HurricaneLog: A serious game for data collection and analysis of hurricane preparedness and response operations

Abstract

Hurricanes are destructive natural disasters that frequently cause significant damage and disrupt communities. An effective response relies on the swift actions of government and humanitarian organizations, and logistics play a crucial role in ensuring timely aid delivery. However, the complexity and unpredictability of disaster management can hinder decision making, often resulting in unintended outcomes. Data collection during emergency operations is challenging, and post-event surveys are prone to recall bias, creating barriers to obtaining valuable data to improve decision making. To address these challenges, we introduce HurricaneLog, a serious game that simulates disaster preparedness and response in a hurricane-prone region. By replicating realistic hurricane scenarios based on historical data, HurricaneLog provides a simulated environment to practice decision making and collect granular data, improving training for humanitarian logistics professionals and apprentices. This study contributes by introducing a publicly available game and proposing a methodological framework to analyze participants’ decisions and evaluate the effectiveness of the strategy. Detailed findings from an experiment involving 86 participants reveal decision-making patterns and provide practical evidence on disaster management strategies.