ABSTRACT
Survey questionnaires were administered among populations affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines in 2013 and Hurricane Maria in Dominica in 2017 to test the efficacy of early warning systems in prompting residents to take appropriate action ahead of severe hazards. Both events were rare and extreme but occurred in locations that regularly experience less severe tropical cyclones. The research assessed if, how, and when residents received warnings, what instructions were given, and where and when people decided to seek safety. In both of the cases under review, residents were aware of the approaching storms, but critical information on their severity and potential impacts was either not received in time or not understood fully, resulting in low levels of evacuation and safety-seeking behaviour. This paper suggests that planning and public communication need to focus on the uncertainty surrounding the severity and multifaceted nature of tropical cyclones and accompanying hazards and their consequences.