Natural Hazards Public Opinion Survey

This is a survey on public perceptions and opinions about natural hazards in North Providence, RI. In addition, we would like information about the methods and techniques you prefer for reducing the risks and losses associated with these hazards.

The information you provide will be used to help improve public/private coordination, mitigation, and risk reduction efforts in your community. The survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete.

This is a public opinion survey. The results will inform local natural hazard mitigation planning. Your returned, completed survey indicates your willingness to take part in the study. Participation in this study is voluntary and anonymous. None of the information you provide will be attributed to you directly.

Question Title

* 1. During the past 5 years, have you or someone in your household directly experienced a natural disaster? This could be an earthquake, severe windstorm, flood, wildfire, or other type of natural disaster

Yes

Question Title

* 2. If you answered yes above, please describe the natural disaster event and impacts you recently experienced

Question Title

* 3. How concerned are you about the following natural disasters affecting North Providence? (Check the corresponding box for each hazard)

	Very Concerned	Somewhat Concerned	Neutral	Not Very Concerned	Not Concerned
Severe Winter Storm	Severe Winter Storm Very Concerned	Severe Winter Storm Somewhat Concerned	Severe Winter Storm Neutral	Severe Winter Storm Not Very Concerned	Severe Winter Storm Not Concerned
Flooding	Flooding Very Concerned	Flooding Somewhat Concerned	Flooding Neutral	Flooding Not Very Concerned	Flooding Not Concerned
Hurricanes	Hurricanes Very Concerned	Hurricanes Somewhat Concerned	Hurricanes Neutral	Hurricanes Not Very Concerned	Hurricanes Not Concerned
Lightning	Lightning Very Concerned	Lightning Somewhat Concerned	Lightning Neutral	Lightning Not Very Concerned	Lightning Not Concerned
Windstorm	Windstorm Very Concerned	Windstorm Somewhat Concerned	Windstorm Neutral	Windstorm Not Very Concerned	Windstorm Not Concerned
Extreme Temperatures: Heat and Cold	Extreme Temperatures: Heat and Cold Very Concerned	Extreme Temperatures: Heat and Cold Somewhat Concerned	Extreme Temperatures: Heat and Cold Neutral	Extreme Temperatures: Heat and Cold Not Very Concerned	Extreme Temperatures: Heat and Cold Not Concerned
Brush Fire/Drought	Brush Fire/Drought Very Concerned	Brush Fire/Drought Somewhat Concerned	Brush Fire/Drought Neutral	Brush Fire/Drought Not Very Concerned	Brush Fire/Drought Not Concerned
Tornadoes	Tornadoes Very Concerned	Tornadoes Somewhat Concerned	Tornadoes Neutral	Tornadoes Not Very Concerned	Tornadoes Not Concerned
Dam Failures	Dam Failures Very Concerned	Dam Failures Somewhat Concerned	Dam Failures Neutral	Dam Failures Not Very Concerned	Dam Failures Not Concerned
Geologic-Related Hazards: Earthquakes	Geologic-Related Hazards: Earthquakes Very Concerned	Geologic-Related Hazards: Earthquakes Somewhat Concerned	Geologic-Related Hazards: Earthquakes Neutral	Geologic-Related Hazards: Earthquakes Not Very Concerned	Geologic-Related Hazards: Earthquakes Not Concerned
Hail	Hail Very Concerned	Hail Somewhat Concerned	Hail Neutral	Hail Not Very Concerned	Hail Not Concerned

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 4. Prior to receiving this survey, were you aware of your Town's hazard mitigation plan?

Yes

Question Title

* 5. To assess community risk, we need to understand which community assets may be vulnerable to natural hazards in the region. Vulnerable assets are those community features, characteristics or resources that may be impacted by natural hazards (e.g., populations with functional needs, economic components, environmental resources, etc.). The next set of questions will focus on vulnerable assets in your community. It will also cover your preferred strategies to mitigate risk to those assets.

Community assets are features, characteristics or resources that either make a community unique or allow the community to function. For the following categories, what do you see as vulnerable in your community? Write a short description for each.

Human (Loss of life and/or injuries)

Economic (Business closures and/or job losses)

Infrastructure (Damage or loss of bridges, utilities, schools, etc.)

Cultural/Historic (Damage or loss of libraries, museums, fairgrounds, etc)

Environmental (Damage or loss of forests, rangeland, waterways, etc)

Governance (Ability to maintain order and/or provide public amenities and services)

Question Title

* 6. Next we would like to know what specific types of community assets are most important to you. (Check the corresponding box for each asset)

	Very Important	Somewhat important	Neutral	Not very important	Not important
Elder-care facilities	Elder-care facilities Very Important	Elder-care facilities Somewhat important	Elder-care facilities Neutral	Elder-care facilities Not very important	Elder-care facilities Not important
Schools (K-12)	Schools (K-12) Very Important	Schools (K-12) Somewhat important	Schools (K-12) Neutral	Schools (K-12) Not very important	Schools (K-12) Not important
Hospitals	Hospitals Very Important	Hospitals Somewhat important	Hospitals Neutral	Hospitals Not very important	Hospitals Not important
Major bridges	Major bridges Very Important	Major bridges Somewhat important	Major bridges Neutral	Major bridges Not very important	Major bridges Not important
Fire/police stations	Fire/police stations Very Important	Fire/police stations Somewhat important	Fire/police stations Neutral	Fire/police stations Not very important	Fire/police stations Not important
Museums/historic buildings	Museums/historic buildings Very Important	Museums/historic buildings Somewhat important	Museums/historic buildings Neutral	Museums/historic buildings Not very important	Museums/historic buildings Not important
Major employers	Major employers Very Important	Major employers Somewhat important	Major employers Neutral	Major employers Not very important	Major employers Not important
Small businesses	Small businesses Very Important	Small businesses Somewhat important	Small businesses Neutral	Small businesses Not very important	Small businesses Not important
College/university	College/university Very Important	College/university Somewhat important	College/university Neutral	College/university Not very important	College/university Not important
Town Hall/courthouse	Town Hall/courthouse Very Important	Town Hall/courthouse Somewhat important	Town Hall/courthouse Neutral	Town Hall/courthouse Not very important	Town Hall/courthouse Not important
Parks	Parks Very Important	Parks Somewhat important	Parks Neutral	Parks Not very important	Parks Not important
Other:	Other: Very Important	Other: Somewhat important	Other: Neutral	Other: Not very important	Other: Not important
Other:	Other: Very Important	Other: Somewhat important	Other: Neutral	Other: Not very important	Other: Not important

Question Title

* 7. Many activities can reduce your community’s risk from natural hazards. These activities can be both regulatory and non-regulatory. Please check the box that best matches your opinion of the following strategies to reduce risk and loss associated with natural disasters.

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neutral	Strongly Disagree	Not Sure
I support implementing government rules to reduce risk	I support implementing government rules to reduce risk Strongly Agree	I support implementing government rules to reduce risk Agree	I support implementing government rules to reduce risk Neutral	I support implementing government rules to reduce risk Strongly Disagree	I support implementing government rules to reduce risk Not Sure
I support a mix of both governmental and non-governmental approaches to reducing risk	I support a mix of both governmental and non-governmental approaches to reducing risk Strongly Agree	I support a mix of both governmental and non-governmental approaches to reducing risk Agree	I support a mix of both governmental and non-governmental approaches to reducing risk Neutral	I support a mix of both governmental and non-governmental approaches to reducing risk Strongly Disagree	I support a mix of both governmental and non-governmental approaches to reducing risk Not Sure
I support policies to prohibit development in areas subject to natural hazards	I support policies to prohibit development in areas subject to natural hazards Strongly Agree	I support policies to prohibit development in areas subject to natural hazards Agree	I support policies to prohibit development in areas subject to natural hazards Neutral	I support policies to prohibit development in areas subject to natural hazards Strongly Disagree	I support policies to prohibit development in areas subject to natural hazards Not Sure
I support the use of tax dollars (federal and/or local) to compensate landowners for not developing in areas subject to natural hazards	I support the use of tax dollars (federal and/or local) to compensate landowners for not developing in areas subject to natural hazards Strongly Agree	I support the use of tax dollars (federal and/or local) to compensate landowners for not developing in areas subject to natural hazards Agree	I support the use of tax dollars (federal and/or local) to compensate landowners for not developing in areas subject to natural hazards Neutral	I support the use of tax dollars (federal and/or local) to compensate landowners for not developing in areas subject to natural hazards Strongly Disagree	I support the use of tax dollars (federal and/or local) to compensate landowners for not developing in areas subject to natural hazards Not Sure
I support the use of local tax dollars to reduce risks and losses from natural disasters	I support the use of local tax dollars to reduce risks and losses from natural disasters Strongly Agree	I support the use of local tax dollars to reduce risks and losses from natural disasters Agree	I support the use of local tax dollars to reduce risks and losses from natural disasters Neutral	I support the use of local tax dollars to reduce risks and losses from natural disasters Strongly Disagree	I support the use of local tax dollars to reduce risks and losses from natural disasters Not Sure
I support protecting historical and cultural structures	I support protecting historical and cultural structures Strongly Agree	I support protecting historical and cultural structures Agree	I support protecting historical and cultural structures Neutral	I support protecting historical and cultural structures Strongly Disagree	I support protecting historical and cultural structures Not Sure
I would be willing to make my home more disaster-resistant	I would be willing to make my home more disaster-resistant Strongly Agree	I would be willing to make my home more disaster-resistant Agree	I would be willing to make my home more disaster-resistant Neutral	I would be willing to make my home more disaster-resistant Strongly Disagree	I would be willing to make my home more disaster-resistant Not Sure
I support steps to safeguard the local economy following a disaster event	I support steps to safeguard the local economy following a disaster event Strongly Agree	I support steps to safeguard the local economy following a disaster event Agree	I support steps to safeguard the local economy following a disaster event Neutral	I support steps to safeguard the local economy following a disaster event Strongly Disagree	I support steps to safeguard the local economy following a disaster event Not Sure
I support improving the disaster preparedness of local schools	I support improving the disaster preparedness of local schools Strongly Agree	I support improving the disaster preparedness of local schools Agree	I support improving the disaster preparedness of local schools Neutral	I support improving the disaster preparedness of local schools Strongly Disagree	I support improving the disaster preparedness of local schools Not Sure
I support a local inventory of at-risk buildings and infrastructure	I support a local inventory of at-risk buildings and infrastructure Strongly Agree	I support a local inventory of at-risk buildings and infrastructure Agree	I support a local inventory of at-risk buildings and infrastructure Neutral	I support a local inventory of at-risk buildings and infrastructure Strongly Disagree	I support a local inventory of at-risk buildings and infrastructure Not Sure
I support the disclosure of natural hazard risks during real estate transactions	I support the disclosure of natural hazard risks during real estate transactions Strongly Agree	I support the disclosure of natural hazard risks during real estate transactions Agree	I support the disclosure of natural hazard risks during real estate transactions Neutral	I support the disclosure of natural hazard risks during real estate transactions Strongly Disagree	I support the disclosure of natural hazard risks during real estate transactions Not Sure

Question Title

* 8. Natural hazards can have a significant impact on a community. Planning for these events can help lessen the impacts. The following statements will help determine residents’ priorities in planning for natural hazards in your community. Please tell us how important each one is to you.

	Very Important	Somewhat Important	Neutral	Not Very Important	Not Important
Protecting private property	Protecting private property Very Important	Protecting private property Somewhat Important	Protecting private property Neutral	Protecting private property Not Very Important	Protecting private property Not Important
Protecting critical facilities (e.g., transportation networks, hospitals, fire stations)	Protecting critical facilities (e.g., transportation networks, hospitals, fire stations) Very Important	Protecting critical facilities (e.g., transportation networks, hospitals, fire stations) Somewhat Important	Protecting critical facilities (e.g., transportation networks, hospitals, fire stations) Neutral	Protecting critical facilities (e.g., transportation networks, hospitals, fire stations) Not Very Important	Protecting critical facilities (e.g., transportation networks, hospitals, fire stations) Not Important
Preventing development in hazard areas	Preventing development in hazard areas Very Important	Preventing development in hazard areas Somewhat Important	Preventing development in hazard areas Neutral	Preventing development in hazard areas Not Very Important	Preventing development in hazard areas Not Important
Enhancing the function of natural features (e.g., streams, wetlands)	Enhancing the function of natural features (e.g., streams, wetlands) Very Important	Enhancing the function of natural features (e.g., streams, wetlands) Somewhat Important	Enhancing the function of natural features (e.g., streams, wetlands) Neutral	Enhancing the function of natural features (e.g., streams, wetlands) Not Very Important	Enhancing the function of natural features (e.g., streams, wetlands) Not Important
Protecting historical and cultural landmarks	Protecting historical and cultural landmarks Very Important	Protecting historical and cultural landmarks Somewhat Important	Protecting historical and cultural landmarks Neutral	Protecting historical and cultural landmarks Not Very Important	Protecting historical and cultural landmarks Not Important
Protecting and reducing damage to utilities	Protecting and reducing damage to utilities Very Important	Protecting and reducing damage to utilities Somewhat Important	Protecting and reducing damage to utilities Neutral	Protecting and reducing damage to utilities Not Very Important	Protecting and reducing damage to utilities Not Important
Strengthening emergency services (e.g., police, fire ambulance)	Strengthening emergency services (e.g., police, fire ambulance) Very Important	Strengthening emergency services (e.g., police, fire ambulance) Somewhat Important	Strengthening emergency services (e.g., police, fire ambulance) Neutral	Strengthening emergency services (e.g., police, fire ambulance) Not Very Important	Strengthening emergency services (e.g., police, fire ambulance) Not Important
Disclosing natural hazard risks during real estate transactions	Disclosing natural hazard risks during real estate transactions Very Important	Disclosing natural hazard risks during real estate transactions Somewhat Important	Disclosing natural hazard risks during real estate transactions Neutral	Disclosing natural hazard risks during real estate transactions Not Very Important	Disclosing natural hazard risks during real estate transactions Not Important
Promoting cooperation among public agencies, citizens, non-profit organizations and businesses	Promoting cooperation among public agencies, citizens, non-profit organizations and businesses Very Important	Promoting cooperation among public agencies, citizens, non-profit organizations and businesses Somewhat Important	Promoting cooperation among public agencies, citizens, non-profit organizations and businesses Neutral	Promoting cooperation among public agencies, citizens, non-profit organizations and businesses Not Very Important	Promoting cooperation among public agencies, citizens, non-profit organizations and businesses Not Important

Question Title

* 9. Finally, we would appreciate any information you are willing to share with us about your household. This information will remain confidential and is for survey comparison purposes only.

Zip code (optional):

Question Title

* 10. How long have you lived in the state?

Less than 1 year

1-5 years

6-9 years

10-19 years

20 or more years

Question Title

* 11. Do you own or rent your home?

Own

Rent

Question Title

* 12. Do you own/rent a:

Single-family home

Duplex

Apartment (3-4 units in structure)

Apartment (5 or more units in structure)

Condominium/townhouse

Manufactured home

Other (please specify)