Influence of Evacuation Start Time, Route Selection, Geographical Characteristics, and Flood Propagation Patterns on Horizontal Evacuation During Flooding: A Case Study of the Heavy Rainfall in July 2020 in Hitoyoshi City

Key Points

• The research aims to estimate the critical time limits for horizontal evacuation during floods in Hitoyoshi City while assessing factors impacting success rates.
• Flood analysis and multi-agent evacuation simulation conducted during heavy rainfall in July 2020.
• Evaluation of evacuation success rates based on starting times, route selections, and geographical characteristics.
• Comparison of optimal versus shortest paths considering flooding conditions.
• Optimal route selections excluding impassable roads improved evacuation success rates.
• Paths that avoided small-scale flooding sometimes resulted in evacuation failures, especially for adult males.
• Delays in starting evacuation significantly reduced success rates, underscoring the importance of early evacuation.