Hazard and Risk Assessments in the United States

Abstract

Every State and Territory in the United States has communities that are at risk from one or more of the natural hazards: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, severe storms (hurricanes and tornadoes), floods, landslides, wildfires, tsunamis, and drought. During the 1990's, a period designated by the United Nations as the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR), the United States plans to marshall its intellectual, economic, and political resources to reduce loss of life, human suffering, and economic loss from these natural hazards. Hazard and risk assessments will be an important element of the United States' program. Such assessments are needed for the Nation's earthquake-prone zones, active volcanoes, thousands of miles of hurricane-prone coastline, large and small flood-producing drainage systems, slopes susceptible to landslides, regions prone to tornadoes, coasts susceptible to tsunami runup and storm surge, wilderness/urban interfaces vulnerable to wildfires, and regions subject to drought episodes. The goal is to provide a sound scientific and technical basis for predictions and warnings, preparedness, and mitigation measures so that communities can make themselves less susceptible to disasters. This paper describes the basic characteristics of the atmospheric, hydrologic, and geologic natural hazards the United States will face during the 1990's and its plans for reducing their impacts.