Hurricane-Resilient Healthcare Infrastructure Modeling with Integrated Flood Prediction and Stochastic Logistics Optimization

When hurricanes strike the coast of Texas, one of the more significant, but often overlooked, challenges is the logistics of patient evacuation.  The complex process of choosing staging areas, hospitals to receive patients, and the resources needed for transport are further complicated by uncertainty of hurricane forecasting. This research team brought together experts in integrated geosystems modeling, high-performance computing, large-scale logistics modeling, and stochastic optimization to create models aimed at improving patient evacuation operations.  In particular, their project focused on the integration of predictive hurricane modelling and logistical modelling to find the optimal web of staging areas, evacuation routes, and hospitals that can help the healthcare system of southeast Texas be prepared and responsive in the face of hurricanes.