Communities with the Worst Evacuation Routes

Evacuation planning is tough, especially in the communities that have ineffective evacuation routes.  Luckily, a new analysis by StreetLight Data sheds light on the most “evacuation-challenged” communities in the U.S., and this intelligence is invaluable for emergency planners in those areas. 

How the Country’s Worst Evacuation Routes Were Determined

The StreetLight analysis evaluated 30,000 communities in the U.S. with less than 40,000 residents.  Selecting smaller towns for the analysis was done on purpose, as these areas are said to have a greater propensity for road bottlenecks, as well as a limited amount of resources to address problem areas.

The key variables that were assessed are the total number of exit routes in each community, the overall condition of each exit route, the percentage of drivers that take these exit routes on any given day, and the area’s total population.  The analysis also considered differences based on time of year, type of disaster, and the distribution of residents across the total area of the community. 

Millions of data points were collected from GPS devices and Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, and then “mapped” into visual travel patterns.  The top 20 communities with the most challenged evacuation routes can be found here.  When aggregated at the state level, Florida, California, and Arizona are the 3 states that topped the list as having the worst evacuation routes in America. 

Obviously, this analysis is critical for emergency planning officials, especially in the worst offending communities, because it helps decision-makers understand the scope of their evacuation problem, as well as the specific evacuation routes that are most in need of remediation.  In terms of emergency preparedness for both municipalities and utility companies, this is fantastic news!