Evacuation Needs of Homeless People in Waikiki, O‘ahu

The challenges facing emergency managers and transportation planners in evacuating homeless individuals are exacerbated by the increasing threats from climate change and continued growth in homeless populations. This study examines homeless evacuation alternatives in Waikiki, O‘ahu, a dense urban resort destination exposed to coastal hazards. In addition to the problems of identifying homeless individuals and notifying them of impending threats and risks, there are challenges in transporting individuals to safe zones outside of harm’s way. This study evaluated the effectiveness of public and private transportation alternatives for evacuating homeless individuals. Decision trees were used to estimate the evacuation response and fatality rates during tsunamis at 3 p.m. and 3 a.m. and hurricane events. The study investigated evacuation alternatives: 1) do nothing, 2) bus evacuation, and 3) community-assisted evacuation. The research demonstrated that combining public and private transportation resources could significantly improve the survival rates of homeless individuals during evacuation. With combined public and private transportation assets, homeless survival rates were estimated to increase by 10.33% for tsunami and 39.76% for hurricane scenarios. Investigation of new collaborative strategies and improved coordination in emergency evacuation planning will save even more lives and enhance social equity during disasters.