{"692466":{"#nid":"692466","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Supporting Community-Led Flood Resilience","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA new research project aims to empower coastal communities. Using advanced AI-based flood modeling, residents will be able to compare flood mitigation strategies and identify the potential solutions that best meet their needs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe CHORUS (Community Hubs for Optimizing Resilience) project will collaborate with coastal communities in Georgia and New York and will be split into two pieces: technology development and community engagement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re not just building a simulator and hoping it fits the needs of coastal residents,\u201d explains \u003Cstrong\u003EAlex Robel, \u003C\/strong\u003Eproject leader and Jean \u201cChris\u201d Purvis Associate Professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. \u0022By collaborating with community partners from the very beginning, we can ensure that what we ultimately develop will be effective because the people who will be using it are helping design it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPutting Flood Modeling in Residents\u0027 Hands\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe technology development component will include faculty from the College of Sciences and the College of Computing. The College of Sciences team will develop an AI-based flood simulator and the College of Computing team led by\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJosiah Hester\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;associate professor and Catherine M. and James E. Allchin Early Career Professor, will create a web platform that allows users to visualize potential flood impacts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETraditional flood models can take hours or days to generate results and often require specialized expertise and expensive computing resources. The CHORUS platform will be designed to provide easy-to-understand results in seconds, producing building-scale flood maps that show how water moves through streets, yards, and structures during a range of flooding scenarios. Researchers will use the model to test how specific interventions, such as seawalls, restored marshes, or improved stormwater infrastructure, could affect flooding.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EEventually, users will be able to test their own scenarios through the browser-based tool, enabling them to explore how different decisions could change flood impacts in their communities:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cUsers will be able to go into a web browser and indicate where a sea wall could go or change a parking lot into a porous vegetated landscape, then click simulate. Within a few seconds, they\u2019ll have a new flood map showing the impacts of these interventions,\u201d says Robel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Community-Driven Approach\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA collaborative effort with the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nyclimateexchange.org\/climate-data\u0022\u003ENew York Climate Exchange\u003C\/a\u003E, the project will be funded by\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gacoast.uga.edu\/research\/biennial-funding\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Georgia Sea Grant\u003C\/a\u003E and IBM, with support from\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sciences.gatech.edu\/georgias-tomorrow\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech for Georgia\u2019s Tomorrow\u003C\/a\u003E (GT2),\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cearhub.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Coastal Equity and Resilience (CEAR) Hub\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cearhub.org\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eand the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/seagrant.noaa.gov\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;National Sea Grant College Program\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;The CHORUS project is an initiative of the New York Climate Exchange, where Georgia Tech is a core partner institution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECommunity engagement in Georgia is being led by CEAR and the Pin Point Betterment Association, which represents descendants of the historic Gullah Geechee community near Savannah. In New York, the project team is partnering with the New York Climate Exchange and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/waterfrontalliance.org\/\u0022\u003EWaterfront Alliance\u003C\/a\u003E to work with communities surrounding Jamaica Bay.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWhat makes this partnership meaningful is that it puts community voices at the center,\u201d says\u003Cstrong\u003E Jasmine Smith\u003C\/strong\u003E, president of the Pin Point Betterment Association.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u201cToo often, decisions are made to \u2018better\u2019 communities without actually involving the people who live there. We hope this partnership can serve as a blueprint for how communities are included in future sustainability projects from the very beginning.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe project includes community advisory boards and technical advisory boards in both locations. Community members will help identify priority assets, select flood scenarios for analysis, and shape the design of the web-based tool. They\u2019ll also test and offer feedback. Technical advisory boards made up of local officials, planners, and other experts will help evaluate the feasibility of proposed solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe aim is to blend information from both groups without allowing the technical perspective to override community priorities,\u201d says Robel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAccording to Robel, giving communities direct access to flood modeling tools can help close the gap between public input and infrastructure planning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe are putting decision making in the hands of the community. With a tool like this, the community can say: \u2018We want to prevent flooding at this community center, this school, or this road,\u2019\u201d says Robel. \u201cThey can run the model, produce data, and present it to local governments or the Army Corps of Engineers\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u2014 advocating\u0026nbsp;for potential solutions themselves rather than relying on outside experts.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ERobel sees this project as just the beginning:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cFunded by two-year grants, CHORUS is meant to be a pilot for how this kind of community-centered project can be done. Once we understand some of the challenges and opportunities involved, it will hopefully make it easier for us to scale this work to additional community partners.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Community-Engaged Research at Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech is actively working to foster more projects that foster community engagement. Collaborative groups at Georgia Tech involved in the CHORUS project include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022e24ad42d08ff5aaeb8f0e7892a7ae22cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe CEAR Hub\u003C\/strong\u003E, part of the Institute for People and Technology (IPaT), and housed at the Georgia Tech Savannah campus, advances community-engaged research and planning throughout coastal Georgia, helping communities build resilience to environmental and climate challenges.\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scre.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022e37deda0b2f16b9d512f523a8c923dc46\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scre.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EThe Center for Sustainable Communities Research and Education\u003C\/a\u003E (SCoRE) trains faculty, students, and staff in best practices for conducting community-engaged research as well as facilitating connections directly with communities.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022e79895753719bd77cdf19df0d35438ceb\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustainablesystems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EThe Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS)\u003C\/a\u003E houses SCoRE and is Georgia Tech\u2019s point of contact to the New York Climate Exchange. BBISS forms partnerships like these to fulfill its mission to expand the reach and impact of Georgia Tech\u2019s sustainability research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe CHORUS research project will combine advanced flood modeling, artificial intelligence, and community partnerships to help coastal residents in Georgia and New York evaluate flooding solutions and shape resilience planning.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The CHORUS research project will combine advanced flood modeling, artificial intelligence, and community partnerships to help coastal residents in Georgia and New York evaluate flooding solutions and shape resilience planning."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2026-09-09 17:30:40","changed_gmt":"2026-09-18 14:10:47","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681109":{"id":"681109","type":"image","title":"Alex Robel","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAlex Robel\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1788975052","gmt_created":"2026-09-09 17:30:52","changed":"1788975052","gmt_changed":"2026-09-09 17:30:52","alt":"Headshot of a smiling man","file":{"fid":"265466","name":"Robel55224553122_c82a2500b1_k.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/09\/Robel55224553122_c82a2500b1_k.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/09\/Robel55224553122_c82a2500b1_k.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":775472,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/09\/Robel55224553122_c82a2500b1_k.jpg?itok=LQ3vrmCk"}},"681110":{"id":"681110","type":"image","title":"Jill Gambill, executive director and senior research associate of the CEAR Hub, demonstrates a tide gate engineered to maintain storm sewer outflow capacity amidst rising sea levels to Georgia Tech students.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJill Gambill, executive director and senior research associate of the CEAR Hub, demonstrates a tide gate engineered to maintain storm sewer outflow capacity amidst rising sea levels to Georgia Tech students.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1788975321","gmt_created":"2026-09-09 17:35:21","changed":"1788975321","gmt_changed":"2026-09-09 17:35:21","alt":"Students view a tide gate to prevent flooding in a marshy area.","file":{"fid":"265467","name":"Jillbafkreic4slfm5vvdcatjamaxofnzvz7emg6fmxa4zmomgejdunhsb4vzoy.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/09\/Jillbafkreic4slfm5vvdcatjamaxofnzvz7emg6fmxa4zmomgejdunhsb4vzoy_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/09\/Jillbafkreic4slfm5vvdcatjamaxofnzvz7emg6fmxa4zmomgejdunhsb4vzoy_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1357639,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/09\/Jillbafkreic4slfm5vvdcatjamaxofnzvz7emg6fmxa4zmomgejdunhsb4vzoy_0.png?itok=pd_MVOtp"}}},"media_ids":["681109","681110"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/sciences.gatech.edu\/news\/rare-nasa-satellite-data-reveals-major-limits-flood-models","title":"Rare NASA Satellite Data Reveals Major Limits in Flood Models"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/13\/bringing-classroom-coast","title":"Bringing the Classroom to the Coast"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"181662","name":"Coastal Flooding"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"194631","name":"cos-georgia"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura S. Smith, writer\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}