The role of communication in crisis management – a case study of the September 2024 floods in Poland
The role of communication in crisis management – a case study of the September 2024 floods in Poland

Summary/Abstract: This article examines crisis communication at the municipal and district levels during the September 2024 floods in south-western Poland. The research niche of this article is the analysis of crisis communication in Polish local government structures on the basis of a recent extreme flood event, with particular emphasis on organisational resilience, information continuity and the practical use of ICT tools. The purpose of the research was to identify and evaluate the key aspects of communication in the crisis management process and to indicate the elements that require further improvement. The research question was: How did crisis communication affect the effectiveness of flood crisis management in Poland in 2024, and what organisational, legal and technological improvements are necessary to increase the resilience of communication to disruptions? The hypothesis assumed that increasing the effectiveness of crisis communication during flood events requires the simultaneous implementation of integrated ICT solutions for monitoring and distributing hydrometeorological data, decentralisation of warnings to the municipal level, and solutions ensuring continuity and interoperability of communications. The study employed literature review, analysis and synthesis, scientific inference, and qualitative in-depth telephone interviews based on five openended questions conducted with 17 representatives of municipal and district crisis management units in flood-affected areas of southern Poland. The findings indicate that effective crisis communication requires greater computerisation, integration of data sources, improved resistance to disinformation, continuity of operation, and more decentralised warning mechanisms. The hypothesis was positively verified.

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