Abstract

Estimation of Short Term Shelter Needs – FEMA HAZUS Model
Track: Disaster and Emergency Management
Authors: Sampa Patra, Douglas Schenk

The Federal Emergency Management Agency publishes a methodology for estimating potential losses from disasters like earthquakes, floods etc. These models are published in a package called HAZUS. HAZUS contains demographic statistics for each census tract in the country for estimating short term shelter needs. This presentations discusses the methods and results of calculating short term shelter needs and the comparison of computational results to actual shelter needs during past earthquakes.