Poll: Do you live or drive below an area that has burned?

# Burn Scar

# El Niño

# Wildfire

# Debris Flow

A behavioral science informed suggested post to help neighbors stay safe around burn scars

Joseph Porcelli

Poll question: Do you live or drive below an area that has burned?

Answer options: → Yes, I live below one → Yes, I drive below one → No → Not sure

Poll description: A burn scar is land where a wildfire stripped the vegetation. Burned soil can shed rain instead of absorbing it, and the slope above your home or your commute may not look dangerous from the road. We want to know where [City/Town] stands. When this poll closes, we’ll repost it with what to do. ##

Seed comments: post each as a separate comment immediately after publishing:

Comment 1: Do you know which hillsides near your home or commute burned in [fire name]?

Comment 2: [Link to your local National Weather Service office’s burn scar page, and your local alert sign-up] Here’s where to find burn scar flood information and sign up for alerts in [County].

Comment 3: If the road below the burn scar closed, what’s your way out? Share your route here for the rest of us.

Poll repost:

In the poll below, we asked, Do you live or drive below an area that has burned?

[Insert your results here, for example: “X percent of you said you live below one.”]

The National Weather Service says most burn areas stay prone to flash flooding and debris flows for at least two years after a fire. In some areas the hazard can last up to five. Steep terrain, a severely burned slope, and light rain can start a flash flood within minutes.

If you live or drive near [fire name], sign up for [local alert system] at [link]. Know your route out, and a second one. If a flash flood or debris flow warning is issued, leave right away.

Watch for unusual sounds, cracks in the ground, or a sudden rise in stream water. If you see them, get to higher ground. Call 911 if you’re caught in one.

Did you sign up for alerts?

Seed comments: post each as a separate comment immediately after publishing: Comment: [Link to local alert sign-up and NWS burn scar page]

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