Rural Multi-Hazard Infrastructure Planning for Evacuation Safety and Economic Resilience

Wildfires increasingly threaten communities in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), where development meets flammable vegetation. As the WUI expands, disaster risk grows more complex—wildfires often trigger or are intensified by other hazards, including earthquakes and severe weather. These compounding risks are particularly challenging in rural areas, where infrastructure is limited, evacuation routes are sparse, and small businesses play a central role in community resilience. This project addresses two key gaps: (1) rural wildfire evacuation under multi-hazard conditions and (2) business continuity for small enterprises in WUI regions. First, a Community Advisory Board (CAB) will guide the research, ensuring it reflects local knowledge and priorities. Second, the research team will develop a GeoAI-driven, agent-based model to simulate evacuations under wildfire, earthquake, and weather scenarios, using environmental, transportation, and demographic data. Third, the team will build a business continuity model that predicts how rural businesses recover from wildfire disruptions, incorporating infrastructure damage, supply chain challenges, and community displacement. Findings will inform land use planning, evacuation design, and recovery strategies tailored to rural needs. This work supports future disaster response and strengthens long-term resilience for communities facing growing multi-hazard risks.

• Record URL:
  • https://www.ctips.org/projects/details.php?id=656

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $210,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552348308

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Center for Transformative Infrastructure Preservation and Sustainability

  North Dakota State University
  Fargo, North Dakota  United States  58108-6050
• Project Managers:

  Tolliver, Denver

• Performing Organizations:

  Utah State University

  Civil and Environmental Engineering Department
  Logan, UT  United States 
• Principal Investigators:

  Grajdura, Sarah

• Start Date: 20251117
• Expected Completion Date: 20271116
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program
• Source Data: CTIPS-057

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Artificial intelligence; Disaster resilience; Evacuation; Rural areas; Simulation; Small business; Wildfires
• Subject Areas: Economics; Environment; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01975811
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Center for Transformative Infrastructure Preservation and Sustainability
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552348308
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jan 8 2026 4:12PM