Departure Timing Preference during Extreme Weather Events: Evidence from Hurricane Evacuation Behavior

Hurricane evacuation has become an increasingly complicated activity in the U.S. as it involves moving many people who live along the Atlantic coast and Gulf coast within a very limited time. A good deal of research has been conducted on hurricane evacuation, but only a limited number of studies have looked into the timing aspect of evacuation. This paper intends to contribute to the literature on evacuation timing decisions by investigating what factors influence the time preference at the household level. Two hurricane survey data sets were used to analyze household evacuation behaviors across the Gulf coast as well as the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic coast in a comparative perspective. Using the Heckman selection model, we examined various factors identified in the literature on the two possible outcomes (evacuation and early evacuation). We found that the most important determinants of evacuation were prior evacuation experience, evacuation orders, and risk perceptions, while the most important determinants of early evacuation were prior evacuation experiences, days spent at the evacuation destination, and the cost of evacuation. Socioeconomic factors also influenced the two decisions but differently. These results provide implications for future hurricane evacuation planning and for improving emergency management practices.