Replication Data for: Do All Roads Lead to Sapporo? The Role of Linking and Bridging Ties in Evacuation Decisions

Why do some communities evacuate more than others after disaster, and how do they choose whether to go? This mixed-methods study uses a new dataset of long-distance evacuation rates after Hokkaido’s Eastern Iburi Earthquake in September 2018, aggregated to the city level from geolocated Facebook user movement. We found that communities with stronger linking and bridging social capital tended to see much lower evacuation rates to distant towns. We used statistical models, social network visualization, fieldwork, and content analysis of 12 interviews, finding that despite rumors on social media, communities with bridging and linking social networks got better quality information and decided to stay in local evacuation shelters. Meanwhile, residents with less diverse networks may have believed rumors of extreme water, food, and power shortages and left town for good. This study highlights the importance of trust in local officials when managing evacuation after disasters.