Criticality ranking for components of a transportation network at risk from tropical cyclones

Assessment of the criticality of the components of an infrastructure network has received considerable attention within the context of technological failures and terrorist attacks. However, less effort has been spent on this subject within the context of natural disasters, especially tropical cyclones. This study evaluated the criticality of the components of a transportation network at risk from tropical cyclones with consideration of three characteristics of natural hazards: local concentration of impact, duration of sustained effect, and hazard occurrence probability. The physical meaning of the proposed criticality index for a specific component reflects the expected increase in transportation network functionality after the retrofitting of that particular component in advance of a tropical cyclone. The ranking based on this criticality index could help support long-term decision making regarding investment for disaster mitigation in relation to transportation networks. A case study of Hainan Island (China) was conducted to illustrate the applicability of the criticality index, and the practical meaning of the index was illustrated through comparison with indices from other studies.