[Our colleague and friend Grace Ahn is one of the lead researchers working with the U.S. government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric association (NOAA) to develop “an immersive and simulation” for virtual reality to help members of the public learn about and prepare for the dangers of storm surges. The NOAA press release below provides details, and is followed by more information from a University of Georgia press release. –Matthew]

[Image: People at a public sporting event try out the “Weather the Storm” storm surge VR simulation. Credit: NOAA/Joshua Alland]

Bringing storm surge to virtual reality

New product to teach public about hurricane and weather safety

March 11, 2025

A new virtual reality simulation will use the idea that “seeing is believing” to show people why coastal evacuation orders are so important during storms. The simulation, called “Weather the Storm,” was funded by the NOAA’s Weather Program Office and created through a partnership between the University of Georgia, Clemson University, Georgia Sea Grant and South Carolina Sea Grant to improve storm surge preparation.

When a tropical storm or hurricane approaches the coast, the wind can push large amounts of water onto land as storm surge. Between 1963 and 2012, storm surge was responsible for nearly half (49%) of direct deaths from Atlantic tropical cyclones in the United States. Data indicates that from 2013 to 2022, storm surge accounted for 11% of direct deaths from tropical cyclones, a decrease from the 49% observed between 1963 and 2012. This suggests that public outreach and improved forecasting have contributed to a relative reduction in storm surge fatalities. Storm surge remains a dangerous and often misunderstood threat, however. In 2022, 41 people died as a result of storm surge from Hurricane Ian.

Grace Ahn, a researcher from the University of Georgia, and Matthew Browning, a researcher from Clemson University, developed the virtual reality (VR) simulation. Their process was informed by real-world images, data from interviews in coastal communities, and videos capturing people’s experiences with storm surge. The result is an immersive and realistic simulation that allows users to use VR headsets to “see” all around and experience a virtual home being taken over by wind-driven storm surge.

The research team collaborated with NOAA’s National Hurricane Center (NHC) throughout the project. The NHC helped guide the educational content in the simulation and identify opportunities for emergency managers and other partners to use it in their outreach. Experts from the Sea Grant programs also created a series of instructional materials, including slide decks, discussion questions, and activities for use in evacuation training sessions.

“This co-production took over 25 iterations, with hands-on field testing guiding the refinement of the simulation,” says Castle Williamsberg, a social scientist with NOAA’s Weather Program Office. “The entire team was committed to making it as realistic and scientifically accurate as possible, ensuring that people could truly understand the experience of storm surge in VR rather than facing it in the real world.”

The team also believes the simulation will bring hurricane safety to a younger audience, reaching new people with the popular new technology.

“With hurricanes and other natural disasters becoming increasingly destructive, we must use every tool available to protect our communities,” said Matthew Browning, associate professor at Clemson University and co-director of the Virtual Reality & Nature Lab. “‘Weather the Storm’ can be a powerful way for the general public to take preparations seriously, allowing people to truly experience the dangers of storm surge before it’s too late.”

“Weather the Storm” made its public debut at a large sporting event in September 2023, followed by a showcase at the Miami Disaster Expo in March 2024. The simulation was made available to the general public this month, and can be downloaded from the UGA Center for Advanced Computer-Human Ecosystems website. The application is designed to be used with a VR headset.

Advances in VR technology and lowering costs are enabling researchers to transform their knowledge into usable products that help more people grasp the weather hazards they may face.

Ahn says that, at a community fair, one young participant who was sitting down found the experience so realistic that he tried standing on his chair when the water started coming into the virtual home. That was a very different response compared to someone watching the experience on a monitor.

“We have known for decades that VR is a powerful communication tool that can change attitudes and behaviors, leaving a longer-lasting impact on behavior change compared to more traditional media. Now, we are on the cusp of VR use being commonplace, which allows us to consider it as a powerful addition to our risk communication toolset, to translate critical scientific information into visceral, experiential messages,” says Ahn.

Media contacts:

NOAA: Alison Gillespie, alison.gillespie@noaa.gov, (202) 713-6644
University of Georgia: Cole Sosebee, colesosebee@uga.edu
Clemson University: Shelly Gordon, addis2@clemson.edu

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[From the University of Georgia]

Storm surge virtual reality simulation designed to save lives

March 11, 2025

[snip]

“Virtual reality simulations can be very useful for emergency preparedness training,” said Sun Joo “Grace” Ahn, founding director of the UGA’s Center for Advanced Computer-Human Ecosystems, which developed the experience. “They provide visceral experiences of natural disasters that are more detailed and emotional than traditional media because users see, hear and feel what is going on in the virtual world.”

Weather the Storm will help coastal residents to experience and visualize the power of hurricanes and encourage them to evacuate when instructed to do so by local emergency management. The VR experience features a storm surge event inside a coastal home and is paired with video from Hurricane Ian representing water and powerful winds coming into the home. Viewers also receive helpful advice for items they should have on hand like batteries and drinking water.    

[snip]

Studies show that messages delivered through a VR immersive experience have a longer lasting impact versus messages delivered by video or written communication. The strong partnership among universities, Extension services and federal agencies allowed the development of this VR simulation that began as a small project funded by a University of Georgia Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grant.

“We have been studying how to leverage this power of communication within the virtual world to see if we can change behavior not just within the virtual world but outside of it, as well, so that people can be better prepared for high-risk, low-frequency events, like hurricanes,” Ahn said.

Ahn and Browning led the conceptualization and development of Weather the Storm, along with Olivia McAnirlin of Clemson, and Jill Gambill, formerly with University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant.

[snip to end]