Estimating Losses from Future Earthquakes Panel Report (1989) / Chapter Skim
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1. Introduction
1. Introduction
Pages 6-16
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From page 6... ...
Earthquake Tosses may be estimated to: structures; Identify especially hazardous geographical areas; Identify especially hazardous groups of buildings or other Aid in the development of emergency response plans; Evaluate overall economic impact; . Formulate general strategies for earthquake hazard reduction, such as land-use plans or building codes, or evaluate the effectiveness of earthquake programs; .
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From page 7... ...
Some of the more recent studies have been sponsored by FEMA and carried out by consulting firTns. In response to a National Security Council request for an evaluation of potential impacts on the defense industry impacts, FEMA also initiated a recent large-scale effort aimed at modeling the regional economic effects of a major earthqualre.
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From page 9... ...
Seeking to encourage studies that are done in a technically sound, efficient, consistent manner that will satisfy the needs of users, FEMA asked the National Research Council to provide "evaluations and recommendations with regard to methodologies which should be used for earthquake loss estimation by FEMA and state and local governments in earthquake preparedness and mitigation planning." This work statement for the counciT's Pane] on Earthquake Loss Estimation Methodology, within the Committee on Earthquake Engineering, required that the applicability of recommended methods be
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From page 10... ...
These studies have played an important role in developing earthquake programs throughout the country, and are an important too! for initiating effective programs in areas where earthquakes are a significant threat but have received little attention, or where few practical hazard reduction or emergency planning countermeasures exist.
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From page 11... ...
This part of the study falls primarily within the disciplines of geology and seismology, and this geoscience effort must be coordinated with input from the broad field of civil engineering. The phrase seismic hazard might seem to refer to all hazards to life and property posed by earthquakes, but the term has a technical meaning restricted to the behavior of the ground, apart from any effects on the built environment.
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From page 12... ...
Close communication among the technical people undertaking the two parts, and with the intended users, is vital to ensure proper coordination. In most Toss estimates, the primary emphasis is on damage and losses caused directly by the shaking of the ground.
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From page 13... ...
Another type of indirect consequence is the economic impact of loss of function on the owners of commercial property, on the region immediately affected by the earthquake, and on a larger region economically linked to the affected area. Again, these losses may be as important as the more direct Tosses, but the techniques for evaluating them is much more complex and not as well advanced.
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From page 14... ...
The method works best when all the consequences of an earthquake can be expressed by a single number, such as dollar loss. When multiple losses of different types are involved, the use of multiple scenario earthquakes finds wider favor.
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From page 15... ...
Lifelines, such as transportation, communications, water, sewage, and electricity systems, that are vital to the functioning of an area: Essential facilities, such as hospitals, and fire and police stations, that are vital to postdisaster response; and o Facilities with a potential for large lo - , such as large and densely occupied buildings, dams, and chemical plants. Lifelines must be treated differently than buildings because they form interconnected systems that extend over large areas.
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From page 16... ...
Each of these elements could be made more precise with additional effort and resources, but uncertainties are inevitable in any practical study of earthquake losses and should be expressed and quantified.
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