An integrated model for earthquake risk and damage assessment

The primary objective of this paper was to develop an integrated model for earthquake risk and damage assessment. This model consists of three major submodules - the physical damage functions, the economic damage functions, and the institutional aspects related to risk mitigation policies and community preparedness. While the physical damage functions are related to earthquake risk prediction utilizing both probabilistic and deterministic approaches, the economic damage functions refer to the potential vulnerability of various populations at earthquake risk.The feasibility of this model was tested with historical and projected data on earthquake risk and impacted populations for the New Madrid Fault region which includes St. Louis and Memphis Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas. If the 1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes would recur between 1980 and 2030, the damage results from the simulations of this model based on the status quo scenario, indicate that the region would experience structural losses in billions of dollars and a death toll of hundreds of persons.