Hurricane Research: Institute for Public Opinion Research(IPOR)

CURRENT HURRICANE RESEARCH
Institute for Public Opinion Research
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Florida International University

IPOR home page

hurricane information links

Hurricane Ivan Behavioral Study

This project involved a telephone survey of 3,200 Gulf Coast residents in areas that had evacuations for Hurricane Ivan in 2004. This work was done as a subcontract to Dewberry and was funded by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Final Report -- go to "Ivan" at the top of the page and then "Behavioral Data" -- PDF file

National Science Foundation Grant: Effects of Hurricane Katrina on Evacuation Intent: A Panel Study

Hugh Gladwin is PI of this NSF funded project for a study of the evacuation for Hurricane Katrina in areas that had been evacuated for Hurricane Ivan the year below (see Ivan study above). Co-PI is Dr. Fang Zhao, who is studying evacuation transportation availability and traffic issues.

Project Abstract

Hurricane Forecast Social and Economic Working Group and other Planning Activities

This group was formed by NOAA in 2003 to develop a consensus social science research agenda focused on the hurricane forecast and warning system. Gladwin has collaborated closely with its work and is co-author and presenter of a number of its products. See:

Hurricane Forecast and Warning System Social Science Research Agenda web page
Mission Statement (PDF)

Similar involvement took place with a workshop, Disaster Reduction--Theory and Practise, sponsored by NSF and put on by the Hazards and Vulnerability Research Institute, University of South Carolina in 2007. Please contact Gladwin for further information on these activities.

Coastal Louisiana Post-Katrina Evacuation Planning Survey

At the beginning of April 2006, IPOR and Dr. Betty Morrow, working for Dewberry and URS, commenced a behavioral study of coastal Louisiana parishes as residents prepare for the 2006 hurricane season. IPOR surveyed 681 residents of 12 parishes in coastal Louisiana between April 12 and April 27, 2006. The analysis was completed and final report submitted May 8, 2006.

Miami-Dade County Local Mitigation Strategy

IPOR has supported the work of Miami-Dade County's LMS in many ways over the years. One activity is a 5-minute presentation given at the quarterly LMS Working Group meetings to outline some aspect of hurricane research by IPOR and FIU. This PDF is the presentation given June 13, 2007, discussing the effect of day/night timing on hurricane evacuation. It raises the question of what could have happened if Hurricane Floyd had acted like Hurricane Charley.

Hurricane Wilma in Cancun

IPOR director Hugh Gladwin went to Cancun with architect Ricardo Alvarez and wind engineer Tim Reinhold to assess preparation for and damages resulting from Hurricane Wilma. Funding for the trip was from the Quintana Roo state government. Informe Preliminar (PDF)

Hurricane Frances pilot pre-impact survey questionnaire

This pilot survey tested the feasibility of doing a brief survey of people living in an evacuation zone as a hurricane approaches. After the hurricane follow up interviews were done with respondents who had been interviewed in the first survey. Report

Hurricane Floyd evacuation measured by the FIU/Florida Poll

The statewide FIU/Florida Poll conducted late fall 1999 provided an opportunity to evaluate evacuation rates and study the effect of previous hurricanes on evacuation behavior. Report