The cognition–emotion approach has dominated crisis communication theories, whereas the emotion–cognition approach has received little attention. Based on the notion proposed by Lu and Huang (2018) that emotional intensity determines information processing capacity, this study empirically tested the emotion–cognition approach in the domain of crisis communication. The results indicate that the emotion–cognition approach outperformed the cognition–emotion approach in terms of explanatory power, total effect, and direct and indirect effects. In addition, public emotions, rather than crisis responsibility, might have a substantial effect on the public’s perceptions, attitudes, and behavioral intentions during the outbreak of a crisis.