Federal Emergency Management Agency Grant to Support Earthquake Consortia for Hazard Reduction and Community Resilience

Natural hazards exist everywhere. Throughout its history, the United States (US) has experienced floods, wildfires, winter storms, landslides, windstorms, and earthquakes. But of all of these natural disasters, earthquakes pose one of the greatest threats to the lives, property, and economy, not only to communities within the western and central US, but indirectly to the Nation as a whole.

Under the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 2004 [Public Law (PL) 95-124, as amended by PL108-360], Congress established the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). In 2008, the NEHRP agencies engaged in the development of a strategic plan to guide the NEHRP Program over the 2009-2013 timeframe. The Strategic Plan for the NEHRP Program for Fiscal Years 2009-2013 dated October 2008 focuses on three overarching goals to develop, disseminate, and promote knowledge, tools, and practices for earthquake risk reduction:

i) Improve the understanding of earthquake processes and impacts
ii) Develop cost-effective measures to reduce earthquake impacts on individuals, the built environment, and society-at-large;
iii) Improve the earthquake resilience of communities nationwide

The purpose of this funding, through the Central US Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC), Northeast States Emergency Consortium (NESEC), Western States Seismic Policy Council (WSSPC), and the Cascadia Region Earthquake Workshop (CREW) is to provide guidance and assistance to States and local communities by:

i) Developing seismic policies and sharing information promoting programs intended to reduce earthquake-related losses;
ii) Providing forums for information exchange; developing, adopting, promoting policy recommendations;
iii) Conducting outreach to local governments and the business community; maintain and strengthen partnerships with other earthquake consortia;
iv) Helping deliver professional training to local communities
v) Educating citizens about the risks they face, and developing public awareness
and education tools and resources
vi) Encouraging public and private partnerships that benefit local communities