Before the Storm: Stressors Associated with the Hurricane Irma Evacuation Process for Families

Abstract

ObjectiveParents and children are vulnerable populations following hurricanes, and evacuation is an important safety strategy. Yet, little is known about “before the storm” stressors, particularly the surrounding evacuation, affecting families. Thus, following Hurricane Irma, we evaluated both stressful and positive aspects of the evacuation process for families, and we compared perceived safety and stress before, during, and after the hurricane across evacuating and non-evacuating families.MethodsSouth Florida parents of children under age 18 years (N=554; 97% mothers) completed an online survey in the months following Hurricane Irma, assessing perceptions of stress, safety, and evacuation experiences. Quantitative data and open-ended responses were gathered.ResultsMost families (82%) residing in mandatory evacuation zones evacuated, although many not in mandatory zones (46%) also evacuated. Parents who evacuated felt significantly safer during the storm, but more stressed before and during the storm, than non-evacuees. Evacuation-related travel and multiple family issues were rated as most stressful, although some positive aspects of evacuation were offered.ConclusionFindings have implications for emergency planners (eg, pre-/post-storm traffic flow needs, emotional needs of parents arriving at shelters) and for families (eg, importance of developing family disaster plans, controlling media exposure) to reduce evacuation stress for future storms. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:63-73)

“My Kids Are My Priority”: Mothers’ Decisions to Evacuate for Hurricane Irma and Evacuation Intentions for Future Hurricanes

“…Most of the excluded participants failed to provide complete or consistent child birth date and age information (n=27). (See La Greca et al, 2019 for details).…”

“…This study was part of a broader project assessing Irma-related storm experiences among South Florida families (e.g., La Greca et al, 2019). The Institutional Review Boards at the relevant universities approved all procedures and materials.…”

“…Having multiple children may require greater resources to evacuate (e.g., paying for larger, or more than one, hotel room). Notably, recent work suggests that making evacuation decisions is particularly stressful for families (La Greca et al, 2019), but additional research is needed to understand key factors that contribute to evacuation decisions for families with children.…”

“…In addition to the aforementioned factors, little is known about psychological factors relevant to evacuation decisions, although recent findings indicate that parents report evacuation experiences to be highly stressful (La Greca et al, 2019). Past work incorporating psychological variables has almost exclusively focused on individuals’ perceptions of risk, finding that individuals are more likely to evacuate when they estimate the threat to their personal safety and the integrity of their home to be greater (Huang et al, 2016; Thompson et al, 2017).…”

Neural vulnerability and hurricane-related media predict posttraumatic stress in youth

“…), witnessing exposure (e.g., child saw someone badly hurt during hurricane), or damage to property (e.g., broken windows, flooding, or water damage from storm) during and after the hurricane. Data on an independent sample suggest that such exposures were significant sources of stress for families involved in Hurricane Irma, both before and during the storm and surrounding evacuation 27 . The Objective Exposure variable is determined by parent report.…”