Experts create blueprint to aid elderly people at storm flood risk

Emergency planners in Shanghai and New York City face increasing pressure to protect elderly citizens from the devastating impact of coastal flooding caused by storms and cyclones Experts have devised a blueprint for efficient evacuation that could be used in similar flood-threatened cities around the globe Emergency planners in Shanghai and New York City face increasing pressure to protect elderly citizens from the devastating impact of coastal flooding caused by storms and cyclones, a new study reveals. Both cities are highly exposed to storm-induced flooding and analysis shows that - with two distinct systems of emergency operation - there are significant differences between them in evacuating elderly people to safety. After studying emergency operations in the cities, experts devised a blueprint for efficient evacuation that could be used in similar flood-threatened cities around the globe such as Mumbai, Bangkok, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, Miami, and Tokyo. Vulnerable neighbourhoods at the edge of coastal cities are most exposed to storm-induced flooding, but higher shelter capacity is in urban areas. Despite lower population densities than downtown areas, such communities tend to be populated by special need groups including the elderly. Professor Nigel Wright - University of Birmingham An international group of researchers, including experts from the University of Birmingham, today published its findings in Nature Water. They recommend that emergency planners build more neighbourhood shelters, reducing the time taken to get vulnerable people in flood threatened areas to safety.