HAZUS-MH 

ESTIMATING POTENTIAL LOSSES FROM DISASTERS 

HAZUS-MH is a nationally applicable standardized methodology that estimates potential losses from earthquakes, 
floods, and hurricane winds. HAZUS-MH was developed 
by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 
under contract with the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS). 

PROVIDING ESTIMATES OF HAZARD-RELATED 
DAMAGE 

HAZUS-MH is FEMA’s risk assessment and loss estimation tool that helps States, communities, and businesses 
prepare for, mitigate the effects of, respond to, and recover from a hazard event. HAZUS-MH provides estimates of hazard-related damage before a disaster occurs 
and takes into account various impacts of a hazard event. 

Potential loss estimates analyzed by 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 earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes. 
USING GIS TECHNOLOGY 

HAZUS-MH can quantify the risk for a study area of any 
size by using geographic information system (GIS) technology to combine hazard layers with national databases, 
and applying standardized loss estimation and risk assessment methodology. The GIS-based environment allows 
users to create graphics to help communities visualize and 
understand their hazard risks and possible solutions. The 
nationwide databases built into HAZUS-MH include data-
sets on demographics, building stock, essential facilities, 
transportation, utilities, and high-potential-loss facilities. 

HAZUS-MH METHODOLOGY 

HAZUS-MH can estimate losses from earthquakes, 
floods, and hurricane winds by using: 

• Ground motion and ground failure information to calculate losses for earthquakes 
• Flood frequency, depth, discharge, and velocity for 
floods 
• Information on wind pressure, windborne missiles, and 
rain for hurricane winds 
HAZUS-MH HELPS BUILD SAFER AND 

STRONGER COMMUNITIES 

HAZUS-MH can help States and communities: 

• Anticipate the scope of disaster-related damage 
• Identify areas at risk from hazards that may require 
special land-use or building codes 
• Assess the vulnerability of housing and essential facilities 
• Estimate potential losses from specific natural disasters 
• Prioritize mitigation projects 
• Educate communities about their risk and how to reduce it 
• Develop damage prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery plans 
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INTEGRATED RISK ANALYSIS 

HAZUS-MH can perform multi-hazard analyses by combining the results from earthquake, flood, and hurricane 
wind models to provide integrated multi-hazard reports 
and graphs. HAZUS-MH also contains a third-party 
model that provides access and operational capability to a 
wide range of natural, manmade, and technological hazard 
models (nuclear and conventional blast, radiological, 
chemical, and biological) that can supplement the natural 
hazard loss estimation capability. 

HAZUS-MH USER GROUPS SUPPORT 
MITIGATION PLANNING 

HAZUS-MH User Groups unite the resources of public 
and private organizations to reduce the risk of loss and 
respond to natural hazards. By pooling the talents of GIS 
professionals, risk managers, contingency planners, natural hazard experts, and elected officials, User Groups use 
HAZUS-MH to develop hazard mitigation plans as well 
as identify and execute mitigation projects. User Groups 
throughout the country benefit from group collaboration 
and the sharing of information, data, and software usage 
tips. 

For information about forming hazard-specific or multi-
hazard HAZUS-MH User Groups, please consult How to 
Start a User Group (FEMA 404), available online at: 

http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/hazus/hz_users. 

INFORMATION AND TRAINING 

FEMA provides many HAZUS-MH publications free of 
charge from the FEMA Distribution Center as well as 
online. HAZUS: What Could Happen (FEMA 410) is a 
video overview of how communities are using HAZUSMH in planning for earthquake, wind, and flood loss mitigation; emergency preparedness; response; and recovery. 

Using HAZUS-MH for Risk Assessment: How-To Guide 

(FEMA 433) helps users prepare standardized, scientifically based risk assessments with HAZUS-MH software. 

Additional HAZUS resources are available online at: 

http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/hazus/hz_resources. 

Regularly scheduled HAZUS-MH training classes are 
held at FEMA's Emergency Training Institute (EMI) located on the National Emergency Training Center campus 
in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Classes range from Basic to 
Advanced and can benefit emergency managers, GIS specialists, geologists, state and local planners, and others 
involved in assessment activities. For upcoming training 
dates, go to: http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/hazus/ 
hz_training. 

Many States also offer HAZUS training. For more information, please contact the HAZUS Regional Point of 
Contact (POC) in your area or check online at: 

http://www.hazus.org/NEW_HAZUSorg/ 
HAZUSorg_TRAINING. 


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