This paper focuses on how local communities are using a user-friendly, GIS-based software product developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) to reduce their risk for natural disasters. HAZUS produces a risk assessment that calculates potential damage to buildings and lifelines, casualties, shelter requirements, debris generated, and direct and indirect economic loss from earthquakes. Flood and hurricane modules are also under development. HAZUS's loss estimation methodology is usable by local emergency management personnel for planning mitigation efforts, emergency response, and recovery plans. Before HAZUS was developed, appropriate planning for earthquakes was not feasible because generating earthquake risk assessments was a formidable task requiring expensive consultants and considerable time.