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Hazus-MH Earthquake Model

• Earthquake Model Performance
• Use of Earthquake Loss Estimates
• New Features in Hazus-MH 2.0
• Hazus-MH Earthquake Model Applications

The Hazus-MH earthquake model estimates damage and loss to buildings, lifelines and essential facilities from scenario and probabilistic earthquakes, including:

• Ground shaking and ground failure
• Estimates of casualties
• Displaced households and shelter requirements
• Damage and loss of use of essential facilities
• Estimated cost of repairing damaged buildings
• Quantity of debris
• Damage to buildings
• Direct costs associated with loss of function (e.g., loss of business revenue)
  

Earthquake Model Performance

• Hazus-MH is a regional loss estimation tool. Results are most accurate when aggregated on a county or regional scale.
• Modeled results depend on accurate inventories. The more complete the inventories, the more accurate the results.
• Because of their complexity, it is more difficult to estimate losses to lifelines (utility and transportation) than buildings.
  

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Use of Earthquake Loss Estimates

Hazus-MH displays the analysis both through GIS maps and tables. This forecasting capability enables users to carry out a wide range of analyses.

• Emergency managers can use Hazus-MH to develop scenarios to drive exercises and support emergency operations plans.
• State Hazard Mitigation Officials can use information on costs and benefits of specific mitigation measures, and to use analysis for risk assessments for State and local hazard mitigation plans. 
• Shelter managers can use estimates of displaced households and shelter requirements to scale mass care mission requirements.
• Utility company representatives can use information on the locations and duration of potential utility outages in setting restoration priorities and committing necessary personnel and other resources.

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New Features in Hazus-MH 2.0

• The sensitivity of epicenter depth in the Earthquake module has been improved, resulting in more accurate damage results.
• Issues with Earthquake results mapping in Windows 7 have been corrected.
• Issues with casualty results in the Earthquake Global Summary Report have been corrected.
• The use of the Study Region Wizard has been simplified.

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Hazus-MH Earthquake Model Applications

Since the Hazus-MH earthquake model was first used in 1995, there has been a wide range of applications by Federal, state, local and private sectors users.

• Hospitals Get a Jolt of Reality with Hazus-MH Earthquake Analysis Results (2009)
• California Uses Hazus-MH to Reassess Safety of Hospitals (2007)
• Scenario Development for the New Madrid Seismic Zone Catastrophic Planning Initiative (2007) 
• Annualized Earthquake Loss Study (2006) 
• San Francisco Bay Area Earthquake Exercise (2006)
• Assessment of Losses from Repeat of 1906 San Francisco Earthquake (2006)
• Earthquake Loss Study: Gallatin County, Montana (2005) 
• King/Pierce County, Washington, Port-to-Port Transportation Corridor Earthquake Vulnerability Study (2002) 

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Last Modified: Tuesday, 31-May-2011 17:20:12 EDT