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Citation |
Kolen B. Disasters 2012; 36(4): 700-722. |
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Affiliation |
Senior Advisor Flood and Disaster Management, HKV Consultants, and PhD Researcher, Radbout University Nijmegen, Netherlands. |
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Copyright |
(Copyright © 2012, John Wiley and Sons) |
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DOI |
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PMID |
22356553 |
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Abstract |
On 30 May 2008, the Government of the Netherlands informed the national parliament about the effectiveness of preventive evacuation of coastal and river areas in case of flooding. Analysis of a case study showed that it is impossible to evacuate coastal areas preventively within a 48-hour time span preceding a worst credible scenario flood caused by a storm surge. This fact illustrates the need for alternative evacuation strategies, such as vertical evacuation (evacuating to safe havens, inside the flood zone) or shelter-in-place (hiding), to reduce loss of life and the impact of the evacuation. This paper defines these strategies and demonstrates, by returning to the case study used by the Dutch government, that they require different measures, methods of approach, and crisis management processes. In addition, it addresses the need for flexible and scalable preparation so that after detecting and understanding the threat, authorities and citizens can make decisions about different evacuation strategies. Language: en |