Bailey C. Benedict

Bio: Bailey C. Benedict is an academic researcher from Purdue University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Information seeking & Resilience (network). The author has an hindex of 2, co-authored 9 publications receiving 11 citations.

Support and barriers in long-term recovery after Hurricane Sandy: improvisation as a communicative process of resilience

Abstract: This study examines the long-term recovery and resilience processes of households on the New Jersey coast after Hurricane Sandy. Based on theoretical frameworks of community ecology, communication ...

Returning home after Superstorm Sandy: phases in the return-entry process

Abstract: Despite current advances in research related to return-entry process following disasters, the need to understand this process from the perspective of the returnees remains. This exploratory study examines the return-entry experience of residents returning home after Superstorm Sandy. Specifically, this study aims to identify patterns in the return experiences of residents following the ending of the evacuation order and gain insight into the temporal dimensions of the activities and decisions made following disasters. A series of six focus groups were conducted with 28 participants from communities in Ocean County and Monmouth County, New Jersey. A qualitative grounded theory approach of focus group transcripts revealed three different phases: (1) initiation and planning, (2) traveling home, and (3) arriving home. Understanding the actions and perspectives of returnees within each phase provides greater insight into the experiences of returnees during this critical time in the early disaster recovery process.

An application of media and network multiplexity theory to the structure and perceptions of information environments in hurricane evacuation

Abstract: Understanding how information use contributes to uncertainties surrounding evacuation decisions is crucial during disasters. While literature increasingly establishes that people consult m...

Internet, phone, mail and mixed-mode surveys: the tailored design method: reseña

Abstract: Resena de la obra de Don A. Dillman, Jolene D. Smyth y Leah Melani Christian: Internet, Phone, Mail and Mixed-Mode Surveys. The Tailored Design Method. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons

Catastrophic cascade of failures in interdependent networks

Abstract: Complex networks have been studied intensively for a decade, but research still focuses on the limited case of a single, non-interacting network. Modern systems are coupled together and therefore should be modelled as interdependent networks. A fundamental property of interdependent networks is that failure of nodes in one network may lead to failure of dependent nodes in other networks. This may happen recursively and can lead to a cascade of failures. In fact, a failure of a very small fraction of nodes in one network may lead to the complete fragmentation of a system of several interdependent networks. A dramatic real-world example of a cascade of failures (‘concurrent malfunction’) is the electrical blackout that affected much of Italy on 28 September 2003: the shutdown of power stations directly led to the failure of nodes in the Internet communication network, which in turn caused further breakdown of power stations. Here we develop a framework for understanding the robustness of interacting networks subject to such cascading failures. We present exact analytical solutions for the critical fraction of nodes that, on removal, will lead to a failure cascade and to a complete fragmentation of two interdependent networks. Surprisingly, a broader degree distribution increases the vulnerability of interdependent networks to random failure, which is opposite to how a single network behaves. Our findings highlight the need to consider interdependent network properties in designing robust networks.

Incorporating human factors in emergency evacuation – An overview of behavioral factors and models

Abstract: Evacuation modelling has developed over time from simple engineering equations that do not consider behavioral tendencies to more sophisticated models with the potential to represent evacuation behaviors and decisions. This paper aims to lay the foundations for a more realistic representation of human factors in evacuation models, which is needed to ensure the adequacy of the infrastructure, decision processes and safety of evacuation. To provide a clearer picture of the empirical knowledge and modelling for evacuation studies, a generalized timeline is introduced. Recent behavioral evidence from empirical studies in the fields of both pedestrian evacuation and vehicular evacuations are reviewed to investigate the impact of various factors on the evacuee behavior over different phases. The consensus perspective on key behaviors that emerges is then used to review and consolidate the recent advances in evacuation modelling, in particular with respect to the formulations and techniques for representing these behaviors. Within each of these discussions, we pointed to current limitations and make corresponding suggestions on future research directions.