Articles | Volume 26, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-981-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-981-2026
Research article
 | 
27 Feb 2026
Research article |  | 27 Feb 2026

Human decision-making in crowds in a virtual flood scenario

Booloot Arshaghi, Glyn Lawson, Riccardo Briganti, and Peer-Olaf Siebers

Cited articles

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Aerts, J. C., Botzen, W. J., Clarke, K. C., Cutter, S. L., Hall, J. W., Merz, B., Michel-Kerjan, E., Mysiak, J., Surminski, S., and Kunreuther, H.: Integrating human behaviour dynamics into flood disaster risk assessment, Nature Climate Change, 8, 193–199, 2018. 
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Alonso Vicario, S., Mazzoleni, M., Bhamidipati, S., Gharesifard, M., Ridolfi, E., Pandolfo, C., and Alfonso, L.: Unravelling the influence of human behaviour on reducing casualties during flood evacuation, Hydrological Sciences Journal, 65, 2359–2375, https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2022.2100828, 2020. 
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Short summary
This research used Virtual Reality to examine how crowd behaviour and size, floodwater level, and destination clarity affect evacuation decisions during floods. Results show that people often follow crowds in risky situation including flood, but this influence weakens when water-level is extreme. Findings also highlight how social cues shape flood responses and the need to include human behaviour in flood risk models, emergency planning, and public safety interventions.
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