Written by Maddy May, PRTM undergraduate student.
On March 23rd, 2026, we kicked off our first webinar in the Destination Ready Series with a North Carolina Showcase. We wanted to focus on the information that our panelists shared that is currently available for decision-making and planning in terms of disaster preparedness and relief. Below, we have aggregated resources from our speakers that offer up-to-date information about their data and findings.
We first heard from Allison Whitaker, an Extension Associate with the North Carolina State Climate Office (1) who shared insights on how climate data is used to inform decision-making and strengthen resilience across the state. With a background in science communication and over a decade of experience, Whitaker emphasized the importance of translating complex climate data into actionable information for leaders in both the public and private sectors.
A key concept she introduced was “weather whiplash,” describing the rapid and unpredictable shifts between extreme weather conditions that North Carolina increasingly faces. She explained that these patterns have wide-ranging impacts, affecting the state’s natural resources, infrastructure, cultural heritage, and overall community stability, particularly for low-income populations who are more vulnerable to environmental disruptions.
Events such as Hurricane Helene demonstrate how these extreme and shifting conditions can have long-lasting effects on families, businesses, and entire regions. To help communities better understand and respond to these challenges, Whitaker highlighted several key resources, including forecasting and alert systems from the National Weather Service (2). She also included climate monitoring tools and research provided by the North Carolina State Climate Office and the North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies (3). Together, these tools support more informed planning and decision-making in the face of a changing and increasingly unpredictable climate.
Whitaker highlighted several key challenges, all of which connect back to the increasing unpredictability of weather patterns. The North Carolina State Climate blog (4) is one of the last websites provided, which features ongoing insights and analysis of North Carolina’s changing climate. For a more logistical source, take a look at North Carolina's Climate Science Report, which showcases a scientific assessment of climate trends and possible climate changes.
Andrea Webster, a resilience policy advisor of the North Carolina State Office of Resilience, provided valuable insight into how North Carolina prepares for and responds to disasters. Her presentation emphasized the importance of using data, tools, and cross-agency partnerships to help the state’s tourism economy adapt to extreme weather conditions.
Webster first highlighted the growing threat of extreme heat and heat-related illness. She shared a first source from the NC Department of Health and Human Services that shares how to know the signs of heat illness (5). Andrea helped define extreme heat, identify where it is most prevalent, and educate the public on how to recognize and respond to heat illness. The next source identifies populations and areas most vulnerable to heat-related illness, a growing concern as extreme heat events become more frequent (6).
Andrea shared a “Heat Action Plan Toolkit” to educate and provide guidance on how to be proactive in terms of heat illness and how to potentially prevent it (7). She also suggested that North Carolina adopt a flag or warning system based on the heat index to communicate better when conditions become dangerous. She linked a “thresholds for extreme heat map,” which allows users to monitor local heat index levels and recognize when conditions become unsafe (8). This will hopefully make people aware of the extreme heat temperatures they may be facing. To keep people informed, linked below is a Heat Health Alert Signup, which notifies you when dangerous heat is upon you (9).
Throughout her presentation, Webster emphasized that effective disaster response depends on proactive planning, data-driven decision-making, and strong collaboration between state agencies and local communities. She highlighted platforms like the North Carolina State Climate Office, which has a website where you can explore weather stations across North Carolina (10). The NC Resilience Exchange also has an actions database that displays a database of climate resilience actions categorized by hazard, asset, action type, and sub-action type (11). The table also lists an existing plan that includes the same or a similar action. Andrea followed her talk by discussing the “Planning for the Extreme Cohort” Program. Local leaders can help by tracking heat conditions, identifying vulnerable populations, and finding ways to reduce health and financial impacts. The state offers a free “Planning for Extreme Heat Cohort” program to support communities (12).
Webster also addressed flood hazards, stressing the importance of understanding location-specific risks. She introduced the NC Resilience Exchange Vulnerability Map, which identifies high-risk flood areas and encourages individuals to consider factors such as flood insurance and geographic vulnerability (13). The New River is a popular tourism destination within NC for outdoor recreation such as kayaking, tubing, and swimming. Andrea proposed installing kiosks at access points of rivers like this to inform visitors about current river conditions and safety risks. This approach could help prevent accidents, save lives, and reduce the need for costly rescue operations. Her last source was a flood advisory layer that performs flood hazard mapping studies that help inform, protect, and preserve the lives and properties of the citizens in North Carolina (14).
Lastly, we heard from Andre and Emily at VisitNC, who discussed tourism's response to disasters. Andre Nabors has served as Partner & Community Relations Manager for Visit North Carolina, part of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, since 2014. He works with communities across the state to promote North Carolina’s natural, historic, and cultural resources and strengthen sustainable tourism. Emily Prickett, Public Relations Specialist for Visit North Carolina, promotes destinations across the state by coordinating media visits, organizing press tours, and hosting events that connect journalists with tourism partners.
Andre and Emily discussed how the organization relied on partnerships to assess the tourism impacts following Hurricane Helene. Initially, they recommended avoiding travel to the most affected areas while communities recovered. They explained that many tourism challenges stemmed from public perception, as media coverage can shape how people perceive a destination’s safety and readiness.
When asked about the role of artificial intelligence (AI), Emily noted that AI-generated images have increasingly contributed to misleading narratives about disasters like Hurricane Helene. To address this, Visit North Carolina hosted journalists in western North Carolina to show what conditions were actually like and conducted recovery research to understand messaging needs for areas that were not heavily impacted. They sought to ensure that stories from VNC and community partners were more frequent. Emily said, “A lot of the effects of disaster on tourism are perception.” They also directed audiences to WNC Recovery Resources, which provided up-to-date information on which areas were open, how to safely visit, and ways to support impacted communities (15).
Because public perception of Hurricane Helene significantly influenced travel behavior, Visit North Carolina worked to highlight areas in western North Carolina that were ready to welcome visitors while also identifying communities that could be better supported from afar. To address widespread concerns that discouraged travel, they adapted their marketing strategies to reflect current conditions and recovery progress. In collaboration with Josh Stein, they launched the “Imagine the Unforgettable” recovery campaign, which aimed to rebuild confidence and encourage visitors to return to the mountain region. Through these efforts, Visit North Carolina sought to correct misconceptions and promote a balanced message that supported both immediate recovery needs and long-term tourism revitalization.
The North Carolina Resource Showcase highlighted the growing challenges of an unpredictable climate and the importance of preparedness across sectors. Insights from Allison Whitaker and Andrea Webster emphasized the need for data-driven decision-making, proactive planning, and strong partnerships to build resilience.
The webinar also showed how communication plays a critical role in recovery, particularly for Visit North Carolina following Hurricane Helene. Overall, it reinforced that combining accurate information, effective strategies, and community support is essential to helping North Carolina adapt and recover from future disasters.
“Defining the Problem” Resources:
