Leveraging your GIS as a Collaborative Platform

Loss Estimation Applications within the Federal Government

—Eric Berman, Federal Emergency Management Agency

HAZUS-MH is powerful GIS-based risk assessment methodology that enables users to quantify losses from earthquakes, hurricane wind and floods to help save lives and protect property. Attendees will learn how federal agencies use the geospatial technologies within HAZUS to estimate losses for disaster assistance. Panelists from the Disaster Assistance Branch of the Small Business Administration (SBA) will explain how the SBA develops pre-and-post disaster estimations of losses that correspond to their grants. Representatives from the Veterans Administration (VA) will demonstrate how the VA uses HAZUS to do earthquake assessments for all VA structures across the nation. Panelists from FEMA's Individual Assistance Center (FEMA IA) will show how HAZUS' geospatial technologies assist with planning and scheduling of resources to help homeowners and renters affected by disasters with their housing needs and necessary expenses.