Hurricane Andrew assessment - Louisiana : review of hurricane evacuation studies utilization and information dissemination.

Prior to Hurricane Andrew's landfall in Louisiana on August 26, 1992, a comprehensive hurricane evacuation study was being finalized for the lower southeast coast of that state. The study was jointly prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the State of Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness, and the National Weather Service. Unfortunately, emergency managers in the state were not equipped with all the final study products when the hurricane hit. This research sought to evaluate whether local and state officials used interim products already produced in the study; whether data regarding storm hazards, behavioral characteristics of evacuees, shelter information, evacuation times, decision making, and public information were accurate and reliable; which study products were the most useful; and whether improvements could be made