In the summer of 2006, the West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety (WVDMAPS) requested a research team from West Virginia University (WVU) conduct a study of the public’s potential response to a range of terrorist attack scenarios in Washington, D.C. The reason for this request was a concern that a large scale terrorist attack in Washington, D.C. could lead to a spontaneous evacuation of metro area residents, thereby affecting the State of West Virginia, and the rest of the surrounding region.
Assessing the likelihood of a spontaneous evacuation of Washington, D.C. area residents as the result of a terrorist attack is important because it can help improve disaster management planning for those areas potentially affected by such an event. Much of the region surrounding Washington, D.C. is rural in nature. If a terror event in Washington did prompt a mass evacuation of area residents, communities in those rural areas may not be well-prepared to accommodate a large number of evacuees.
The study that was produced, The Potential for an Uncontrolled Mass Evacuation of the DC Metro Area Following a Terrorist Attack: A Report of Survey Findings, is an initial effort aimed at providing some empirical basis to understand the possible scope of any evacuation that might occur. It is intended to provide information relevant to the preparedness efforts of those state and local governments that might have to respond to a mass evacuation event related to terrorism in the nation’s Capitol.
Understanding how the public perceives potential terror attacks and how those perceptions might affect their future behavior is fundamental to improving planning for all phases of disaster management.
Click here for the Executive Summary for this report.
To download the full report, click here.
Contacts/Additional Information
To find out more about researchers for this project and to contact them for more information, please click on the links below.
For inquiries about this study, contact:
Dr. Brian Gerber
Division of Public Administration, West Virginia University
For additional inquiries pertaining to special (functional) needs and vulnerable populations information, contact:
Jodi Van Horne, MPA
VMC/Homeland Security Programs, West Virginia University
|
