Large-scale evacuations: They worked last time. Will they work again?

The 2021 wildfire season affected many countries around the Mediterranean basin. In most incidents, large-scale multi-modal evacuations were conducted to transfer the population at risk to safe locations. Overall, tens of thousands of people were evacuated with modes of transportation including pedestrian, private or public transport, and sea vessels. In Greece, full evacuations were conducted in almost all incidents. However, despite the maximum protection offered to life, questions arose regarding the universality of this measure. Evacuation modelling can be used to better plan evacuations, providing insights on safety margins and, through educational programs, strengthening community resilience.

For further information please contact: L.Filippidis@Greenwich.ac.uk

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