Citation

Aguirre BE. Int. J. Mass Emerg. Disasters 1991; 9(1): 31-45.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1991, International Sociological Association, International Research Committee on Disasters)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper describes the evacuation of the population of Cancun, Mexico, during Hurricane Gilbert and identifies some of the correlates of their evacuation behavior. The information was collected during a post-disaster visit conducted one week after impact (September 13, 1988) and as part of a survey a year later of a random sample of 431 persons 18 years old and older who resided in Cancun at the time of the disaster. The majority of the evacuees found shelter in the homes of friends, neighbors, and relatives and were gone from their homes a week or less. Socioeconomic status (SES) and higher numbers of family contacts did not increase the probability of evacuation. The environmental context and physical characteristics of residences are significant variables impacting on the perceptions of risk and on subsequent evacuation behavior.