Evacuation during flooding: Higher ground is often better than fleeing
Wednesday, September 25, 2013 - 08:30
in Earth & Climate
What is the best evacuation strategy during a flood threat? Contingency plans are particularly focused on preventative evacuation. However, that is not always feasible or smart. Instead Bas Kolen demonstrates that it can be wiser to employ a basic strategy of 'vertical evacuation' in contingency plans, with evacuees moving to a higher floor or a dry location in a flooded area. 'Following current contingency plans, it may happen that we send people in the wrong direction.' That is why he has prepared an information leaflet outlining contingency plans. Kolen will defend his PhD thesis at Radboud University Nijmegen on Wednesday 9 October.