Risk Area Accuracy and Hurricane Evacuation Expectations of Coastal Residents

Abstract

This study examined the accuracy with which Texas coastal residents were able to locate their residences on hurricane risk area maps provided to them. Overall, only 36% of the respondents correctly identified their risk areas and another 28% were off by one risk area. Risk area accuracy shows minimal correlations with respondents’ demographic characteristics but is negatively correlated with the respondent’s previous hurricane exposure and evacuation experience. Ultimately, risk area accuracy appears to have little significance because it is uncorrelated with evacuation expectations. Instead, the latter were related to respondents’ previous hazard experience and expected evacuation context.