The first database on hurricane evacuation orders in the US could improve prevention actions in cities | Energy & Science

Every year, the North Atlantic hurricane season devastates Central America and parts of the United States, often causing loss of life and widespread economic and infrastructure damage. To make matters worse, hurricanes are becoming more powerful due to climate change and given this, some scientists argue that a new category, Level 6, should be added to the Saffir-Simpson scale to classify this phenomenon.

Faced with an event that is likely to get worse, researchers at the University of Virginia have released the first database of hurricane evacuation orders in the United States. They spent countless hours collecting all public evacuation orders in that country to create a database that can be used by researchers and practitioners to measure the effectiveness of evacuation policies.

According to scientists, by examining what worked (and what didn’t), governments can increase community resilience, create better policies and, ultimately, reduce loss of life. The database, called HEvOD (Hurricane Evacuation Order Database), includes evacuation orders issued by official state and local agencies in response to hurricanes that affected the US between 2014 and 2022, referring to a total of 25 hurricanes.

They collected specific data regarding each evacuation order, including information about the type of order (mandatory or voluntary), the date and time the order was announced, and the areas targeted by the evacuation order. The database also includes information on states of emergency declared by governors in response to the incidents and their consequences.

While evacuation orders are critical for public safety during hurricanes, there was no database of historical orders. “As we head toward more intense hurricane seasons due to climate change, this would be valuable to help our communities become more resilient and protect themselves in the face of potentially impending storms,” ​​the researchers said.

The database can be accessed publicly Libradataopen access repository at the University of Virginia. Researchers have already begun using HEvOD to answer some of the questions about evacuation decision making in hurricanes.

“For example, in one study, we are quantifying the effectiveness of mandatory hurricane evacuation orders issued in Florida in response to Hurricane Dorian (2019). In another study, we are comparing the relationship between evacuation orders and evacuation patterns in the cases of Hurricane Ian (2022) and Hurricane Idalia (2023)”, he explained.