Citation

Yin W, Cordahi G, Roden D, Wolshon B. Int. J. Disaster Risk Reduct. 2018; 31: 1245-1253.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ijdrr.2018.01.013

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

As the number, severity, and frequency of events for which evacuations are viewed as a protective action continue to evolve and increase, there is a need to explore new methods and techniques to increase the effectiveness of mass population movements. This paper summarizes a recent United States Department of Transportation research study to evaluate the application of emerging advanced traffic communication technologies to facilitate evacuations. Specifically, the project involved the examined risk reduction impacts of EVAC, which is an application of the Response, Emergency Staging and Communications, Uniform Management, and Evacuation (R.E.S.C.U.M.E.) bundle based on connected-vehicle technology. Using a simulation model of the Greater New Orleans region to represent the mass evacuation that occurred during Hurricane Katrina, the analysis assessed EVAC using seven simulation scenarios including one baseline scenario and six strategy scenarios in which an EVAC functionality or a combination of functionalities were modeled. Each scenario was evaluated with three levels of EVAC penetration and compliance rates. The strategy scenarios were compared to the baseline scenario to determine the risk-reduction benefit of the applied EVAC functionality. Based on the results of the modeling efforts, the EVAC functionalities that were evaluated showed positive impacts for several key aspects of hurricane evacuation including congestion reduction, improved mobility, and shorter travel times to resources.

Language: en

Keywords

Connected-vehicle; EVAC; Hurricane evacuation; Simulation; TRANSIMS