Optimization of cellular automata-based routing using discrete Boltzmann model for urban pedestrian evacuation during flooding

Flooding is one of the most severe problems faced in urban disaster issues today, threatening residents’ lives and safety while causing significant property losses. Therefore, an effective route planning strategy is urgent to evacuate people to safe areas during flood events. In this study, a rainfall model using the multi-speed discrete Boltzmann model (DBM) is proposed in conjunction with a cellular automaton-based emergency evacuation and risk avoidance model. Using a suburban area as a case study, the model simulates the evacuation of people during actual floods. The spatial synchronization of flood inundation and human movement is achieved, using an extended Moore neighborhood framework, taking into account the critical preemptive response time during floods that influences evacuation and retreat processes. By comparing it with the traditional A* algorithm (a widely used heuristic shortest-path search method), the advantages and practicality of the proposed model are demonstrated. From a microscopic perspective, incorporating appropriate crowd behavior rules reveals rational evacuation behavior patterns during flooding. The results provide reference and guidance for urban flood control, disaster reduction, and emergency evacuation planning.

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