Graduation Year

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

M.A.

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Degree Granting Department

Geography

Major Professor

Joni Firat, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Jennifer Collins, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Mohammad Aslani, Ph.D.

Keywords

capacitated p-median, evacuation shelters, evacuation zones, pet-owning households, shelter capacity, travel distance, pet-friendly, demand allocation

Abstract

Florida has been hit by some of the most destructive tropical cyclones in North America due to its relative location to the Gulf and Atlantic Ocean. Florida’s population growth since the 2000’s and the increased frequency of stronger storms because of climate change have made numerous emergency management leaders throughout the state get evacuation shelter networks established for public safety. However, the existing shelter network in Hillsborough County has become inadequate to satisfy the unprecedented population growth in that specific area since the COVID-19 pandemic and there’s a need for new shelter locations to better accommodate the growth when a tropical storm or hurricane threatens the Tampa Bay region. In particular, there’s a need for more shelter facilities to accommodate pet owners and their unique needs. This study systematically evaluates Hillsborough County’s existing pet-friendly evacuation shelters and a set of pet-friendly hotels and explores how location-allocation modelling can site and allocate demand to them in different evacuation scenarios. Pet-owning households were estimated from the American Community Survey’s (ACS) housing ownership data and nationwide statistics for homeowners and renters who have pets. First-hand data were obtained from Hillsborough County’s Office of Emergency Management about the pet-friendly shelters that were opened for previous tropical storms and hurricanes to enhance the analysis in this research as well. The results of this study sited pet-friendly shelters by considering the percentages of people in the county’s evacuation zones who are likely to evacuate for a tropical cyclone and the percentage of those who likely need a shelter. This study also evaluated how adding additional pet-friendly facilities can improve both travel time for pet owners and the county’s overall shelter network.

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