Spontaneous Evacuation Following a Dirty Bomb or Pandemic Influenza: Highlights from a National Survey of Urban Residents' Intended Behavior   [open pdf - 1MB]

"Rural preparedness planning efforts generally focus on the needs of area residents following a local emergency situation. The potential for spontaneous evacuation of urban residents following a disaster or public health crisis is rarely considered. Such an evacuation is a particular concern for rural areas, which would be quickly overwhelmed by the significant population increase. To supplement the Walsh Center's work on urban-to-rural evacuation, a national survey was fielded to assess the evacuation intentions of urban citizens following emergency scenarios. Scenarios included were the detonation of a radiological device (i.e., dirty bomb) and an influenza pandemic. The dirty bomb scenario was chosen as an event likely to cause few casualties, but significant panic and, as a result, a high level of self-evacuation."