Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment

This page provides information and resources for conducting a hazard identification and risk assessment.

A hazard identification and risk assessment provides the factual basis for activities proposed in the strategy portion of a hazard mitigation plan. An effective risk assessment informs proposed actions by focusing attention and resources on the greatest risks.

The four basic components of a risk assessment are:

1) hazard identification,

2) profiling of hazard events,

3) inventory of assets, and

4) estimation of potential human and economic losses based on the exposure and vulnerability of people, buildings, and infrastructure.

For more detailed guidance on the process to complete a multi-hazard risk assessment, please see the following FEMA publications:

• State Mitigation Plan Review Guide (effective 3/6/16), 
• Tribal Mitigation Plan Review Guide,
• Local Mitigation Plan Review Guide (English version; Spanish version), or
• Local Mitigation Planning Handbook.

This sections below identify data sources and tools that may be useful in conducting a hazard identification and risk assessment.

Multi-Hazard

• Integrating Disaster Data into Hazard Mitigation Planning (2015)
• FEMA Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation Program
• USGS Natural Hazards Gateway
• NOAA Office of Coastal Management
• National Geophysical Data Center
• NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
  • Center for Weather and Climate (formerly the National Climatic Data Center)
  • Center for Coasts, Oceans, and Geophysics (formerly the National Geophysical Data Center)
• NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center
• USDA Historical Crop Losses
• Natural Hazards Center
• Global Change Master Directory
• FEMA Climate Change page

Hazus

Hazus is a nationally applicable standardized methodology that estimates potential losses from earthquakes, hurricane winds, floods, and tsunamis. Hazus can assist mitigation planning teams with understanding vulnerabilities and describing impacts in the hazard identification and risk assessment portion of their mitigation plans. Hazus can generate loss estimates with its default data, but it can also be used in combination with local information to generate more refined loss estimates.

In August 2018, FEMA released Using Hazus in Mitigation Planning, a new job aid to help mitigation planners better leverage Hazus data, maps, and tables in their hazard mitigation plans. For more information and materials related to Hazus, visit the Hazus Flyers and Handouts page.

Drought

• National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) / U.S. Drought Portal
• National Drought Resilience Partnership
• National Drought Mitigation Center

Earthquake

• National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program
• National Earthquake Information Center
• FEMA P-366, Hazus Estimated Annualized Earthquake Losses for the United States

Flood

• FEMA Flood Hazard Mapping
• Floodplain Management
• National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System
• Nationwide River Gauge Site for Flooding Information
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Flood Risk Management Program
• National Dam Safety Program
• Dam Safety Technical Advisories including Dam Risk Awareness, Risk Reduction Measures for Dams, and Risk Exposure and Residual Risk Related to Dams
• Association of State Dam Safety Officials
• National Levee Database

Hurricane

• National Hurricane Center
• Historical Hurricane Tracks

Landslides

• USGS Landslide Hazard Program

Wildfire

• US Fire Administration
• Wildland Fire Assessment System
• National Interagency Fire Center
• Landfire