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New software, developed by a grad student at M.I.T., could help state officials plan for hurricane evacuations. The software won an award from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The computer model is based on key decisions made during past storms going back 50 years. 27 year old Michael Metzger, who is getting his PHD at M.I.T., says rather than evacuating people by their geographic location his software provides a framework for moving some people sooner, one demographic group at a time. For example the elderly could be moved first, followed by people who don’t own cars, followed by tourists who aren’t familiar with an area.

“I think by doing it that way you avoid two things. You avoid road congestion because you’re moving people out earlier. That takes away from the gridlock and also it reduces panic.”

Metzger says the software could help officials from states like Connecticut, where hurricanes aren’t common. He says communities that haven’t had a hurricane in a long time often delay critical evacuation decisions.