Abstract - GIS Implementation of a Nationwide Seismic Risk Assessment Methodology

Track: Emergency Management and Public Safety

Chessy Si
Risk Management Solutions, Inc.
149 Commonwealth Drive
Menlo Park, CA 94025

Telephone: 415-617-6488
Fax: 415-617-6602
E-mail: chessys@riskinc.com

Scott Lawson, Mourad Bouhafs, Jawhar Bouabid

GIS Implementation of a Nationwide Seismic Risk Assessment Methodology

Defining Issue: Application of GIS technology in natural hazard risk assessment and emergency management. GIS Solution: Risk Management Solutions, Inc., a leading software and service provider for the federal, state, and local emergency management agencies, as well as international insurance and reinsurance industry, developed HAZUS-ArcView, a GIS-based natural disaster assessment software program using Esri GIS technology. Methodology: The recent development of a GIS-based earthquake risk assessment software system is sponsored as a part of a three-year project by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS). The goal of the project is to create a nationally applicable computer program that can be used in the assessment of nationwide catastrophic risk as well as providing local, state, and regional officials with the tools necessary to plan and stimulate efforts to mitigate losses from natural hazards and to prepare for emergency response and recovery from disasters. The methodology is programmed to run on a desktop computer and makes use of Esri's ArcView user interface and functionality to open and modify inventory data, conduct spatial analysis, as well as display study results. Included in the paper are examples of the types of output that the software can produce, along with maps and results showing casualties, expected shelter needs, expected performance of communication and utility lines, as well as other direct and indirect economic losses. Software: The application HAZUS-ArcView was written using C++ and Avenue, as well as other system supporting tools. HAZUS was also developed on a MapInfo platform written in C++ and MapBasic programs. The paper introduces the ArcView GIS-based earthquake loss estimation methodology, and also shares experience in cross platform development and system porting between different software programs.