| Mitigation
and risk reduction, actions taken to prevent or reduce the risk
to life and property from natural
hazards, are central to CUSEC’s mission. Each day, substantial
sums of money are invested in new buildings, facilities, and lifelines
in hazard prone areas in our communities. The central United States
is home to more than ten million people and many could be directly
impacted by an earthquake in the New Madrid seismic zone. The challenge
for CUSEC and others is to ensure that political figures, planners,
developers, building officials, lenders, and other key players understand
the potential consequences of earthquakes. Adopting and enforcing
building codes with seismic provisions is the most important single
step that local governments can take to minimize future earthquake
related building losses. By incorporating mitigation practices
like this in the daily decisions that are made in our
communities,
the effects
of earthquakes, and other hazards, can be minimized, to a certain
extent. These decisions may include mitigation efforts such as: Risk
Assessments, Structural and Non-Structural Mitigation, among others.
There are many types and examples of mitigation, from strapping hot
water heaters to wall studs, to retrofitting highway bridges, but
they all have one thing in common - reducing the risk from natural
and manmade hazards. |
FEMA File
Photo: By using structural mitigation
practices, this damage might have been prevented
|
| Earthquake
hazard mitigation is, and will continue to be, CUSEC’s highest
priority. The reason for this is straightforward - Every mitigation
action that
is taken today can reduce casualties, damages, and economic losses
that will occur during a damaging earthquake.
Follow the links below to learn more about different types of mitigation. Please
note that many of the recommendations listed and discussed in these
links address existing structures, not new construction. |
