Disaster Evacuation Behavior Among Transient Populations

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What are the social processes that pattern disaster evacuation behavior among transient populations? Little or no research has been directed toward this question. Transient populations are defined as persons who are not in the community where they normally reside at the time they initiate disaster evacuation behavior. There are at least four sub-types: tourists, business travellers, migrant workers, and people in the process of relocating (including the homeless). The research has five objectives: (1) to describe the sequence of behavior that culminates in actual evacuation from disaster sites among transient populations; (2) to describe the range of variation that may exist among these behavioral sequences among population sub-types, urban- rural event locations, and disaster phases (i.e., pre or post-impact evacuation); (3) to identify factors that account for the variation in these behavioral sequences, e.g., disaster warning receiver characteristics, warning message characteristics, social group qualities, organizational qualities and community characteristics; (4) document perceptions of transients who have been disaster victims regarding evacuation procedures implemented by governmental agency representatives and private sector organizational executives; and (5) formulate policy recommendations for emergency managers and business executives. In accordance with disaster design requirements, field interviews will be conducted following major disasters resulting from earthquakes and other agents in eight locations wherein large numbers of transients have evacuated.