Online path planning for disaster response in the presence of unknown road disruptions: a comparison of research and practice

Purpose This paper aims to illuminate gaps between theory and practice in one crucial area of disaster logistics: transportation management between staging areas and final destinations, on uncertain and disrupted road networks. Relevant current practice in federal, state, nonprofit and private disaster response organizations in the USA is described and compared to pertinent assumptions in the literature on disaster response online path planning under uncertainty. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a qualitative approach. The disaster response routing literature informed the development of an interview guide used for in-depth interviews with disaster response logistics practitioners. Collected data were coded to identify how path planning activities were accomplished. Interview findings were then linked back to the literature to identify where theory coincides and/or contrasts with practice. Findings The study identifies a number of important mismatches between current practice and the assumptions in the modeling literature. Current practice likely would not support online path planning models in which algorithms: run within drivers’ vehicles, depend on knowledge of the probability of roads being open or closed, assume immediate information updates on road status or optimize speed at the expense of reliability. For research advancements to be leveraged, practitioners must adopt formal systems for sharing information, and research must adapt to the constraints and goals of response practitioners. Originality/value Despite the availability of sophisticated models to support disaster response path planning, few are adopted in practice. This research provides a better understanding of disaster transportation management and its challenges. The findings could help bring research into better alignment with the needs of practitioners, thereby improving the speed and effectiveness of the response and reducing the suffering of those affected by disasters.