MULTI-HAZARD RISK ASSESSMENTS IN OREGON

For decades, Oregon’s Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) has been working with federal, state, and local agencies to help communities prepare for and mitigate the risk from natural hazards. DOGAMI has not only mapped geologic hazards but also evaluated the threat those geologic hazards pose to humans lives and structures. As a product of DOGAMI’s efforts, dozens of reports have been published that have been used to inform decision-making, enhance regulatory statutes, and update development code related to earthquakes, landslides, floods, and other natural hazards.

Through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Cooperating Technical Partner program, DOGAMI has received funding to conduct a new series of detailed risk assessments throughout Oregon. These Multi-Hazard Risk Assessments (MHRA) give DOGAMI the opportunity to evaluate the risk that earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, landslides, volcanic hazards, wildfires, channel migration, and coastal erosion pose to populations and assets including infrastructure and buildings. DOGAMI’s MHRA methodology combines prior natural hazard mapping, a detailed building inventory, and FEMA’s Hazus-MH software to either determine the exposure risk or damage incurred to buildings for each natural hazard. DOGAMI has performed MHRAs for many of Oregon’s regions including Tillamook County. The results from these studies will be incorporated into local Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan updates that will allow communities to quantitatively compare the vulnerability to different natural hazards, create strategy to build a more resilience community, and apply for FEMA non-emergency disaster assistance.