1.
Environmental and Societal Impacts Group Emergency Management Higher Education Conference
Seth McGinnis

2. ESIG’s Major Research Themes
Use and Value of Weather and Climate Information for Decision Making
The Science of Weather and Climate Impact Assessment
Earth System Education: Frameworks and Informatics

3. Flood Damage in the United States
ESIG and CU scientists evaluated NWS flood damage estimates from and developed guidelines for using the data.
The character of damaging floods varies greatly from region to region.

4. Anticipating Hurricane Damages
Analysis with extreme value theory suggests that storms with high damage are not as unusual as conventional analyses would indicate
Statistical tools and tutorial available at:

5. Wildfire Initiative
Program development with a focus on societal risk assessment tools, risk communication, and education. (In progress)

6. Superstorm ’93 Project
The 1993 East Coast extreme snow event was well forecast, but the impact was still extreme.
The goal of the Superstorm’93 Project is to understand why.

7. Disaster Dynamics http://swiki.esig.ucar.edu/dd Educational goals
Decision making under uncertainty
Complex systems
Understanding design decisions
Fostering collaboration
Significance of the recovery phase
Approach - family of educational role-playing simulation games
Integrated face to face and computer tools
Engagement of gaming
Player Interactions
Supporting Information
Simulations/Models

8. Current Prototype A computer-assisted board game (not a simulation)
Theme: urban development with natural hazard
Players take on roles with different goals
Interaction is oriented towards negotiation and evaluation
Facilitator support: record of play, system control

9. Example of Play 4 to 6 players 45 minute block of play Evaluation
data views, analysis, and triggered information
Proposal cards
Polling and Negotiation
Voting
Update
computer model of growth
Random events
dilemmas and disasters
Special “Recovery Turn”
4 to 6 players
45 minute block of play

10. We Need Your Help! http://swiki.esig.ucar.edu/dd/questionnaire
Questions we need answers to:
How much class time would you be willing to dedicate to playing a game like this?
Would you use it during lecture or a lab?
Would it be useful for the game to be available outside of class?
What kind of computer resources are typically available to you and your students?
In large classes, would you rather break the class up into multiple independent games, or have the players form teams?
Is there any specific content (e.g., flooding) you want to see included?
What kinds of support materials for the instructor do you need?
Are you interested in collaborating or beta-testing?