Virtual Hurricanes, Real Impact: CHARTER Enhances Extreme Weather Preparedness in East Point (GA)

Center for Children’s Health Assessment, Research Translation, and Combating Environmental Risk (CHARTER)

Emory University and University of Georgia

CHARTER recently brought an immersive virtual reality (VR) experience to an Environmental Awareness Event in East Point, Georgia, engaging the community in a dynamic exploration of extreme weather preparedness. Held annually to celebrate Earth Day, this event gathered hundreds of residents at the ArtsXchange for a family-friendly day filled with hands-on workshops, a summit, and interactive activities on environmental sustainability. Forward Together East Point, a local community group, assisted in sharing CHARTER’s NOAA-funded hurricane simulation, allowing attendees to step into a high-impact, two-minute VR experience that places them inside a home as a severe storm unfolds around them, resulting in flooding and a power outage.

“The flooding program was a BIG hit with kids of all ages! It was impactful for most experiencers, especially young kids between the ages of 7 and 8 to 16 and 17. Adults were really fascinated by the experience; many shared their memories of being in a hurricane, and a few remembered flooding in their homes.” – Opal Baker, Forward Together East Point

After virtually experiencing the impact of a hurricane firsthand, community members were guided to two key resources– the first an explanatory video about the VR simulation and why experiencing something in VR can be an effective driver of behavior change, and the other linking to Science for Georgia’s emergency preparedness resources, empowering families to create household plans for future severe weather events. By blending cutting-edge technology with accessible education, CHARTER not only raised awareness of extreme weather risks but also equipped community members with actionable resources to drive meaningful change and build resilience.

Anyone who has a Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3S, or Meta Quest 3 headset can download the VR experience and find more information on how to be prepared for hurricane induced storm surge events and flooding: https://www.ugavr.com/WeatherTheStorm.

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