HAZUS-MH
The Hazards U.S. Multi-Hazard (HAZUS-MH) is a nationally applicable standardized methodology and software program that estimates potential losses from earthquakes, and hurricane winds. HAZUS-MH was developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under contract with the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS). In HAZUS-MH, scientific and engineering knowledge is coupled with the latest geographic information systems (GIS) technology to produce estimates of hazard-related damage before, or after a disaster occurs.
HAZUS-MH uses GIS software to map and display hazard data and the results of damage and economic loss estimates for buildings and infrastructure. It also allows users to estimate the impacts of earthquakes, floods, and hurricane winds on populations.
Estimating losses is essential to decision-making at all levels of government, providing a basis for developing mitigation plans and policies, emergency preparedness, and response and recovery planning.
The latest release, HAZUS-MH MR2, is an updated version of HAZUS-MH that incorporates many new features which improve both the speed and functionality of the models.
Potential loss estimates analyzed in HAZUS-MH include:
- Physical damage to residential and commercial buildings, schools, critical facilities, and infrastructure;
- Economic loss, including lost jobs, business interruptions, repair and reconstruction costs; and
- Social impacts, including estimates of shelter requirements, displaced households, and population exposed to scenario floods, earthquakes and hurricanes.
The HAZUS earthquake loss estimation methodology is a software program that uses mathematical formulas and information about building stock, local geology and the location and size of potential earthquakes, economic data, and other information to estimate losses from a potential earthquake. HAZUS uses ArcGIS to map and display ground shaking, the pattern of building damage, and demographic information about a community. Once the location and size of a hypothetical earthquake is identified, HAZUS will estimate the violence of the following:
- ground shaking
- the number of buildings damaged
- the number of casualties
- the amount of damage to transportation systems
- disruption to the electrical and water utilities
- the number of people displaced from their homes
- estimated cost of repairing projected damage and other effects
The flood loss estimation methodology consists of two modules that carry out basic analytical processes: flood hazard analysis and flood loss estimation analysis. The flood hazard analysis module uses characteristics, such as frequency, discharge, and ground elevation to estimate flood depth, flood elevation, and flow velocity. The flood loss estimation module calculates physical damage and economic loss from the results of the hazard analysis. The results are displayed in a series of reports and maps.
The HAZUS-MH Hurricane Wind Model is an improvement over existing loss estimation models because it uses a wind hazard-load-damage-loss framework. The model addresses wind pressure, windborne debris, surge and waves, atmospheric pressure change, duration/fatigue, and rain. It includes the following features:
- A building classification system that depends on the characteristics of the building envelope and building frame.
- The capability to compute damage based on building classes and the effects of rain and progressive failure.
- The capability to compute damage to contents and building interior.
- The capability to estimate tree blowdown and structure debris quantities.
- Loss estimates that include direct and indirect economic loss, shelter requirements, and casualties.
- Modules that facilitate future assessment of mitigation, benefit-cost, and building code issues.
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