Expressions of risk awareness and concern through Twitter: On the utility of using the medium as an indication of audience needs

•Twitter can help manage emergencies as individuals can provide updates from the field.•Little is known about the ways in which people use Twitter under the circumstances.•We examined Twitter use in the hours leading up to the landfall of Hurricane Sandy.•Twitter content may be useful for identifying the needs of different communities.

Twitter is increasingly gaining momentum as a trusted source for news and information. A significant body of research suggests that during crises and emergencies, people rely on the medium for timely updates and real time information. Simultaneously, Twitter content may be a useful tool for identifying specific audience needs and concerns. The current study quantitatively analyzed tweets related to Hurricane Sandy in the days leading up to landfall. Areas examined include expressions of risk awareness and concern, and the ways in which these statements differ across age, sex, ethnicity, and language group. The findings are discussed in terms of the ways in which emergency managers may be able to use the systematic analysis of Twitter content in identifying audience needs.