Presenters share research results related to mass evacuation to rural areas, practical tips to deal with mass evacuees, as well as a tool developed by the Western New York Public Health Alliance Rural Advanced Practice Center to predict community population surge following potential urban disasters.

Objectives:
At the conclusion of the presentation, the participants will be able to:

1. Recognize potential issues related to spontaneous evacuation to rural areas
2. Identify actions rural planners can take to mitigate the impact of a spontaneous evacuation
3. Utilize a tool to predict community population surge following potential urban disasters

The presenters will share results of a recent survey regarding potential behavioral responses of large populations to disaster events - including terrorist attacks - and will discuss key concerns for rural communities to consider as they plan for mass exodus from urban centers. They will also share new efforts underway by the recently funded Advanced Practice Center in western New York.

Objectives:
At the conclusion of the presentation, the participants will be able to:

1. To identify the relationship between public health events and evacuation behavior in the general public
2. To recognize the potential scale of such an evacuation event.
3. To identify planning challenges for rural communities that might serve as receiving areas for evacuees.