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• Disaster Recovery: Past Experiences Offer Insights for Recovering from Hurricanes Ike and Gustav and Other Recent Natural Disasters, Report to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate

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  "This month, Hurricanes Ike and Gustav struck the Gulf Coast producing widespread damage and leading to federal major disaster declarations. Earlier this year, heavy flooding resulted in similar declarations in seven Midwest states. In response, federal agencies have provided millions of dollars in assistance to help with short- and long-term recovery. State and local governments bear the primary responsibility for recovery and have a great stake in its success. Experiences from past disasters may help them better prepare for the challenges of managing and implementing the complexities of disaster recovery. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to identify insights from past disasters and share them with state and local officials undertaking recovery activities. GAO reviewed six past disasters-- the Loma Prieta earthquake in northern California (1989), Hurricane Andrew in south Florida (1992), the Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles, California (1994), the Kobe earthquake in Japan (1995), the Grand Forks/Red River flood in North Dakota and Minnesota (1997), and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the Gulf Coast (2005). GAO interviewed officials involved in the recovery from these disasters and experts on disaster recovery. GAO also reviewed relevant legislation, policies, and its previous work."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2008-09-26
• Next Big Disaster: Is the Private Sector Prepared? Hearing Before the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on State, Local, and Private Sector Preparedness and Integration of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, Second Session, March 4, 2010

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  From the opening statement of Mark L. Pryor: "Let me just start by saying that when you look at disasters and preparedness, in my State, for example, we have had 10 presidentially- declared disasters in the last 2 years. Ten in 2 years. The northeast corner of Arkansas is sitting on the New Madrid fault which experts say and most agree that it could cause the most deadly and destructive earthquake we have had, if and when it ever causes an earthquake. But we have had floods and tornadoes and ice storms in our State and you know that disasters are happening in other States as well. We have also had two large international disasters in the Americas in the last few weeks, Haiti and Chile. These earthquakes are very grim reminders of the devastation that a natural disaster can have on communities, economies and the lives of the individuals involved. We spend billions in disaster recovery and we probably do not spend as much as we should on preparedness. The private sector does a good job in many ways depending on the sector and the company on preparedness and dealing with the aftermath of a disaster. […] The point is I think that we need to do a better job of thinking through preparedness, working together. The private sector again has been working together on this." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Mark L. Pryor, Stephen C. Jordan, John R. Harrald, and Stephen E. Flynn.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2010-03-04
• S. Hrg. 112-532: Induced Seismicity from Energy Technologies, Hearing Before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session, June 19, 2012

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  From the opening statement of Jeff Bingaman: "Welcome everyone to the hearing. This is on the potential for inducing manmade earthquakes from energy technologies. Many of the current and next generation energy technologies that are vital to our country's future require the injection of fluids like water and carbon dioxide or other mixtures deep into the Earth's subsurface. Geothermal energy extraction, geological carbon sequestration, the injection of waste water from hydraulic fracturing and enhanced oil recovery all require the injection and movement of fluids deep underground. Scientists have known for many decades that one potential side effect of pumping fluids in or out of the Earth is the creation of small to medium sized earthquakes. Though only a small number of recent seismic events here and abroad have been definitely linked to energy development, public concern has been raised about the potential for manmade earthquakes after seismic events that were felt in Arkansas and Oklahoma and Ohio and other places in the country. Those events in some cases were located near energy development and waste disposal sites." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Jeff Bingaman, Murray W. Hitzman, William Leith, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Petty, and Mark D. Zoback."

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2012
• S. Hrg. 112-909: Review of the Nuclear Emergency in Japan and Implications for the U.S.: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety of the Committee on Environment and Public Works, United States Senate, One Hundred and Twelfth Congress, First Session, April 12, 2011

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  This is from the April 12, 2011 hearing, "Review of the Nuclear Emergency in Japan and Implications for the U.S.," before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. From the Opening Statement of Barbara Boxer: "Just over one month ago today, Japan was hit by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and a tsunami that measured roughly 30 feet high. The devastation brought on by these catastrophic events is heartbreaking, and our deepest condolences go out to the victims and their families. This tragedy serves as an important wake-up call for the United States, and we cannot afford to ignore it. If there is one lesson to be learned, it is that we must plan for the unexpected, and when we know of threats, we must act quickly to address them. So what can we learn from the tragic situation in Japan? The U.S. has 104 commercial nuclear power reactors operating at 65 sites in 31 states. Twenty three reactors are boiling water reactors with Mark I containment systems, like the ones at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. It is true that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has instituted an improvement program for this type of reactor. However, the lessons from the tragedy in Japan demonstrate the importance of reassessing the safety of these reactors in the U.S. The compromised reactors in Japan, like those in the U.S., were built on a set of assumptions regarding the potential magnitude of natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunamis. We know that some U.S. nuclear facilities are located in areas with high and moderate seismic activity. However, earthquakes can actually happen almost anywhere. In addition, some nuclear plants are in areas that are subject to the risk of tsunamis, and we need to determine if the risk is greater than what we have assumed in the past. The situation in Japan has shown us that we must take a hard look at the risk assumptions that were made when nuclear reactors were designed and built in the United States. We should also consider any new data and scientific information that has become available since the reactors were completed." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Barbara Boxer, Senator from California; James M. Inhofe, Senator from Oklahoma; Lisa Jackson, United States Environmental Protection Agency; Gregory B. Jaczko, Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Sam Blakeslee, California's 15th District; James D. Boyd, California Energy Commission; Lewis D. Schiliro, Delaware Department of Safety & Homeland Security; Curtis Sommerhoff, Miami-Dade County Department of Emergency Management; Charles G. Pardee, Exelon Generation; and Thomas B. Cochran, Natural Resources Defense Council.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2014
• GIS and HAZUS-MH: HAZUS Applications for Catastrophic Planning

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  "HAZUS-MH continues to play an important role in advancing one of FEMA's priorities in 2007 -- planning for catastrophic earthquakes and hurricanes in the United States. This presentation about the benefits of HAZUS Applications for Catastrophic Planning was presented by Doug Bausch, FEMA Region VIII, and Shane Hubbard of The Polis Center during the 2007 National HAZUS Users Conference. The first annual HAZUS Users Conference was held concurrently with the ESRI International User Conference in San Diego, CA. This presentation uses Wasatch and New Madrid Earthquake scenarios to demonstrate the use of HAZUS for comprehensive risk assessment planning. It details the use of HAZUS-MH for scenario development for a catastrophic earthquake, and the role of HAZUS-MH and other tools at FEMA Headquarters for supporting impact assessments."

  United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency

  2007-06-19
• Gravity Survey and Regional Geology of the Prince William Sound Epicentral Region, Alaska

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  "Following the Alaska earthquake of March 27, 1964, the U.S. Geological Survey made an intensive investigation of the effects of the earthquake in the Prince William Sound region where the epicenter was located. Concurrent investigations included studies of the regional geology, changes of land level, faulting, and effects of waves on shorelines which were summarized by Plafker and Mayo (1965). At the same time, this gravity survey, mentioned briefly by Barnes and Allen (1965), was conducted in order to establish the regional geologic and tectonic setting of the earthquake. Geologic sections of this report were prepared by Plafker and Case, the gravity sections by Case, Barnes, and Robbins."

  United States. Department of the Interior; Geological Survey (U.S.)

  Case, James E., 1933-; Barnes, D.F.; Plafker, George . . .

  1966
• NLE 2011: Preparedness Matters

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  "An earthquake with a 7.7 magnitude in the central U.S. region of the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) could result in direct economic losses totaling nearly $300 billion in the eight U.S. States that make up the NMSZ--Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee, according to 'Impact of Earthquakes in Central USA', a two-year study conducted for the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The study predicts indirect losses could be twice this amount, likely deeming it the largest economic loss due to a natural disaster in the United States. The impact on critical infrastructure is expected to be substantial. Estimates indicate nearly 715,000 buildings would be damaged in the eight-state region. The human toll would be catastrophic as well, with an estimated 86,000 injuries and fatalities resulting from damage to infrastructure. To help businesses, owners/operators of critical infrastructure, Federal, State, and local government agencies, and others to prepare for such an event, the U.S. government's National Level Exercise (NLE) this year will simulate the disastrous nature of an earthquake in the Central United States. 'The National Level Exercises provides a platform for industry to test threat information- sharing processes and exercise their crisis management plans in a no-fault environment,' said Clyde D. Miller, director for Corporate Security for BASF--The Chemical Company, and chairman of PCIS [Partnership for Critical Infrastructure Security], the Cross Sector Coordinating Council. 'The exercises also allow industry to gain insight into how the government operates during an incident, offers industry an opportunity to work with local responders and Federal partners, and provides an opportunity for industry to test, review, and refine company policies.'"

  United States. Office of Homeland Security

  2011-01
• FEMA Mitigation Best Practices: HIHUG Hawaii HAZUS Atlas

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  "To help Hawaii's disaster managers better prepare for and respond to potentially devastating earthquakes, the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC)--in collaboration with Hawaii State Civil Defense and the Hawaii State Earthquake Advisory Committee (HSEAC)--has created the Hawaii HAZUS Atlas (HHA). The PDC formally unveiled the HHA at the HSEAC-sponsored workshop, Estimated Earthquake Losses for Hawaii County. Over 100 participants attended the event in Hilo, including Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim. Stakeholders from emergency management and planning communities identified several potential applications of the HHA, ranging from assisting emergency response operations to supporting future exercises." This and other individual FEMA Best Practices documents are also combined in 'Mitigation Best Practices: Public and Private Sector Best Practice Stories for All Activity/Project Types in All States and Territories Relating to All Hazards [August 10, 2011],' which can be accessed at the following link: [https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=683132]

  United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
• HAZUS-MH Best Practices:HAZUS-MH Used in Support of Utah Seismic Safety Legislation

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  "The State of Utah has recently taken important steps to reduce the vulnerability of schools to damaging earthquakes, as well as addressing its Unreinforced Masonry (URM) building stock. HAZUS-MH has played an important role in these initiatives. The model has sharpened the focus on the vulnerability of schools in this region to damaging earthquakes. Specifically, HAZUS-MH has been used to estimate losses and potential casualties from scenario earthquakes in a region that is among the most susceptible in the U.S. to seismic activity."

  United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency

  2008-03
• Background Reports: Metallurgy, Fracture Mechanics, Welding, Moment Connections and Frame Systems Behavior

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  "In response to structural concerns raised in the aftermath of the Northridge Earthquake of 1994, FEMA entered into a cooperative agreement with the SAC Joint Venture to perform a problem-focused study of the seismic performance of welded steel moment connections and to develop interim recommendations for professional practice. The design of moment frames for seismic loading relies upon the steel beams to form plastic hinges which dissipates the earthquake energy. The ductility and strength of the steel beam and the connection of the beam to the column govern the ability of the framing system to absorb the earthquake's energy. This report discusses the roll of the steel making practice upon the ductility and strength of the beam and the changes that are occurring in the production of hot rolled steel sections."

  United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency

  1997-03
• Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of School Buildings (K-12)

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  "This manual provides school administrators with the information necessary to assess the seismic vulnerability of their buildings, and to implement a program of incremental seismic rehabilitation for those buildings. The manual consists of three parts: Part A, Critical Decisions for Earthquake Safety in Schools, is for superintendents, board members, business managers, principals, and other policy makers who will decide on allocating resources for earthquake mitigation. Part B, Managing the Process for Earthquake Risk Reduction in Existing School Buildings, is for school district facility managers, risk managers, and financial managers who will initiate and manage seismic mitigation measures. Part C, Tools for Implementing Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation in School Buildings, is for school district facility managers, or those otherwise responsible for facility management, who will implement incremental seismic rehabilitation programs."

  United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency

  2002-12
• Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board 24th Annual Report to Congress

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  "The risk posed by the Plutonium Facility (PF‐4) at the Los Alamos National Laboratory remains among the Board's greatest safety concerns. PF‐4 was designed and constructed in the 1970s, and its structure lacks the ductility and redundancy required by today's building codes and standards. A 2007 reanalysis of potential earthquakes at Los Alamos indicated a greater than fourfold increase in the predicted earthquake ground motion. PF‐4 contains significant amounts of plutonium, much of it indispersible forms such as powders and liquids stored in containers not certified to survive facility collapse. The facility's safety documentation, approved by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) in December 2008, indicated that the radiation dose consequence to the public following an earthquake and resulting fire could exceed DOE's allowed levels by several orders of magnitude."

  United States. Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

  2014-03
• Risk Management Series: Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Office Buildings: Providing Protection to People and Buildings

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  "This manual provides owners of office buildings, be they Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), pension funds, partnerships, individuals, or other forms of ownership, with the information necessary to assess the seismic vulnerability of their buildings and to implement a program of incremental seismic rehabilitation for those buildings. The manual consists of three parts: Critical Decisions for Earthquake Safety in Office Buildings, is for owner senior executives, board members, and policy makers who will decide on allocating resources for earthquake mitigation; Planning and Managing the Process for Earthquake Risk Reduction in Existing Office Buildings, is for facility managers, risk managers, and financial managers, or those responsible for these areas of management, who will initiate and manage seismic mitigation measures; and Tools for Implementing Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation in Existing Office Buildings, is for facility managers, or those otherwise responsible for facility management, who will implement incremental seismic rehabilitation programs."

  United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency

  2003-12
• Risk Management Series: Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hospital Buildings: Providing Protection to People and Buildings

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  "This manual provides healthcare organizations with the information necessary to assess the seismic vulnerability of their buildings and to implement a program of incremental seismic rehabilitation for those buildings. The manual consists of three parts: Critical Decisions for Earthquake Safety in Hospitals, is for healthcare organization senior executives, board members, hospital directors, vice presidents for facility management, and other policy makers who will decide on allocating resources for earthquake mitigation; Planning and Managing the Process for Earthquake Risk Reduction in Existing Hospital Buildings, is for hospital facility managers, risk managers, and financial managers who will initiate and manage seismic mitigation measures; and Tools for Implementing Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation in Existing Hospital Buildings, is for facility managers, or others responsible for facility management, who will implement incremental seismic rehabilitation programs."

  United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency

  2003-12
• Executive Order 12699: Seismic Safety of Federal and Federally Assisted or Regulated New Building Construction

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  "The purposes of these requirements are to reduce risks to the lives of occupants of buildings owned by the Federal Government and to persons who would be affected by the failures of Federal buildings in earthquakes, to improve the capability of essential Federal buildings to function during or after an earthquake, and to reduce earthquake losses of public buildings, all in a cost-effective manner. A building means any structure, fully or partially enclosed, used or intended for sheltering persons or property."

  United States. Office of the Federal Register

  Bush, George, 1924-

  1990-01-05
• Written Statement of Nancy Ward, Region IX Administrator, and Ken Murphy, Region X Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations: 'Tsunami Warning, Preparedness, and Interagency Cooperation: Lessons Learned' [April 14, 2011]

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  "Good afternoon Chairman Chaffetz, Ranking Member Tierney and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee. It is an honor to appear before you today on behalf of FEMA to discuss tsunami preparedness. Tsunamis, also known as seismic sea waves, are a series of enormous waves created by an underwater disturbance such as an earthquake, landslide, volcanic eruption or meteorite. A tsunami can move hundreds of miles per hour in the open ocean and smash into land with waves as high as 100 feet or more. Tsunamis are most common along the Pacific coast, but can strike anywhere along the U.S. coastline. The topography of the coastline and the ocean floor will influence the size of the wave. Recent history has shown the destructiveness and devastation that tsunamis can create. On December 26, 2004, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off Sumatra generated a tsunami in ten countries, killing more than 280,000 people. The United States and its territories have recent experience with a tsunami's destructive force as well. On September 29, 2009, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck off the coast of American Samoa in the Western Pacific Ocean and the tsunami that followed struck the island nations of Samoa, Tonga and American Samoa. The tsunami damage resulted in nearly 200 deaths, hundreds injured across all three islands, and millions of dollars in damages. After the tsunami, President Obama declared a major disaster for American Samoa, allowing FEMA and our federal partners to immediately move supplies and staff across the Pacific from the Region IX logistics facility in Hawaii. FEMA's National Response Coordination Center coordinated teams of experts from FEMA, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Interior's National Park Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Small Business Administration, and other partners to help move the island towards recovery."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Press Office

  2011-04-14
• FEMA Mitigation Best Practices: Kaiser Permanente Health Care Seismic Retrofit

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  This document is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Best Practices Portfolio. The Best Practices Portfolio is a collection of true stories about people and communities who have experienced disasters, and what mitigation they used to survive, rebuild, and prepare for disasters. From the document: "When the Loma Prieta earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay area in 1989, Kaiser Permanente, a health care organization founded in 1948, experienced damage to its administrative building in Oakland, which was evacuated and closed, and to its Santa Clara Medical Center, where the chiller and cooling towers were moved off their supports. Following that event, in 1990 the Kaiser Permanente system began an aggressive seismic mitigation program. The first phase was to upgrade the structural status of its medical and administrative buildings. Kaiser hired two structural engineering firms to conduct thorough reviews of its 28 major medical centers and approximately 300 medical and administrative buildings in California. Building performance standards for operations were then developed for all the buildings. The standards established were to have 1) all acute care hospital buildings would remain in service following a major earthquake, and 2) all other buildings would protect occupants from serious injury or death but might not be operational immediately following a major earthquake." This and other individual FEMA Best Practices documents are also combined in "Mitigation Best Practices: Public and Private Sector Best Practice Stories for All Activity/Project Types in All States and Territories Relating to All Hazards [August 10, 2011]," which can be accessed at the following link: [https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=683132]

  United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency

  2005-01-01
• Exercise PACIFEX 10 Participant Handbook: A Pacific Tsunami Warning Exercise: March 24, 2010

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  "This tsunami exercise is being conducted to assist tsunami preparedness efforts along the U.S. and Canadian Pacific coasts. Historical tsunami records from sources such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) show that approximately 85% of the world's oceanic tsunamis occur in the Pacific Basin and surrounding seas. Tsunamis have impacted U.S. and Canadian Pacific coasts several times in the past century. Exercising emergency response plans in this region is an important part of tsunami preparedness. The Pacifex 10 exercise simulates an earthquake located south of the Alaska Peninsula which generates a major tsunami. This earthquake occurs in the Aleutian trench which is a product of the Pacific 'plate' to the south being gradually forced beneath the North American plate. Many earthquakes result as a consequence, including some of the largest that have ever been recorded."

  National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (U.S.)

  2010-03
• Science and Technology Lessons Learned from the December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean Disaster: Interim Report of the Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction

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  This report discusses lessons learned from the 2003 Indian Ocean Tsunami disaster. The report conludes that the "low probability, high impact threat posed by tsunamis and great (highly disastrous) earthquakes must be addressed at the local, regional, national and international levels. As with any major hazard, measures taken to reduce the threat of tsunamis and earthquakes must be adopted as part of a comprehensive all-hazards plan to address the risks and vulnerabilities of the community. The risk to life and property will be reduced with enhanced risk assessment; improved detection, forecast and warning systems in all oceans; and effective warnings used appropriately by individuals and emergency responders. All of these areas require improvements in our understanding of tsunami sources, propagation, and coastal impacts through increased research. Specifically: The need for targeted risk assessment of threatened communities is compelling; Effective tsunami detection, forecasting and warning demands dense networks of realtime working sensors; Warnings must provide clear instruction and must reach everyone at risk; Measures taken to reduce the threat of tsunamis and earthquakes must be adopted as part of a comprehensive all-hazards plan; International efforts to reduce the threat of tsunamis and other hazards must address local, national and regional challenges."

  National Science and Technology Council (U.S.). Subcommittee on Natural Disaster Reduction

  2005-12
• Advanced National Seismic System Northeastern United States (ANSS-NE) Implementation Plan

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  "The purpose of the implementation plan, contained herein, is to identify and prioritize goals and to propose specific actions and activities to achieve these goals. These actions will ultimately improve efforts to mitigate the effects of earthquakes, especially seriously damaging earthquakes, in the northeast U.S. The plan explains from the stakeholders' point of view what the important earthquake hazards and monitoring issues are for the next 5 years. The plan coordinates the activities of a number of different seismological research and monitoring centers at the federal and local levels (including internationally), as well as those of a large and diverse set of states and urban areas. The plan also addresses what priorities should be assigned to proposed [Advanced National Seismic System Northeastern United States] (ANSS-NE) activities, and identifies potential funding sources."

  Geological Survey (U.S.)

  Fratto, Edward S.

  2009-09-15
• HIV/AIDS: Haiti Pre-Decision Brief for Public Health Action

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  "Haiti has the highest HIV prevalence rate in the hemisphere (2.2%); more than 120,000 persons are estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in Haiti. Approximately 31,132 were receiving antiretroviral treatment at the end of September, 2009. (there were a total of 48 treatment sites providing ARV treatment in the country; 36 PEFPAR sites and 17 Global Fund Sites (GFS). HIV sentinel surveillance carried out in pregnant women in 2006/7 at 17 sites found a median prevalence of 4.4% (range 0.8-11.8%; urban 5.9%, rural 2.7%). A reported four (4) HIV-infected infants are born each day, among the 8,000 HIV- infected women who become pregnant each year. Rates of infection are higher in commercial sex workers (CSW) and men who have sex with other men (MSM) (~5%). HIV is highly stigmatized in Haiti. An active electronic HIV/AIDS reporting system, in place before the earthquake, is currently the backbone of public health surveillance in Haiti. The National Public Health Laboratory (LNSP) supported HIV diagnosis and early infant diagnosis in the country. HIV diagnostic capacity was generally available at all 131 President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) services sites, but may be limited due to constraints posed by an increased number of patients needing post-earthquake care. Existing testing algorithms for HIV diagnosis can be used without modification; all 131 PEPFAR service sites have continued operating and offering services, despite the earthquake. CD4 testing is available at most 36 PEPFAR treatment sites."

  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)

  2010-02
• Guide to Using HAZUS for Mitigation

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  "A Guide to Using HAZUS for Mitigation (hereinafter referred to as the Guide) describes how HAZUS can help your local community, county, region or state identify, develop and implement measures to accomplish effective earthquake hazard risk reduction. The Guide will assist you in using HAZUS to ask questions about your community's vulnerability to earthquake damage and how such losses might be reduced by implementing preventive (mitigative) actions. It will help you understand how to use HAZUS loss estimates to develop and implement an effective community mitigation plan. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) defines mitigation as 'sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from hazards and their effects.' One of FEMA's principal objectives in promoting HAZUS is to encourage users to analyze, in advance, potential estimates of deaths, injuries, building damage and economic loss, and disruption to lifelines and critical facilities due to earth-quakes (other natural hazards will be addressed in future versions of HAZUS), and then to design and implement measures to reduce expected losses. Mitigation measures such as incorporating seismic design requirements into new buildings, or accomplishing seismic rehabilitation of existing buildings, will reduce the expected losses but not totally eliminate them. Improvement gained from a mitigation measure is the difference between the original condition and the improved (mitigated) condition."

  United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency

  National Institute of Building Sciences (Washington, D.C.)

  2002-04
• Haiti Debt Relief, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy and Trade of the Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, Second Session, March 4, 2010

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  From the statement of Nancy Lee: "I know the leadership role that you and others on this subcommittee have played on Haiti, both before the devastating earthquake and after, and it's a privilege for me to testify today. I returned early this morning from Port-au-Prince, where I met with the senior economic team in Haiti's government, as well as a variety of people from the private sector. And I am pleased to share my findings. On the ground, I saw the impact of the earthquake on Haiti's economy is going to be massive, is already massive and will be massive. It will vary, though, by region and by sector. It will take some time before we fully understand the magnitude and nature of the impact of the earthquake on Haiti's future. Today, I will provide our best assessment of the economic and financial challenges ahead for Haiti, and Treasury's efforts to help Haiti address them." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Timothy D. Adams, Thomas H. Hart, Melinda St. Louis, and Al Green.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2010
• Utah Braces for the Future

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  "Almost 75 percent of Utah's population lives near the Wasatch Fault. Earth scientists have shown that this fault has repeatedly experienced strong earthquakes of magnitude 7 or larger and will continue to do so in the future. Efforts to increase public awareness of earthquake hazards in Utah have resulted in residents and community leaders taking actions that will save lives and reduce damage in future earthquakes."

  Geological Survey (U.S.)

  1995
• Los Angeles Dam Story

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  "In 1971, the near-failure of a dam during a magnitude 6.7 earthquake forced 80,000 people to evacuate their residences. In 1994, the replacement dam survived an almost identical earthquake with little damage. Underlying this progress in designing critical structures are years of research on the powerful shaking during large earthquakes."

  Geological Survey (U.S.)

  1995
• Saving Lives through Better Design Standards

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  "Over the past 30 years, scientists have put together a more complete picture of how the ground shakes during earthquakes. They have learned that shaking near the source of earthquakes is far more severe than once thought and that soft ground shakes more strongly than hard rock. This knowledge has enabled engineers to improve design standards so that structures are better able to survive strong earthquakes."

  United States. Department of the Interior; Geological Survey (U.S.)

  Celebi, Mehmet; Spudich, Paul A.; Page, Robert A.

  2001-03
• 2008 United States National Seismic Hazard Maps: Fact Sheet

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  "The U.S. Geological Survey recently updated the National Seismic Hazard Maps by incorporating new seismic, geologic, and geodetic information on earthquake rates and associated ground shaking. The 2008 versions supersede those released in 1996 and 2002. These maps are the basis for seismic design provisions of building codes, insurance rate structures, earthquake loss studies, retrofit priorities, and land-use planning. Their use in design of buildings, bridges, highways, and critical infrastructure allows structures to better withstand earthquake shaking, saving lives and reducing disruption to critical activities following a damaging event. The maps also help engineers avoid costs from over-design for unlikely levels of ground motion." This fact sheet describes the update process and lists major changes to the maps.

  Geological Survey (U.S.)

  2008-04
• National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program [website]

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  This website provides information about the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) which "was formed in 1995 by Congressional action which directed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to form and lead a Federal/State working group. The Congressional action was the result of recognition in 1990 of the tsunami threat to Oregon, Washington, and northern California from a magnitude 9 earthquake on the Cascadia subduction zone, the April 1992 earthquake and tsunami on the Cascadia subduction zone in northern California, and the loss of life and property in Japan due to the 1994 Hokkaido, Japan earthquake and tsunami. These events, together with the historic Alaska tsunamis of 1946 and 1964, brought to light the general lack of tsunami preparedness and hazard assessment for the U.S. west coast and the need for significant improvement in tsunami detection and forecasting. The NTHMP is a partnership between NOAA, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the 28 U.S. Coastal States Territories, and Commonwealths. [...] Primary goals of NTHMP are to: 1) raise awareness of the affected population; 2) develop integrated tsunami maps and models that can be used to develop improved warning guidance and evacuation maps; 3) improve tsunami warning systems; 4) incorporate tsunami planning into state and federal multi-hazard programs. Because tsunami mitigation is applicable beyond tsunamis and is integral to the nation's overall effort to reduce coastal losses and improve resilience, the mitigation capability takes a multi-hazards physical, commercial and ecological approach that responds to socio-economic and disaster management priorities."

  National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (U.S.)
• Seismic Waves: Can Wood Buildings Safely Grow Taller in Seismic Regions?

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  Seismic Waves is a newsletter published by the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. "This past summer in rural Japan, the largest building ever seismically tested was subjected to the maximum credible earthquake for Los Angeles on the world's biggest shake table. This 'capstone' test of the tallest wood-frame building ever tested marked the culmination of the NEESWood research project. The project was launched in the fall of 2005 with ongoing support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and NSF's George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES). Since then, NEESWood researchers have marshaled academic, industry, and international collaboration to successfully produce and validate a new design methodology that has major implications for wood-frame construction in seismic regions of the United States and around the world."

  National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (U.S.)

  2009-10
• Seismic Waves: New Findings to Keep Flate-Plate Frames from Flattening

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  Seismic Waves is a newsletter published by the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. "Infrastructure, so often taken for granted, is attracting more attention these days. In such times, it is worth noting that infrastructure encompasses not just the many constructed resources that directly support our daily routines, but also the research facilities that make those resources safer and more efficient. Researchers from the University of Michigan and the University of Minnesota recently highlighted the value of such facilities. Taking advantage of the unique capabilities of the George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES), they developed important new findings that will help to make a popular building system safer and more efficient to use in earthquake-prone regions."

  National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (U.S.)

  2009-01