PurposeSociocultural aspects of populations residing in disaster-prone areas have not often been discussed in disaster evacuation studies. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to describe the sociocultural factors affecting evacuation decision-making.Design/methodology/approachThis was an exploratory research study which used in-depth semi-structured interviews to collect the data. Selection of the informants was also fulfilled via the purposive sampling method with regard to specific criteria. The informants consisted of 20 villagers that had faced a disaster and eight staff members of the Regional Board of Disaster Management of the Republic of Indonesia which is Badan Penanggulangan Bencana Daerah (BPBD), Ponorogo, who had managed it. The data analysis was ultimately performed through thematic coding.FindingsThe results of the coding analysis revealed that sociocultural aspects were among the primary reasons for evacuation decisions before disasters. In this paper, sociocultural factors shaping evacuation decision behavior could be a result of norms, roles, language, leadership, rules, habits, jobs, perceptions, family engagement, as well as other behaviors demonstrated by individuals and the community.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is not analyzing the role of the social organization or a religious one and also the economic aspect in the evacuation decision-making.Practical implicationsThis paper includes implications for the local government and the BPBD Ponorogo to establish an efficient communication strategy persuading villagers to evacuate. In general, formal policies cannot always be implemented in managing disaster; therefore, visible dedication and solidarity of the members are always needed in order to manage evacuation problems.Originality/valueThis paper meets needs for a study delineating sociocultural factors affecting evacuation decisions before disasters strike. Sociocultural theory could also describe real aspects of culture inherent in the daily lives of populations living in disaster-prone areas.