Rectifying a flood data desert one step at a time: a co-created, engaged scholarship approach

Attention to public problems is increasingly being driven by data. Given that data is used as a communication tool, a lack of data may further exacerbate existing inequities when allocating public resources, especially around infrastructure. Using a co-creation and power-sharing approach to community involvement, this field report describes how a rural community and academic partners worked together to collect photo and video data to create a community-driven flood map that communicates flood issues. The results indicate community members felt like they belong, are valued, and their flooding challenges are visible. These are all important steps to achieving attention and support to address their flooding infrastructure challenges. We end by offering six concrete suggestions, ranging from centering community needs to interdisciplinary collaboration, for how this approach can be used in other applied communication projects.