[EAS] Multilingual support for CAP messages

[Larry Wood]

We transmitted several FFWs during the recent storms in Northern California. Every FFW had a lengthy warning education message included in it telling people not to drive over flooded roads. It ended with "Turn around, don't drown." Still, there were some deaths due to drivers going around barriers and driving into flood waters. You can only do so much to help people not be idiots.

Larry Wood, CPBE
KQED-FM

-----Original Message-----
From: eas-bounces at radiolists.net [mailto:eas-bounces at radiolists.net] On Behalf Of Adrienne Abbott

Not only are there going to be people who don't get EAS warnings, not everyone who gets the warning heeds that advice. According to statistics from the National Weather Service, 155 people died in floods in 2015. There were 48 flood-related deaths in Texas, the most of any state. Texas EAS and NOAA do a good job of issuing flood warnings but people still drive across flooded roads and get trapped and drown. While we were in Texas earlier this year 3 people were killed in one storm even though EAS activations and WEA messages were issued. 

It's sad and frustrating because these deaths are preventable. But people still look at a road that's covered with water and all they see is the place they want to go, not the fact that there's been so much rain the normally placid Trinity River has grown so wide that it covers the pavement. Some people just keep driving, no matter how many EAS activations are issued or how many languages are used or how many news stories are done showing how it takes only 6 inches of water to float a car or truck or SUV. EAS can't fix Stupid.