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David P. Eisenman, MD, MSHS, Kristina M. Cordasco, MD, MPH, Steve Asch, MD, MSHS, Joya F. Golden, BA and Deborah Glik, ScD

David P. Eisenman is with the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the RAND Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif. Kristina M. Cordasco is with the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles. Steve Asch is with the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the RAND Corporation, Los Angeles. Joya F. Golden is with the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles. Deborah Glik is with the University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Health, Los Angeles.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to David P. Eisenman, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, 911 Broxton Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1736 (e-mail: deisenman{at}mednet.ucla.edu).

Objectives. We studied the experience of Hurricane Katrina evacuees to better understand factors influencing evacuation decisions in impoverished, mainly minority communities that were most severely affected by the disaster.

Methods. We performed qualitative interviews with 58 randomly selected evacuees living in Houston’s major evacuation centers from September 9 to 12, 2005. Transcripts were content analyzed using grounded theory methodology.

Results. Participants were mainly African American, had low incomes, and were from New Orleans. Participants’ strong ties to extended family, friends, and community groups influenced other factors affecting evacuation, including transportation, access to shelter, and perception of evacuation messages. These social connections cut both ways, which facilitated and hindered evacuation decisions.

Conclusions. Effective disaster plans must account for the specific obstacles encountered by vulnerable and minority communities. Removing the more apparent obstacles of shelter and transportation will likely be insufficient for improving disaster plans for impoverished, minority communities. The important influence of extended families and social networks demand better community-based communication and preparation strategies.

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