 91% and consisted primarily of “shares”. This suggests that residents are eager to share information, yet there was no specific pain-point or cause for dissatisfaction that emanated from the discourse, as residents expressed a relatively moderate and even-handed response.

Official discourse accounted for just 8% of the conversation, meaning that the most prominent driver of conversation and provider of information on the situation was local media outlets (80% of the discourse). That being said, media reports also covered the Mayor’s news conference and shared other directives by the City. With the amplification provided by news media, the City’s information and guidance accounted for a fifth (21%) of the discourse overall.

In fact, the post that generated the most traction in the context of this topic was a post by a local news station sharing the Mayor’s request that roads be left as free as possible for evacuees. This post generated some opposition from people who wondered about how they are meant to get to work, indicating some confusion about the nature of the request (i.e., what constitutes a legitimate reason to travel, for example).

In summary, the discourse on tropical storms Laura and Marco suggests high interest and attention, combined with a moderate response. With news media being the dominant source of information and updates, it is worthwhile keeping track of whether it echoes the City’s information clearly, to avoid confusion and misunderstandings.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

Texas

flood

Severe flooding in one Texas city led to road closures. However, the data showed that resident discourse centered on sharing and “liking” the City’s road updates, not on criticizing city infrastructure, indicating the City’s communication strategy was valued and effective.

June 11, 2020

FLOODING AND DRAINAGE - SENTIMENT OVERVIEW

The recent flooding event did not generate high negative discourse, as residents focused on informing their fellow community members about road closures rather than criticizing the city's infrastructure

In the past two weeks, flooding and drainage issues were not the main concern of residents, since an incident during protests attracted unparalleled attention. However, conversations about the recent flooding amounted to 1,734 interactions, and the topic was highly discussed for the first time in a number months.

Notably, the reactions toward the announcement about road closures due to flooding were mostly neutral, comprised of many shares and some likes, indicating value for residents who found this informative and helpful. Additionally, 40% of the interactions were generated by the City’s official announcement and not by new reports, indicating the City’s centric role in notifying its residents.

Even though some commenters complained about the drainage infrastructure and lack of improvement, they comprised just 6% of the discourse, which is also an indication of residents’ high level of satisfaction.

To conclude, thus far, flooding in the city and the resulting road closures was not a significant source of conversation and sentiment. Residents found the information helpful and shared it onward, and did not complain in high numbers about the city’s infrastructure.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

Iowa

storm

During the week following a devastating derecho storm, resident discourse in this Iowa county was still heated. However, a topical data analysis revealed that residents’ priorities had shifted to focus on volunteer cleanup efforts and donations.

August 27, 2020

STORM MONITOR - POPULAR WORDS

Storm monitor: Over the last week, discourse related to the derecho shifts to volunteer relief efforts and appreciation for the decision to delay the start date for the school year

Conversations about the devastating derecho continue to dominate countywide discourse at 909 interactions over the last week, 20% of countywide discourse (August 20th – 26th), indicating that residents are still concerned with the storm’s aftermath.

During these past few days, however, discourse appears to have shifted toward two main areas of discussion:

Volunteer cleanup efforts and donations (75% of interactions) for those suffering from the storm’s impact. The County’s emergency management posts sharing emergency assistance resources drew 131 of those interactions with “shares” constituting 50% of them, indicating an urgency and need to spread this information.
School board’s approval of a later start date in light of the storm (12% of interactions). The response to this development was almost exclusively comprised of likes, indicating support for this action.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

Iowa

storm

A data insight for this Iowa city showed that 93% of discussions about a recent derecho storm took place on unofficial channels. This highlighted the importance of monitoring resident discourse on unofficial channels, and in particular Twitter, in order to detect needs and issues in the face of severe weather and in order to communicate with residents “where they are.”

September 9, 2020

DATA SOURCE DISTRIBUTION

During the storm and its immediate aftermath, residents overwhelmingly took to Twitter to post about damage and calls for help. Although official channels accounted for a minority of overall discourse, weeks later, residents continue to call on the city for help with cleanup and remaining debris.

Over the last month, discourse about severe weather and the derecho drew 341K interactions, 39% of discourse in the city, and by far the most discussed issue. The following is a breakdown of where residents communicated concerns about the storm.

Twitter was by far the most popular platform on which residents discussed the storm and its impact accounting for 60% of total discourse, in particular during the storm and its immediate aftermath. Many residents took to Twitter to post photos of damage, and discussions about those in need amounted to 8,261 interactions.

News outlets accounted for 32% of discourse about the storm. The most popular post was from the Facebook account of a local publication (6K interactions), describing the damage following the initial hit. In addition to conversations about donations and suffering local businesses, residents discussed the lack of adequate higher-level responses on these channels, including calls for the National Guard.

Official channels accounted for only 7% of conversations during the storm but were very engaged on official warnings and alerts, which were highly shared. On official posts, residents called on the city to help with fallen tree limbs and continued to raise grievances about debris and cleanup weeks after the storm.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

Illinois

storm

Residents’ conversations in this Illinois village mainly focused on storm alerts and efforts to clean up fallen trees. Specifically, many residents were using the Village’s social media pages to report fallen trees that needed to be removed.

August 12, 2020

STORM DISCOURSE BREAKDOWN

Following the recent severe weather, residents expressed appreciation for the Village's warnings and updates but were especially impressed by Public Works' clean up efforts in response to reports of fallen trees

The severe storm that descended on the village over the last few days generated 854 interactions, accounting for 24% of all village discourse (August 9th – 11th).

A breakdown of the online response to the storm reveals the following:

Storm Watch + Village Alerts | (429 interactions) The majority, 57%, of discourse was elicited by warnings and village alerts about the incoming storm mainly from the Village’s official Facebook account but also from it’s events Facebook page. Overall, the updates were useful and appreciated, as evidenced by the over 250 likes and shares.

Several comments stated that they had received an alert from the Village after the storm had passed, while others were appreciative of the Village’s alerts as they received them in time.
In addition, a debate broke out about whether or not it is safe to take shelter in cars.

Fallen Tree Reports & Cleanup | (356 interactions) 41% of conversations about the storm were related to the fallen trees and Public Works’ subsequent cleanup efforts. A shout out to the Public Works department for their quick and efficient response on the Village’s event Facebook page, revealed residents’ appreciation (reflected by 13% positive sentiment and only 1% negative sentiment as well as 250 likes). Some used this platform to post photos of fallen trees and requested that the Village removes them.

Reports of power outages comprised 6% of the discourse and took place mainly on Twitter and in response to an article by a local publication (58 interactions).

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

North Carolina

hurricane

As Hurricane Isaias approached this North Carolina town, Zencity data showed that residents were not sharing their concerns directly with the Town. Rather, monitoring local media channels was crucial if the Town wanted to understand residents’ concerns

August 5, 2020

SOCIAL MEDIA SOURCES

As Hurricane Isaias approached, residents took to news outlets and Twitter to express concerns about the storm and document damage. Whereas official town sources were used mainly to express appreciation and pride for the Town’s proactive assistance to coastal communities

As hurricane Isaias has made its way towards North Carolina, conversations about its impact in the town have generated 2,557 interactions, 27% of the town’s discourse (July 30th – August 4th).

46% of all storm-related discourse took place on the Town’s official channels; however, residents primarily used these platforms to show appreciation for mitigation efforts.

Whereas on unofficial channels – which comprised the majority of discourse, 54%, residents expressed their specific concerns and posted on the ground impact of Hurricane Isaias.

The following is an in-depth breakdown of data sources and communication channels wherein residents were most communicative:

A local news outlet was the main channel of communication for residents about the storm, comprising 32% of discourse, driven by reports of thousands of power outages in the county. In the early morning of August 4th, comments expressed surprise that residents were experiencing power outages already as it appears they were not expecting the storm to break ground so quickly. There were 274 posts about the power outages, which was more than all other online information about the storm combined.

30% of conversations were generated by the Fire Department, which updated about the Water Rescue Team’s deployment to help first-hit coastal NC communities. Reactions to the department’s posts made up much of the positive sentiment as residents were proud and appreciative of the swift action taken to help neighboring cities in distress.

Twitter mentions of the town and Hurricane Isias comprised 17% of discourse – tweets thanked the town’s Water Rescue team (reflected by the 29% positive sentiment) and posted pictures of storm damage.
The Town’s official Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts drove 15% of discourse. PSAs educating residents on what to do before and during the storm were appreciated and well-received.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

Louisiana

storm

This Louisiana city’s announcement about an increase in flood insurance, just days after discussing storm preparedness, was spiking negative discourse in the community.

July 29, 2020

Conversations about Extreme Weather on Official Channels (Score Over Time)

While residents are supportive of the City's immediate preparedness to the latest extreme weather event, some call for better planning to prevent floods

Over the past week, conversations about extreme weather and the heavy rain amounted to 350 interactions which comprised 8% of the city discourse (July 22-29).

An analysis of these conversations on official sources reveals that while residents are supportive of the City’s messaging on storm preparedness, they did not appreciate the announcement about an increase in flood insurance rates.

Between July 23-27, the Mayor and City’s posts, declaring the City is prepared for heavy rain and calling residents to drive safely were met with support, as indicated by the 95% positive-neutral sentiment, mostly comprised of “likes” and “loves”.

Alternatively, in response to yesterday’s live City Council meeting, a few residents expressed dissatisfaction about the increase in flood insurance rates, and blamed the City’s planning and drainage system for floods (July 28-29, 73% negative sentiment).

Thus, it seems that while residents appreciated the City’s immediate preparedness to the recent storm, some did not appreciate an increase in payments for flood insurance and called the City to improve planning to prevent floods.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

Louisiana

storm

With thunderstorm Sally well on its way, in this Louisiana city over 88% of resident discourse took place on official city channels. Residents were heavily relying on the City for updates on storm preparedness and sandbag locations in particular. Data also revealed that blocked ditches and drains are a pain point for residents in the City’s storm preparedness.

September 23, 2020

DISCOURSE DISTRIBUTION BY SOURCE

Sandbag Locations: High resident engagement on City official channels indicates its centrality in storm preparedness; Ditches and drain maintenance arise as a pain point

Announcements of sandbag locations were one of the main issues discussed within conversations about preparedness to TS Sally and comprised 15% of the discourse about the storm (September 10-23).

Our data source analysis reveals that even though both the City and Parish offered sandbag locations, residents mainly engaged with the City on the issue (88% of the discourse occurred on official channels). This is telling of residents’ reliance on the City for storm preparedness.

Overall, the resident response was satisfied, as 43% of the discourse was comprised of Likes and appreciative comments. Furthermore, Shares accounted for another 36%, indicating that residents were eager to spread the information and reach anyone in need.

Notably, an analysis of the commentary reveals ditches and drainage as a pain point in storm preparedness (47 interaction). Concerns that flooding will occur due to blocked ditches or drains were the main driver of the limited negative sentiment on this issue, with some expressing that they have been waiting months for City crews to repair the ditch.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

Mississippi

hurricane

In this Mississippi county, the most engaging information sources about hurricanes Marco and Laura were the communities' official pages, the County's school district page, and news outlets, highlighting the importance of cross-departmental and cross-industry collaboration to ensure cohesive messaging and to "meet residents where they're at".

September 3, 2020

Tropical Storms - Breakdown of Local Discourse by Source

Local conversations about the recent hurricanes occurred mostly on unofficial channels; Nevertheless, County official channels led the discourse about preparation guidelines

During the past two weeks, conversations about tropical hurricanes Marco and Laura elicited over 16K interactions, of which 60% were made on local channels (the local communities and County’s social media accounts, as well as local news and organizations).

An analysis of the conversations on local channels reveals the following:

23% of the discourse was in response to posts by local communities’ official channels.

These conversations focused on harbors evacuation and storm watches, and to a lesser extent on collecting donations for storm victims in neighboring states and preparation guidelines.
Residents responded to all of these topics in a calm manner, as evident by the fact they did not raise questions or concerns in the comments.

Two posts by the School District comprised an additional 23% of the discourse.

Most of the interactions (80%) were “likes” and “shares”, reflecting a sense of urgency to spread the update and inform others about school closing. This is also evident by hundreds of comments tagging others.
It seems that this information was well-received, as there were no negative comments expressing concerns or complaints.

News reports comprised 22% of the discourse.

Similar to the response to the school district’s update, most of the interactions comprised of likes, shares, and people tagging others in the comments – indicating a need to spread the information.

Official County channels comprised 10% of the discourse.

The most popular posts were about the County’s law enforcement teams heading to Louisiana to assist local departments.
The County’s posts about preparation guidelines also attracted substantial attention – exactly 2X more interactions than the cities’ posts on this topic. There were only a handful of questions raised in the comments, indicating the information was clear.
However, the County’s storm watches attracted 4X lower discourse volume compared to the cities’ watches.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

Mississippi

hurricane

A Zencity analysis of resident conversations around Hurricane Sally in this Mississippi county highlighted the main issues that residents were directing towards local authorities. The high level of shares and tags also indicated that residents played a key role in sharing (and re-sharing) information.

October 1, 2020

MAIN ISSUES OF DISCUSSIONS (OFFICIAL ACCOUNTS) - HURRICANE SALLY

Hurricane Sally: Mandatory evacuation dominated the official discourse; Sense of urgency among residents to spread information further

Over the past 3 weeks, conversations about Hurricane Sally generated nearly 33k interactions, of which a third were made on the official County and local communities’ accounts (September 10-30).

As the Hurricane season is only halfway through, we analyzed the discourse on official channels to reveal the main issues directed towards local authorities:

The mandatory evacuation order elicited 1,730 interactions. A handful of comments asked the County for a map of the evacuation zones (47 interactions)
Updates about the relief efforts garnered 800 interactions, comprised of many ‘likes’, ‘loves’, and appreciative comments. Also, residents did not complain about the storms’ aftermath. These indicate that residents were overall pleased with agencies’ relief efforts.
Posts about the self-served sandbags generated 522 interactions. Only a few commenters asked for more information regarding the locations (28 interactions), suggesting that communications about this issue were successful.

Notably, most of the interactions consisted of ‘shares’ and tags. This indicates residents’ urge to disseminate information further and means that residents were instrumental in improving outreach.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

Mississippi

hurricane

Official updates by this Mississippi County about Hurricane Zeta were less effective in comparison to their updates regarding previous hurricanes. Leading sources that did grab residents’ attention were local news outlets, local officials and other local authorities.

November 10, 2020

HURRICANE ZETA - BREAKDOWN OF LOCAL DISCOURSE BY SOURCE

Hurricane Zeta: the share of the County's updates decreased compared to conversations on previous storms. Nonetheless, the County's online form allowing residents to self-report storm damage was well-received

During the past two weeks, conversations about hurricane Zeta elicited over 50K interactions, of which two-thirds were made in response to updates on local channels (the local communities and County’s social media accounts, and local news or NGOs).

Compared to conversations about previous tropical storms, County updates’ share of the discourse decreased, while the part of news outlets increased. Local communities official updates’ share remained quite high.

The main takeaways from an analysis of the conversations on local channels are as follows:

A large part of the discourse (37.5%) was in response to news reports.

Likes and shares comprised most of the interactions, reflecting an appreciation of the information and indicating a need to share it with others. There were no questions raised in the comments, suggesting information was clear.
Nonetheless, reports about a drowning death near a local marina attracted substantial attention, as residents were saddened and unsettled.

Responses to posts by local communities’ official updates comprised a similar part of the discourse (37%).

Conversations focused on storm updates or curfew notices in two of the county’s cities. Also, traffic alerts and information regarding supply distribution sites attracted attention.
Residents did not raise questions or concerns in the comments, suggesting they were calm and had the needed information.

Posts by the County School District comprised an additional 15% of the discourse.

Most of the interactions (80%) were shares and tagging comments, reflecting a sense of urgency to spread the updates and inform others about school closing.

Official County updates comprised only 3% of the discourse.

Half of the interactions were likes and shares in response to hurricane warnings and information about storm shelters and posts related to the County’s fire rescue.
Posts about debris removal also received many likes, reflecting residents’ appreciation of the cleanup efforts after the storm.

It should also be noted that information on self-reporting damage caused by the storm on the County’s website was well-received, reflected by likes, shares, and tagging comments. There was only one negative comment, warning others not to give governmental bodies any information.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

Florida

hurricane

During the days of Hurricane Dorian, Zencity analyzed resident conversations surrounding five key topics and compared them across the State of Florida. For one Florida City, this analysis revealed that its residents were more concerned with parking issues and the Bahamas humanitarian relief than in other cities.

September 18, 2019

CITY DISCOURSE VS. AVERAGE IN FLORIDA CITIES

How did the city’s resident discourse compare to other Florida cities during Hurricane Dorian?

Zencity data shows that there were five common topics of conversation in Florida cities, during the days of Hurricane Dorian (August 29- September 5): Parking, schools, Preparedness, Waste Management, and Bahamas humanitarian relief.

While Parking and the Bahamas Relief were dominant in the discourse, compared to Florida cities, share of discourse on Schools and Preparedness was relatively low.

Sentiment analysis reveals that positive sentiment outweigh the negative sentiment across all topics. Overall residents were satisfied with the city’s work and updates.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

Florida

flood

For this Florida city, a year-over-year comparison of residents’ conversations about the King Tides confirmed that the community was less concerned with the matter. Relevant interactions comprised less than 1% of city discourse and were mainly in response to City initiatives to prevent flooding.

October 6, 2020

KING TIDES - DISCOURSE VOLUME (# OF INTERACTIONS)

King Tides: Residents' online interest in the last high seasonal tides declined; In both occurrences, complaints were hardly directed towards the city.

Conversations about the King Tides amounted to 1,080 interactions in September, comprising less than 1% of the city discourse. As the volume was relatively small, we compared it to the discourse generated last year, throughout October.

The comparative analysis reveals the following:

Residents discourse volume decreased by 66% compared to last year, indicating that residents’ online interest in high seasonal tides declined (1,080 and 2,932 interactions, respectively).
A considerable part of the recent discourse was in response to the City’s initiatives of preventing flooding (35%), comprised of many ‘likes’ and appreciative comments.
Similarly to last year, hardly any complaints were directed towards the City (3% of the recent discourse).

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

Georgia

hurricane

In one Georgia county, Zencity’s data revealed that over 77% of online residents’ discussions about severe weather took place on the official Emergency Management Agency channel, clearly indicating that the County’s EMA is a reliable source of information for residents.

September 29, 2020

SOCIAL MEDIA SOURCES - HURRICANE AND TROPICAL STORMS DISCOURSE

The County’s Emergency Management Agency is the leading source of information about hurricane and weather preparedness, with residents expressing gratitude for its ongoing updates

During the month of September (1-28), discourse about hurricanes and tropical storms consisted of 1,750 interactions. This issue accounted for 18% of discourse and was the number one most discussed issue in the County.

It is noteworthy that most of the discourse about the hurricane and the weather (76%) was driven by the County’s Emergency Management Agency, which was the central provider of information and updates about the weather situation.

Evident of the level of reliance shown by residents on the County’s information is the type of engagement by residents: 515 “shares” and 533 “likes”, each accounting for 30% of the discourse, speak to the County’s importance in keeping residents informed and in providing necessary information that is further disseminated by residents.

This, combined with the centrality of the County in the hurricane-related discourse, indicates a high degree of trust towards the County’s Emergency Authorities. This is further reaffirmed by 3% positive sentiment, reflecting comments thanking the County for its updates.

In summary, the conversation around hurricanes shows that residents strongly rely and depend on the County’s Emergency Management for information and updates and play an active role in spreading the information further – indicating trust and reliance.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

Georgia

hurricane

Before Hurricane Dorian hit this Georgia city, a Zencity data insight highlighted which channels would be the most effective for emergency communications.

September 3, 2019

Data Source Distribution - Hurricane Dorian

Official sources are not dominant in shaping the conversation on Hurricane Dorian

The approaching hurricane Dorian, generated 23,129 interactions in the period from August 25 to September 3.

It is not surprising that 86% of the discourse had to do with Public Safety, yet residents were also interested in the following issues:

Transportation, specifically the closing of two main bridges in the area, accounted for 4% of the discourse.
Human Relations and Services constituted 4% of the discourse, resulting from a news report on the City’s homeless preparation ahead of the storm and the Atlanta Braves offering free tickets to hurricane evacuees.

Of all Hurricane-related discourse, the Facebook page of one of the City’s Aldermen was the leading source, accounting for 19% of interactions, while the most dominant official source was the Mayor, with only 6% of the discourse.

Given that official sources play a vital role in distributing crucial information and safety tips that are city-specific, information that isn’t always made available in local media reports, it may be useful to leverage the popularity of the Alderman’s posts and use it as a platform to reach more people.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

Georgia

tornado

This Georgia county used Zencity’s data to understand resident response to siren testing. Almost 20% of the data indicated issues with receiving the siren test alerts.

October 20, 2020

SENTIMENT OVERVIEW - SIRENS AND WEATHER ALERTS (RESIDENT DISCOURSE)

Strong interest in sirens and weather alerts speaks to residents’ reliance on the County’s emergency management systems; mismatch between sirens and call/text alerts cause confusion

In the past 2.5 weeks (October 5-20), Extreme Weather and Natural Disasters continued to dominate the County’s discourse – second only to Public Health.

The central focus of conversation was sirens and weather alerts. This topic generated 847 interactions – more than half (52%) of all weather-related discussions. The discourse was primarily affected by a high number of comments responding to County posts imploring residents to take advantage of the free alert systems and asking for their response to siren testing.

In response, residents shared either confirmation of having heard the siren or reported problems with being properly alerted: 17% thanked the County and reported successfully hearing the siren and receiving alerts. Reports of problems with receiving alerts also accounted for 17%.

The most common issue reported was a mismatch between sirens heard to alert received, such as hearing the sirens and not receiving a call or a text or hearing several sirens but only receiving one alert. These comments indicate confusion about the functions of the sirens and phone alerts.

The strong interest in sirens and alerts is another indication of residents’ reliance on the County’s services concerning weather monitoring and updates. The high engagement on posts about sirens and alerts shows that residents are equally dependent on the County’s other emergency alert systems (i.e., non-social media updates), yet express some confusion about how the alerts and siren system work.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

Zencity insight

Massachusetts

flood

Harsh weather flooded the local hospital in one Massachusetts town, but Zencity data revealed residents were mostly grateful for the Town's response efforts, rather than disgruntled, demonstrating effective town-led communication.

July 1, 2020

SENTIMENT OVERVIEW: OFFICIAL VS. UNOFFICIAL CHANNELS

While the flooding at the local hospital raises some concerns over damages, discourse on official channels reveals overall satisfaction with the Town's storm response

Over the past week, extreme weather conditions and the flooding of the local hospital elicited 20K interactions which comprised 75% of town discourse, making it the focal point of conversations.

Most of the discourse was generated on unofficial channels, mainly news outlets reporting on the flooding (84%). Discourse on these channels mostly expressed concern (12% negative sentiment compared to merely 2% positive sentiment) for the damage to the hospital or other properties, and for patients and hospital staff.

On the other hand, official channels that shared the Town’s response and efforts to fix the damages caused by the storm generated a minority of the discourse (16%). Unlike unofficial sources, official updates generated overall satisfaction (20% positive sentiment compared to merely 2% negative sentiment). Such positive sentiment included thankful and appreciative comments toward different Town departments for handling the hospital flooding and other damages.

Notably, some commenters in the minority of negative sentiment shared damages that they experienced, including flooded properties, and the story of nurse who lost her job due to the state of the hospital.

Even though residents were shaken by the severe flooding, the sentiment breakdown on official channels shows that they are overall satisfied with the Town’s response.

Insights are presented on the state level and anonymized to protect our partners’ privacy

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