Cell-Based Network Optimization Model for Staged Evacuation Planning under Emergencies

Abstract

Staged evacuation is widely used in emergency situations in which different parts of the target network may suffer different levels of severity over different time windows. By evacuating those populations in the network via an optimized sequence, the staged evacuation strategy can best use available roadway capacity, optimally distribute the total demand over the evacuation time horizon, and thus minimize the network congestion level. This study proposes a cell-based network model to capture critical characteristics associated with staged evacuation operations. The proposed model shows the ability to reflect incident impacts and arrival patterns of evacuees in computing the optimal starting time and routes for each evacuation zone. Preliminary numerical results have demonstrated the potential for applying the proposed staged evacuation model in real-world emergency management and planning.