Special needs hurricane shelters and the ageing population: development of a methodology and a case study application |
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| Authors: | Mark W Horner Eren Erman Ozguven Jean Michael Marcelin Ayberk Kocatepe |
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| Affiliation: | 1. PhD is a Professor in the Department of Geography, Florida State University, United States;2. PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Florida A&M University–Florida State University College of Engineering, United States;3. Graduate Research Assistant in the Department of Geography, Florida State University, United States;4. Graduate Research Assistant in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Florida A&M University–Florida State University College of Engineering, United States |
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| Abstract: | Recent experience of hurricanes, particularly in the southeast United States, has heightened awareness of the multifaceted nature of and the challenges to effective disaster relief planning. One key element of this planning is providing adequate shelter at secure locations for people who evacuate. Some of these individuals will have ‘special needs’, yet there is little research on the relationship with shelter space. This study designed a geographic information systems‐based network optimisation methodology for the siting of special needs hurricane relief shelters, with a focus on the transportation component. It sought to find new locations for shelters that maximise accessibility by vulnerable populations, given capacity constraints, concentrating on the ageing population. The framework was implemented in a medium‐sized metropolitan statistical area in the state of Florida where data suggest a possible deficit in special needs shelter space. The study analysed options for increasing special needs shelter capacity, while considering potential uncertainties in transportation network availability. |
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| Keywords: | ageing population geographic information systems (GIS) hurricanes shelters spatial optimisation special needs |
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