Determinants of full and partial household evacuation decision making in hurricane matthew

• Published in: Transportation research. Part D, Transport and environment Vol. 83; p. 102313
• Main Authors: Alawadi, Roaa, Murray-Tuite, Pamela, Marasco, David, Ukkusuri, Satish, Ge, Yue
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2020
• Subjects: Hurricane evacuation; Hurricane Matthew; Partial household evacuation; Random parameters; Hurricane evacuation; Hurricane Matthew; Partial household evacuation; Random parameters
• ISSN: 1361-9209; 1879-2340
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trd.2020.102313

•We add partial household evacuation to the traditional evacuate/stay decision.•A random parameters multinomial logit model determines the influential factors.•Several factors are more nuanced than previously believed.•Household members’ opinions and actions may vary.•Households may not always be the appropriate level of analysis for evacuations. This paper adds partial household evacuation to the traditional binary evacuate/stay decision. Based on data from a survey of Jacksonville, FL residents after Hurricane Matthew, multinomial (MNL) and random parameter MNL models were developed to determine the influential factors and whether some variables’ effects are more nuanced than prior literature suggests. The random parameter model was preferred to the fixed parameters model. Variables significant in this model included injury concern, certainty about hurricane impact location, age, marital status, family cohesion, and living in mobile or detached homes. Greater injury concern results in lower likelihood of none of the household evacuating and greater likelihood of partial evacuation, but lower likelihood of full household evacuation. Similarly, greater certainty about hurricane impact increased the probability of partial household evacuation but decreased the probability of full evacuation. Respondent age had heterogenous effects; for 85.54% of respondents, additional years of age increased the likelihood of the household staying. Married households had a higher likelihood of staying or evacuating together. Similarly, greater family cohesion was associated with the household remaining together. Living in mobile homes decreased the likelihood that all of the household stays or evacuates and increased the probability of partial household evacuation. Living in a single-family detached home was associated with lower likelihood of all of the household staying or evacuating and a greater likelihood of a partial household evacuation. These findings can inform strategies that influence full or partial household evacuations, material requirements based on these decisions, and ways to reduce family risk.