Research progress on characteristics and simulation of personnel evacuation process in urban floods

Abstract

[Objective] In recent years, urban areas have experienced frequent flooding, posing significant threats to public safety. The evacuation of residents from flooded roads and buildings, both before and during disasters, is critical as it directly influences the severity and aftermath of the disaster. [Methods] A comprehensive review of recent studies on flood evacuation was conducted, focusing on four key areas: flood evacuation risks, characteristics of human behavior, the impact of the built environment, and numerical simulations. [Results] The risk assessment of flood evacuation has established a preliminary foundation, yet discrepancies between research and real-world scenarios, along with the lack of standardized criteria, remain significant challenges. Evacuation behavior has been studied through risk assessments and route planning, while subjective behavior has been summarized from empirical data and video analysis. Research on the impact of architectural elements on evacuation, beyond shelters and staircases, is notably insufficient. While current evacuation models can simulate behaviors in simple scenarios, there is still a need for optimization in modeling complex behaviors, architectural features, and evacuation modes. [Conclusion ]Future research should integrate deep learning, big data, and other emerging technologies with experimental and simulation-based approaches to enhance flood evacuation risk control and human behavior studies. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses of various architectural factors' facilitating or hindering roles in the evacuation process are necessary. Finally, efforts should be made to translate research findings between the study of evacuation characteristics and simulation practices.

Keywords

flood and water-logging / personnel evacuation / evacuation speed / built environment / behavioral model / evacuation model / precipitation / risk assessment