Why disaster evacuation in the U.S. is so difficult

Over the past few days, Florida has been defined by images of gridlock and barren gas stations, as desperate drivers seek to escape Hurricane Milton. In response, Florida officials have suspended tolls and allowed driving on road shoulders, and sent state troopers to escort fuel trucks and supervise gas stations, where tensions are running high.

The drama playing out right now on roadways across the Sunshine State offers lessons in what should be done—and what should be done better—as more frequent climate change-fueled disasters beg for better systems for clearing out of harm’s way.

“It is essentially a congestion-management problem,” says Karl Kim, professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and director of the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center. “Everyone wants to leave as late as possible, leading to crowded roadways, congestion, people running out of gas, and challenges with EVs.”

That doesn’t even begin to address issues with those who need help evacuating, have mobility challenges and disabilities, or resource limitations in preparing to evacuate and often get overlooked or aren’t integrated into emergency planning.

Kim has seen some innovative systems and ideas taking hold in and around the areas in Milton’s path. Tampa’s efforts to get free Uber trips for evacuees needs to be encouraged, he says. The most important focus areas should be better utilizing transit systems, and partnering with paratransit systems, which are already aligned with social services agencies and at-risk populations. The Florida Department of Emergency Management has been coordinating EV chargers and fuel supplies, pre-staging support along evacuation routes, and arranging pick-up spots and departure times on shuttle buses for the most impacted counties.

A new era for evacuation

Kim’s organization, and others like it in Hawaii, have been working on better evacuation plans for the island state in the wake of the tragic Maui Fire of 2023. It’s currently a work in progress, he says. That disaster, which killed 101 people and leveled more than 2,000 structures in Lahaina, was exacerbated by communication challenges, including difficulty coordinating among rescue personnel amid the various blazes, clearing downed power lines, and navigating crowded streets. A better evacuation plan was a key recommendation from an official after-action report.

One of the biggest hurdles for U.S. evacuation planning remains our car-centric transportation system, which often seizes up in gridlock just during everyday rush hour. A majority of the 5.5 million people ordered to evacuate Florida’s west coast will travel by car. A plan that relies on a large mass of individual vehicles puts the emphasis on self-evacuation rather than transit-based systems, Kim says, and creates additional issues with fuel, parking, and driving on overcrowded roadways. In regions such as Southern California, areas prone to wildfires, have seen increased housing construction, which can create potential for fatal traffic jams as a sudden mass of drivers try to navigate hillside roads during a blaze.

“There’s not a place in this country where there’s not some segment of the population that is carless, so we need to start thinking about that more, especially as our population is aging,” John Renne, director of Florida Atlantic University’s Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions, told Smart Cities Drive.

Since much of evacuation planning in the U.S. is decentralized and reliant on the work of individual jurisdictions, more system-level thinking and better coordination with transit networks is lacking, adds Renne. A study he helped coordinate in 2022 found that many big cities hadn’t made or publicized their own evacuation plans. In addition to better preparation, he also suggests evacuation planning should become a more regular part of everyday life. It should be drilled into those who move to areas such as Florida, and also reinforced when visitors head to tourist attractions and theme parks in regions with a high risk of storms.

Leading by example

Kim says other countries have leveraged community and charted paths away from danger that don’t rely so heavily on cars. He points to the community-based programs following the tsunami in Japan, and the efforts to disseminate information to vulnerable populations through multiple channels including text, social media, NGOs, and neighborhood associations.

Japan has evolved its evacuation planning after suffering from numerous, significant earthquakes. Many areas have emergency transport routes that can automatically restrict normal vehicle usage during disasters, making it easier for support teams and medical and rescue staff to move, and channeling regular traffic to other routes. The country also has adopted drones for disaster support, including efforts to aid search and rescue, disaster-situation assessment, and relief transportation.

Back in the U.S., other areas with experience dealing with repeated storms and hurricanes have instituted their own ideas to improve disaster response. New Orleans created the evacuspots system after Katrina, a series of metal sculptures around the city that serve as rally points. During emergencies, media and local leaders can simply tell locals to head to these points, which look like a person raising their hand, and expect a bus pick-up that will take them to a shelter. It’s a quick, easy, and car-free means of heading to safety and higher ground.