Development and Validation of ROSA: A Tool for Post-Earthquake Rescue Route and Urban Risk Assessment

The Rescue Road Planning and Seismic Blockage Risk Assessment Technology (ROSA), developed by the National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering (NCREE), is a software tool designed to support post-earthquake disaster response in urban areas. ROSA enhances the assessment of traffic disruption risks and rescue route feasibility, focusing on complex hazards such as casualties, building collapse, and network disruptions. It prioritizes high-risk blocks and areas near rescue routes, providing integrated evaluations of structural damage, casualties, and potential road blockages. We have applied ROSA in disaster preparedness and emergency drill planning for local governments, including New Taipei City, Taipei City, and Hualien County. Following the Hualien earthquake on April 3, 2024, we collected empirical data on building damage to validate ROSA’s predictive accuracy. Comparisons between observed damage and model outputs demonstrate its effectiveness in identifying high-risk zones and obstructed routes. These findings support further refinement of the tool and inform future research directions.