HAZUS.org

New CA Geologic Map and State Fault Activity Maps

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:54:00 +0000

New editions of the Geologic Map of California and the Fault Activity Map of California have been prepared in recognition of the California Geological Survey’s 150th Anniversary.

Geologic Map

Fault Activity Map

UPDATE IN PROGRESS

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:25:00 +0000

Because of changes in the Google Blogger system that take place effective May 1, 2010 HAZUS.org will no longer be able to use the Google hosted Blogger system to maintain components of the HAZUS.org site and some of the HUG sites we support.

We are working to transition to WordPress and hope to have things converted as soon as possible.

DOD Civil Support Guidance Outdated

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:16:00 +0000

Two recent reports from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommend the Department of Defense (DOD) make improvements in its homeland defense and civil support operations. READ MORE

DOD Can Enhance Efforts to Identify Capabilities to Support Civil Authorities during Disasters

DOD Needs to Take Actions to Enhance Interagency Coordination for Its Homeland Defense and Civil Support Missions

Is Recent Earthquake Activity Unusual? Scientists Say No.

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:13:00 +0000

Even with six major earthquakes striking in the first four months of this year scientists say 2010 is not showing signs of unusually high earthquake activity. Since 1900, an average of 16 magnitude 7 or greater earthquakes — the size that seismologists define as major — have occurred worldwide each year. Some years have had as few as 6, as in 1986 and 1989, while 1943 had 32, with considerable variability from year to year.

USGS Press Release...

Validation of HAZUS Hurricane Model During Ike

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:58:00 +0000

FEMA has recently published an independent validation study of wind field, debris estimation, and building damages for Houston, TX of a Level 1 HAZUS-MH analysis for Hurricane IKE. MORE INFO

2010 Huricane Soothsayers ...

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:41:00 +0000

The Tropical Meteorology Project at the Colorado State University predicts that the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season is likely to be "above-average" and produce eight hurricanes, four of them major. MORE INFO

Another forecaster, AccuWeather sees a potentially "extreme" hurricane season this year with five hurricanes, two or three of them major, expected to strike the U.S. coast, forming out of an expected 16 to 18 tropical storms, almost all of them in the western Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico. MORE INFO

The NOAA National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center's projection is usually released in late May, before the start of the "official" hurricane season, June 1 - Nov 30th. MORE INFO

MAGIC 2010 Symposium

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 18:33:00 +0000

MAGIC 2010 Symposium

The 2010 Symposium will be held at the Westin Crown Center April 18 - 22, 2010 in Kansas City, Missouri. MORE INFO

The HEARTLAND HUG will hold its April meeting by conference call and a live and in-person meeting at 5:00 pm CDT on Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at the MAGIC 2010 Symposium. The HEARTLAND HUG meeting will be held at the Westin Crown Center Hotel. FEMA will have the HAZUS-MH exhibit and materials at the MAGIC 2010 Symposium.

DHS Mapping Tool Boosts Situational Awareness - iCAV

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 16:11:00 +0000

The DHS National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) has implemented the Integrated Common Analytical Viewer (iCAV), a Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) program, to provide situational awareness to local, state and federal agencies regarding threats to sites classified by the Homeland Security Infrastructure Program (HSIP). READ MORE

A recent review determined that iCAV does not pose any special risk to privacy.
REPORT: Privacy Impact Assessment for the Integrated Common Analytical Viewer.

DHS iCAV

OPINION:

Common sense suggests that the resources of iCAV should be integrated with HAZUS.MH. This would be the obvious way to quickly incorporate the national critical infrastructure database within the HAZUS-MH exposure data. However, iCAV is handled as Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) at the local and state level. This special security handling requirement greatly complicates the utility of the iCAV database.

iCAV is also integrated into the DHS Automated Critical Asset Management System (ACAMS), a tool designed specifically for the emergency responder community.

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ST-RISK

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 21:17:00 +0000

ST-RISK version 4.5 released, includes HAZUS damage functions and risk analysis based on those functions. READ MORE
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HAZUS-MH discussed at CrisisCampSiliconValley

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 20:04:00 +0000

Rich Davies the Managing Director of HAZUS.org and the coordinator for the San Francisco Bay Area HAZUS User Group (BAHUG) discussed a Silicon Valley HAZUS Level-3 proof-of-concept project at the recent CrisisCampSiliconValley. Conceptually this project would leverage hand-held computer technology and crowdsourcing to collect HAZUS-MH Level-3 exposure/infrastructure data.

SELENA

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 19:41:00 +0000

SELENA is a Matlab™ based open-source computer tool that will assist you in computing earthquake damage scenarios. The damage probability for any specific structure follows the computation principles of HAZUS-MH. GIS-based software (e.g., Arcview) can be utilized at multiple levels of resolution to display predicted losses graphically. SELENA was developed through support from the International Centre for Geohazards, Norway.

MORE INFO...

Tsunami Awareness Week, March 21-27

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:00:00 +0000

Sorry, we almost missed this one!

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program have designated March 21-27 as Tsunami Awareness Week. This designation comes in the wake of last month’s tsunami in Chile and less than six months after a tsunami hit American Samoa, both events resulting in loss of life and property.

MORE INFO ...

Stronger Communities: A Handbook for Reconstructing after Natural Disasters

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:36:00 +0000

The World Bank has released Safer homes, Stronger Communities: A Handbook for Reconstructing after Natural Disasters.

The handbook is not a quick, fit‐all recipe for reconstruction policy, instead it provides elements to create a tailored one which will likely lead to better outcomes. It emphasizes the need for countries to invest in capacity building and establish a culture of risk management before disasters hit and to ensure that tools to analyze and mitigate risks are widely understood and diligently applied. To this end the Handbook fills a widespread gap in managing largescale reconstruction programs.” READ MORE

Press Release ...

The Report...

HAZUS Training at EMI ...

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:08:00 +0000

FEMA provides free HAZUS-MH training at the Emergency Management Institute (EMI) in Emmitsburg, MD. MORE INFO

HAZUS-MH classes offered during the EMI 2010 Second Semester include:

E174 HAZUS-MH for Earthquake / April 19 - 22, 2010
E313 Basic HAZUS-MH / May 17 - 20, 2010
E313 Basic HAZUS-MH / Jul 12 - 15 –
E172 HAZUS-MH for Flood / July 26 - 29 - -
E296 Application of HAZUS-MH for Risk Assessment / August 2 – 5, 2010
E317 Comprehensive Data Management for HAZUS-MH / Sep 13 - 16, 2010

Course schedules can change. Check out the EMI web site for the latest info.

Global Earthquake Model Risk Module Proposals Due March 18th...

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:16:00 +0000

Responses to the Global Earthquake Model Request For Proposal to develop five Components within its Risk Module, is due in one week ... March 18, 2010!

1. GEM Ontology & Taxonomy
2. Inventory Data Capture Tools
3. Global Exposure Database
4. Global Earthquake Consequences Database
5. Global Vulnerability Estimations methods

GEM invites international consortia to respond to these calls. The deadline for submission of proposals is 18 March 2010 at 0:00 CET. The GEM Secretariat will aim to facilitate contact between institutions for the creation of international consortia. Proposals will be subject to peer review, and will be selected by GEM’s Governing Board, with awards expected in July 2010.

MORE INFO

Killer Buildings in U.S. 'Predictable Surprise'

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:49:00 +0000

An "Opinion" article in Emergency Management, while referencing the collapse of unreinforced masonry buildings during the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, raises the concerns around unreinforced masonry buildings here in the United States. READ MORE

This article does not address the concerns around "soft story" buildings which is perhaps an even a more widespread problem than unreinforced masonry buildings.

HAZUS & Haiti ...

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:57:00 +0000

FEMA analysts have adapted HAZUS to assess the January 12, 2010 7.0M earthquake in Haiti, Haz Haiti. Click on graphic to download...

The HAZ Haiti analysis was based on "A GIS-Based Methodology for Exporting the Hazards U.S. (HAZUS) Earthquake Model for Global Applications" . Click on graphic to download...

Related ... Estimating Casualties for Large Earthquakes Worldwide Using an Empirical Approach ... Open-File Report 2009–1136 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey

DEPICTION - 'What-If' Mapping Software Help for Disasters

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:30:00 +0000

UPDATE / 23 Feb 2010

Depiction, Inc. has announced the release of Depiction 1.2—desktop mapping, simulation and collaboration software that anyone can use—and afford. Depiction enables users to imagine, depict and share interactive geospatial scenarios like these and many others.

PRESS RELEASE

DEPICTION WEB SITE

HAZUS.org would like to hear from anybody who has used the Depiction software.

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World's major cities on shaky ground

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:18:00 +0000

In 1800, there was just one city with more than a million people -- Beijing. Now there are 381 urban areas with at least 1 million inhabitants. Urbanization crossed a threshold last year when, for the first time, more people lived in city settings than rural ones.

According to a recent study by seismologist Roger Bilham of the University of Colorado, over 400 million people live in cities that face significant seismic hazard. READ MORE

REPORT: The seismic future of cities, Roger Bilham

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Study Calls for More Regional Preparedness

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:50:00 +0000

The PNSR study, Recalibrating the System: Toward Efficient and Effective Resourcing of National Preparedness, called upon DHS and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to set up Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Staffs in the national FEMA regions as an extension of the National Preparedness System. READ MORE

Download the report(.pdf)...

National Disaster Recovery Framework - Request for Comments

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:52:00 +0000

At the President's request, the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Housing and Urban Development are co-chairing a Long-Term Disaster Recovery Working Group composed of the Secretaries and Administrators of more than 20 departments, agencies and offices. This high-level, strategic initiative will provide operational guidance for recovery organizations as well as make suggestions for future improvement.

Read the purpose statement...

The draft of the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) is available for review. The comment period will begin next week when the report is also posted to the Federal Register.

The comment period will run from Feb. 5, 2010 through Feb. 26, 2010.

National Disaster Recovery Framework DRAFT

Comment Form...

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HAITI'S KILLER QUAKE: WHY IT HAPPENED - Discovery Channel

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:32:00 +0000

Discovery Channel and Science Channel take a closer look at the devastating earthquake that rocked Haiti...

Thursday, February 11th at 9PM ET/PT (look for other dates)

The magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010 was the strongest to hit the island in over two centuries. Beginning Thursday, February 11, Discovery Channel and Science Channel explore Haiti in the aftermath of the tragic quake, whether it could have been avoided, and what we can learn scientifically from the tragedy.

On Thursday, February 11, 2010 at 9PM ET/PT, Discovery Channel premieres HAITI'S KILLER QUAKE: WHY IT HAPPENED. The special delves deep into the key questions that scientists are racing to answer: Why did the quake happen now? Could it have been predicted? And when and where might the next "big one" strike?

MORE IN FO
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Quadrennial Homeland Security Review

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:32:00 +0000

As mandated by Congress, the White House has delivered the nation's first Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR), defining homeland security for the first time as including hazards beyond terrorism, in a strategic document intended to drive long-term budget decisions. READ MORE

The QHSR lists five missions, backed by 14 specific goals: preventing terrorism and enhancing security, particularly against chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological threats; securing U.S. borders; enforcing the nation's immigration laws; securing cyberspace; and ensuring resilience to disasters.

Mission 5 is defined as "Ensuring Resilience to Disasters". The strategic aims and objectives for ensuring resilience to disasters are grounded in the four traditional elements of emergency management: hazard mitigation, enhanced preparedness, effective emergency response, and rapid recovery. Together, these elements will help create a Nation that understands the hazards and risks we face, is prepared for disasters, and can withstand and rapidly and effectively recover from the disruptions they cause.

Download report (.pdf)...

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Earthquakes caused the deadliest disasters in the past decade

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:04:00 +0000

In the past decade, nearly 60 per cent of the people killed by disasters died because of
earthquakes, the Center for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) reported today in a
joint press conference with the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
(UNISDR).

READ MORE

UNISDR Press Release

REPORT

Haiti: Poor construction the real disaster

davies@hazus.org (HAZUS.org) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:39:00 +0000

The audience at a recent UC Berkeley lecture given by Eduardo Fierro, one of the first U.S. earthquake engineers to visit post-quake Haiti, collectively cringed as Fierro showed slide after slide of haphazard columns, brittle frames, and slipshod rods and joints. “This was not an earthquake disaster,” Fierro said. “This was caused by people that didn’t know how to use codes, that built things in bad shape. These were the people that caused the tragedy.”

READ MORE

Opinion ... I think Prof. Fierro ignores the total picture in Haiti. I suspect the primary risk in Haiti is hurricanes, where Haiti's "houses and buildings constructed with unwieldy slabs of concrete and cinder blocks" are ideal. This is little different than the wildfire situation in Southern California. Most houses there are wood frame construction because this is a good construction type in earthquake country. However these same houses are a worst case situation when it comes to wildfires. The real question will be when reconstruction occurs will Haiti address all-hazards.