Otterdale Road Drainage Improvements; Negotiating Safety: Conflicts Between Emergency Evacuation Orders and Resident Resistance in the U.S.

How do storm events influence human behaviors and decision making? Because weather events can threaten life and destroy property, engineers, agencies and residents must prepare for them. How can Otterdale Road’s crossing over Otterdale Branch in Chesterfield County, Virginia, be redesigned for greater resilience to naturally occurring storm events? The capstone team studied existing conditions at the crossing, followed all requisite design standards, and developed an appropriate retrofit to improve the roadway’s safety and function during storm events. The new design is more resilient during storm events and safer for motorists due to improved geometries and expanded stormwater capacity. In the US, how do emergency response authorities and residents who resist evacuation orders compete to advance their respective agendas during emergency evacuations? During natural disasters, residents may evacuate the area for personal safety or take the risk of staying in place. Residents may be reluctant or unable to evacuate for diverse reasons. Historically, however, emergency response authorities have followed a “one-size-fits-all” approach to evacuation orders, expecting compliance from all. For many residents, evacuation is not onerous. For others, however, compliance can incur even greater risks, or may be practically impossible.