During disasters and emergencies, individuals often act together to offer one another mutual aid and assistance, sharing resources and supplies to ensure the safety of all members of a community. However, in the case of hurricane evacuation, normally positive factors of community strength (social capital, social cohesion, and large social networks) may paradoxically provide incentives for certain persons to avoid following evacuation orders issued by authorities. In particular, long-term residents, defined as those living in the community for more than 10 years, fail to follow evacuation orders at a higher rate than other groups. Peer pressure, perceived obligations to family, friends, and community organizations, and membership in a very close-knit social group that has weathered many previous storms all may play a role in this failure of long-term residents to evacuate.
Past research has primarily looked at demographic and socio-economic factors, such as age, income, level of education, composition of household, and race or ethnicity to understand the hurricane evacuation decision. This study will take a different approach and look at social factors that contribute to community bonding. Data sources will include information about volunteerism, involvement in local civic organizations, neighborhood solidarity and trust, location and numbers of family members and friends, perception of local government and other factors that may quantify social causes for evacuation failure. If it is indeed their strong social ties, generally seen as a public good, that lead to long-term residents' failure to evacuate, the identification of new interventions that could increase evacuation among this group has broad potential impact for public health and safety.
