DETERMINANTS OF HOUSEHOLD HURRICANE EVACUATION CHOICE IN FLORDIA

In this study we implement a set of econometric models to analyze the determinants of household hurricane evacuation choice for a sample of 1,355 households in Florida. This article contributes to the literature by accounting for two issues normally neglected in previous studies; namely, time and space. The empirical results suggest that households living in risky environments (mobile home and flooding areas) are more likely to evacuate. In addition, households with kids and those who have experience the treat of a hurricane also display higher probabilities to evacuate. Conversely, homeowners and households with pets are less likely to evacuate than their counterparts. Regional differences in propensity to evacuate are also clearly demonstrated, with households in southeast Florida less likely to evacuate than those in northwest Florida.