The feasibility of vertical evacuation : Behavioral, legal, political, and structural considerations

The risk posed by hurricanes striking the coastal of the United States is significant and rising. Because of rapid population growth and insufficient new road construction along coastal areas, there exists a great potential for enormous loss of life. For some coastal areas it is already possible for the evacuation time to exceed accurate warning times. For example, in Galveston, Texas, the impending landfall of a Category 4 or 5 hurricane (131 mph or greater) would require total evacuation of the area, which is estimate to take 26 hours, while state-of-the-art forecasting techniques are capable of giving reliable predictions of strike location 12 hours before landfall.(AU)