Factors affecting post-evacuation behaviors following an earthquake: A questionnaire-based survey

In order to elucidate the factors that influence the post-evacuation behaviors of university members following an earthquake, this study administered a questionnaire survey to 109 faculty members, graduate students, and undergraduates at a national university in Japan, and investigated the situations in which they were likely to return to their university building. Through face-to-face interviews, the participants were asked to rate the extent to which they would return to their evacuated university building, based on 13 situations. The results indicated that they were more likely to return to their building in several situations, including when the building was not severely damaged, when they did not evacuate with their personal belongings, when individuals with disabilities remained in the building, and after the other evacuees began returning to the building. In contrast, their return was more unlikely when the building was severely damaged (due to fire or an accidental gas leak) or when there was a mandatory no-entry order implemented. In addition, the exploratory factor analysis yielded two factors (i.e., Environmental and Disaster severity), while gender differences influenced the use of restroom facilities on campus. The findings of this study provide useful insights into emergency management and planning for buildings that store and handle hazardous materials.