Sagy Cohen
University of Alabama | Associate Professor
Recent Activity
ABSTRACT:
Flood Inundation Maps (FIMs) are increasingly used to communicate flood extent, depth, timing, and hazard conditions, but their value depends on whether the displayed information can be interpreted clearly and translated into practical understanding. The study evaluates selected FIM platforms as communication interfaces rather than only technical map products. Using the Diagnosing, Assessing, Redesigning, Testing, and Synthesizing (DARTS) framework, survey data were collected from participants in the 2026 Summer Institute. The platforms assessed included public facing FIMs, including the NOAA National Water Prediction Service (NWPS) Emulator and EarlyFlows, and credentialed platforms, including FloodID and HurrEvac. Participants evaluated each platform using 1-5 rating grids, short-answer questions, and screenshots. Qualitative responses were analyzed using NVivo thematic analysis, while rating-grid results were synthesized to compare platform performance. Across four widely used flood inundation mapping platforms, users consistently struggled to interpret flood information despite navigating the interfaces with relative ease, indicating that the principal limitation of current FIMs lies in risk communication rather than usability. Common challenges included technical language, unclear visual design, poor communication of uncertainty, and confusing legends and map layers. Coded responses also identified recurring needs for clearer main messages, plain-language explanations, improved layer and color interpretation, clearer forecast timing and limitation guidance, and stronger impact communication. These findings were translated into prototype-informed NWPS design targets, including recommendations for simpler default layer organization, guided interpretation support, and an Impact Lens concept to indicate potentially inundated roadways. The study applies an evidence-based framework for redesigning flood inundation maps to achieve effective risk communication by linking user perceptions to specific interface design recommendations.
Contact
| (Log in to send email) |
| All | 0 |
| Collection | 0 |
| Resource | 0 |
| App Connector | 0 |
Created: July 17, 2026, 9:53 p.m.
Authors: Kyei, Dominic · Tufail, Sohail Ahmed · Kelsey McDonough · Cohen, Sagy
ABSTRACT:
Flood Inundation Maps (FIMs) are increasingly used to communicate flood extent, depth, timing, and hazard conditions, but their value depends on whether the displayed information can be interpreted clearly and translated into practical understanding. The study evaluates selected FIM platforms as communication interfaces rather than only technical map products. Using the Diagnosing, Assessing, Redesigning, Testing, and Synthesizing (DARTS) framework, survey data were collected from participants in the 2026 Summer Institute. The platforms assessed included public facing FIMs, including the NOAA National Water Prediction Service (NWPS) Emulator and EarlyFlows, and credentialed platforms, including FloodID and HurrEvac. Participants evaluated each platform using 1-5 rating grids, short-answer questions, and screenshots. Qualitative responses were analyzed using NVivo thematic analysis, while rating-grid results were synthesized to compare platform performance. Across four widely used flood inundation mapping platforms, users consistently struggled to interpret flood information despite navigating the interfaces with relative ease, indicating that the principal limitation of current FIMs lies in risk communication rather than usability. Common challenges included technical language, unclear visual design, poor communication of uncertainty, and confusing legends and map layers. Coded responses also identified recurring needs for clearer main messages, plain-language explanations, improved layer and color interpretation, clearer forecast timing and limitation guidance, and stronger impact communication. These findings were translated into prototype-informed NWPS design targets, including recommendations for simpler default layer organization, guided interpretation support, and an Impact Lens concept to indicate potentially inundated roadways. The study applies an evidence-based framework for redesigning flood inundation maps to achieve effective risk communication by linking user perceptions to specific interface design recommendations.