Puerto Rico school evacuation time estimates in case of tsunamis

Abstract

This study evaluates total tsunami evacuation times for selected coastal public schools in Puerto Rico. Previously estimated travel times were expanded by incorporating earthquake strong-motion duration, occupant reaction time, and school building evacuation time to determine the Required Safe Egress Time (RSET). RSET was compared with an Available Safe Egress Time (ASET) of 20 minutes. Results show that accounting for these additional components substantially increases evacuation-time estimates, causing several schools to exceed the available time and indicating the need for additional mitigation strategies.