Transportation network efficiency during disaster events

Abstract

We present a method for gauging network efficiency as a result of sweeping damage due to natural events. We compare various typical random model networks–lattice, Barabasi-Albert, and small-world–against an actual transportation network for Visayas, Philippines. We find the Visayas transportation network to be fragile and most closely resembling the small-world network. Both networks exhibit a significant drop in relief delivery efficiency even with a relatively small degree of network damage, in contrast to the lattice and Barabasi-Albert networks, which are robust up to higher damage thresholds. Our results demonstrate the difficulty of achieving timely relief delivery efforts in the aftermath of disasters and underline the importance of strategic multiscale pre-positioning of relief goods across the country.