Replies

If there are 60,000 people to evacuate and if 20,000 are men, 25,000 are women, and 15,000 are children, and if women and children must be evacuated first, and if each boat holds 12 people, and if one woman must accompany each child, and if 1 National Guardsman must accompany each boat and if a boat travels at a maximum speed of 2 miles per hour and if the nearest high ground is 5 miles away and if there are 50 boats and 40 available Guardsmen, then how long will it for everyone to reach safety?

Let's strip out the extraneous stuff...

If there are 60,000 people to evacuate ~~and if 20,000 are men, 25,000 are women, and 15,000 are children, and if women and children must be evacuated first~~, and if each boat holds 12 people, ~~and if one woman must accompany each child,~~ and if 1 National Guardsman must accompany each boat and if a boat travels at a maximum speed of 2 miles per hour and if the nearest high ground is 5 miles away and if there are ~~50 boats and~~ 40 available Guardsmen, then how long will it for everyone to reach safety?

60,000 people divided by 10 evacuees per boat (12 less 1 National Guardsman less the driver) equals 6,000 trips. Each round trip takes 5 hours (10 miles divided by 2 mph), though I think that 2 mph is not realistic (I'd take 15 mph). That's 30,000 trip-hours. Divide that by 40 available Guardsmen and that's 750 hours, or over 31 days (not accounting for refueling the boats).