The cone of uncertainty has been the visualization choice of the National Hurricane Center since the 2000s. However, there are proven issues with this visual representation, specifically a lack of clarity and interpretability in certain cases. My goal is to re-design a forecast map this is more user-centered, in that it removes as much ambiguity as possible from a forecast and facilitates evacuation choices. I presented this idea in a grad school class, and, after great feedback, my professors (Data Visualization and Psychology) encouraged me to pursue this goal outside of classwork. With their guidance and expertise, we have just created our first survey to test the comprehension of forecast visualizations. A single participant will experience multiple scenarios of either a user-centered map, cone of uncertainty map, or ensemble map, and be asked questions about the likeliness of their evacuation and confidence in this deicison. We hope to see more confidence and accurate decision-making from participants who experience the user-centered map. Next steps would be an academic paper and, eventually, arguing our case to the National Hurricane Center for improved forecast visuals.

Tools: QGIS, Adobe Illustrator, Qualtrics, Mturk