Sample Public Opinion Survey

Your household has been randomly selected to participate in this survey on public perceptions and opinions about natural hazards in your county. In addition, we would like information about the methods and techniques you prefer for reducing the risks and losses associated with these hazards. The questionnaire should be completed by an adult, preferably the head of household. The information you provide will be used to help improve public/private coordination, mitigation, and risk reduction efforts in your county. The survey should take less than 30 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.

First, we would like to know about your experiences with natural hazards.

1. During the past 5 years, in the county you currently reside in, 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.
2. How concerned are you about the following natural disasters affecting your county? (Check the corresponding box for each hazard)

Natural Disaster	Very Concerned	Somewhat Concerned	Neutral	Not Very Concerned	Not Concerned
Drought	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
Dust Storm	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
Earthquake	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
Flood	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
Landslide/Debris Flow	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
Wildfire	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
Volcanic Eruption	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
Windstorm	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
Severe Winter Storm	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
Extreme Heat	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
Other: _____________	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐

3. Whom would you most trust to provide you with information about how to make your household and home safer from natural disasters? (Please check up to three)
4. Prior to receiving this survey, were you aware of your county’s hazard mitigation plan?

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.

5. 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)

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)

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

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.

Community-wide Strategies	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neutral	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Not Sure
I support implementing government rules to reduce risk	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
I support a non-governmental approach to reducing risk	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
I support a mix of both governmental and non-governmental approaches to reducing risk	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
I support policies to prohibit development 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	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
I support the use of local tax dollars to reduce risks and losses from natural disasters	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
I support protecting historical and cultural structures	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
I would be willing to make my home more disaster-resistant	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
I support steps to safeguard the local economy following a disaster event	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
I support improving the disaster preparedness of local schools	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
I support a local inventory of at-risk buildings and infrastructure	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
I support the disclosure of natural hazard risks during real estate transactions	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐

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 county. Please tell us how important each one is to you.

Please tell us how important each one is to you.

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

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.

9. Zip code (optional): _______________
10. County: _________________________
11. How long have you lived in the state?