Simulated effectiveness of a car evacuation from a tsunami

Evacuation plays an important role in saving lives during tsunamis. Although evacuation by vehicle is generally not recommended, it could be helpful for vulnerable people who cannot walk fast (e.g. the disabled, elderly, or infants). In the present study, the authors developed an agent-based tsunami evacuation model that considers the behaviour of both pedestrians and car evacuees, which can be important to formulate effective evacuation plans. The model developed was validated through comparisons with the actual traffic jams observed at Tagajyo City, Japan during the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake Tsunami. The model was then applied to another coastal city in Japan (Shinguu City) to investigate the effectiveness of an evacuation plan that considers vehicle use for evacuation during a future Nankai-Tonankai Earthquake Tsunami. The simulated results indicate that considering the capacity of evacuation places and the choice of route is important for a successful evacuation, especially for a coastal area where the number of evacuees could exceed the total capacity of its evacuation buildings.