Article: The regional consequences of individual natural hazard events Journal: International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management (IJRAM) 2012 Vol.16 No.1/2/3 pp.78 - 111 Abstract: This paper presents a procedure for detailed information about the losses due to natural hazards in the USA that is valuable for the purpose of providing guidance to the public and to hazard mitigation planners. In a new manner, the losses are presented regionally on a per event basis, highlighting not only the total losses due to hazards, but also the largest values of loss that have been experienced. Histograms are then constructed for the full range of outcomes, since there is no evidence that perception of risk to natural hazards is limited to either average values or the single extreme. It is believed that such full information concerning each hazard will be of assistance to planners in the different regions of the USA as they communicate natural hazard risk to the public, and gauge the public reaction to perceptions of risk. With this new framework, those involved in hazard mitigation should find additional useful information, and the public will have the ability to be better educated as to the likelihood and outcomes of certain natural hazards occurring in their area. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: The regional consequences of individual natural hazard events

Authors: Jennifer Marie Jones; Ross B. Corotis

Addresses: MWH Global, Inc. 2121 North California Blvd., Suite 600, Walnut Creek, California 94596, USA. ' Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0428, USA

Abstract: This paper presents a procedure for detailed information about the losses due to natural hazards in the USA that is valuable for the purpose of providing guidance to the public and to hazard mitigation planners. In a new manner, the losses are presented regionally on a per event basis, highlighting not only the total losses due to hazards, but also the largest values of loss that have been experienced. Histograms are then constructed for the full range of outcomes, since there is no evidence that perception of risk to natural hazards is limited to either average values or the single extreme. It is believed that such full information concerning each hazard will be of assistance to planners in the different regions of the USA as they communicate natural hazard risk to the public, and gauge the public reaction to perceptions of risk. With this new framework, those involved in hazard mitigation should find additional useful information, and the public will have the ability to be better educated as to the likelihood and outcomes of certain natural hazards occurring in their area.

Keywords: built environment; earthquakes; floods; hurricanes; hazard mitigation; natural hazards; regional risk; risk assessment; risk management; risk perception; natural hazard events; hazard consequences; hazard losses; histograms; USA; United States; natural disasters; disaster mitigation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJRAM.2012.047557

International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management, 2012 Vol.16 No.1/2/3, pp.78 - 111

Received: 05 Oct 2011
Accepted: 26 Jan 2012
Published online: 29 Oct 2014 *

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Title: The regional consequences of individual natural hazard events

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