The effects of transportation network failure on people’s accessibility to hurricane disaster relief goods: a modeling approach and application to a Florida case study

Abstract

Following the catastrophic and devastating Atlantic Hurricane seasons in 2004 and 2005, there has been increased interest in formulating planning directives and policy aimed at minimizing the societal impacts of future storms. Not all populations will evacuate an area forecast to be affected by a hurricane, so emergency managers must plan for these people who remain behind. Such planning includes making food, water, ice, and other provisions available at strategic locations throughout an affected area. Recent research has tackled problems related to humanitarian and relief goods distribution with respect to hurricanes. Experience shows that the torrential rains and heavy winds associated with hurricanes can severely damage transportation network infrastructure rendering it unusable. Scanning the literature on hurricane disaster relief provision, there are no studies that expressly consider the potential damage that may be caused to a transportation network by strong storms. This paper examines the impacts of simulated network failures on hurricane disaster relief planning strategies, using a smaller Florida City as an example. A relief distribution protocol is assumed where goods distribution points are set up in predetermined locations following the passage of a storm. Simulation results reveal that modest disruptions to the transportation network produce marked changes in the number and spatial configuration of relief facilities. At the same time, the transportation network appears to be robust and is able to support relief service provision even at elevated levels of hypothesized disruption.

The Impact of Hurricane Maria on the Vegetation of Dominica and Puerto Rico Using Multispectral Remote Sensing

“…However, it is time-consuming and expensive to investigate the full extent and magnitude of landscape and property damage using traditional field survey approaches [8,9]. This is because tropical cyclones disrupt communication systems and restrict travel, due to flooding and damaged transport networks [10,11]. Compared with field surveys, remote sensing is a cost-effective tool for monitoring large-scale forest destruction after hazardous events.…”

A Stochastic Optimization Model for Designing Last Mile Relief Networks

“…Horner and Downs (2010) include the decisions on the amount of goods delivered from the LDCs to the PODs, and Widener and Horner (2011) consider multiple types of distribution points, where each type of facility can offer different relief goods and services. Horner and Widener (2011) consider a capacitated p-median model to locate post-hurricane facilities and simulate the model in an uncertain environment to investigate the effects of link failures on the location decisions. Some studies consider location and transportation decisions simultaneously in a postdisaster setting (e.g., Yi and Ozdamar 2007;Rath and Gutjahr 2011;Afshar and Haghani 2012;Lin et al 2012;Tricoire, Graf, and Gutjahr 2012).…”

Metadata-based Needs Assessment for Emergency Transportation Operations with a Focus on an Aging Population: A Case Study in Florida

“…Mapping systems and transportation network analysis software should be used to identify shelter locations (including special needs and pet friendly) based on the population characteristics/features of the affected region and the accessibility of the shelters via different modes of transportation. This requires the involvement and integration of mathematical models (such as distance-based clustering) that can determine the optimal location and allocation of the shelters (Horner & Downs, 2010;Horner & Widener, 2011).…”