HEvOD is a database that collects and stores information on hurricane evacuation orders issued in the United States.

The text introduces the Hurricane Evacuation Order Database (HEvOD), a database focused on hurricane evacuation orders issued in the United States between 2014 and 2022. The primary aim of this database is to address the lack of standardized, high-temporal-resolution data on historical evacuation orders, which hampers the understanding of the causal relationships between evacuation orders and decision-making during hurricane emergencies. The increasing frequency and severity of hurricanes in the United States have underscored the importance of improving emergency response strategies, with evacuation playing a crucial role in mitigating the impact of these natural disasters.

The HEvOD database provides detailed information on evacuation orders, including the type of order (mandatory or voluntary), announcement time, effective time, and the designated evacuation areas. The compilation process involved retrieving data from various sources such as official websites, social media accounts of government agencies, and news platforms. The database's rich attributes and high-temporal resolution enable researchers to study the effectiveness of evacuation policies, analyze evacuation decision-making, and identify areas for improvement in current evacuation strategies.

The development of HEvOD involved a meticulous process of hurricane selection, data collection, refinement, and validation. Hurricanes were selected based on their impact and the issuance of a State of Emergency, leading to the inclusion of 25 hurricanes in the database. Data collection involved sourcing information from official announcements, social media accounts, and news platforms to ensure accuracy and reliability. Standardization measures were implemented during data refinement to address discrepancies and ensure consistency across the database.

The HEvOD database is publicly available through LibraData and includes a visualization dashboard for mandatory evacuation orders. It offers insights into the number of mandatory evacuation orders issued during specific hurricanes and the spatial distribution of these orders across different counties. The database presents a valuable resource for researchers and policymakers to analyze evacuation strategies, improve policy design, and enhance disaster mitigation efforts during hurricanes.

Overall, the HEvOD database fills a significant gap in existing datasets related to hurricane evacuation orders, providing a comprehensive and structured repository of historical evacuation data. It serves as a critical tool for studying evacuation decision-making, evaluating the effectiveness of evacuation policies, and informing strategic planning for hurricane emergencies.

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-024-03100-x

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