Reducing Risk

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The Natural Hazards Mission of the USGS is to develop and apply science to help protect the safety, security, and economic well-being of the Nation. USGS provides a diverse set of expertise, data, and resources to reduce risk from multiple hazards.

USGS Risk Plan

A plan to advance USGS capabilities in risk assessment, mitigation, and communication.

Read the Plan

Plan Implementation

SHIRA

Learn more about the Strategic Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment on DOI Resources (SHIRA) Project.

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SAFRR

Explore the Science Application for Risk Reduction (SAFRR) project.

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News

Tectonic Features of World with Subduction Zones Highlighted

December 14, 2020

Natural Hazards Newsletter - Inaugural Issue - Vol. 1 | Issue 2021-Winter

We introduce the USGS Natural Hazards newsletter. In this issue: A new geonarrative about the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake, Potential landslide in Alaska, Subduction Zone Science, Post-wildfire debris flow assessments, new @USGS_Quakes Twitter account, Mapping faults in Puerto Rico, Coastal Change Top Story, Photo Round Up and more!

Attribution: Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, DOI Strategic Sciences Group, Earthquake Hazards Program, Emergency Management, Floods and Droughts, Geomagnetism Program, Global Seismographic Network, Landslide Hazards Program, Science Application for Risk Reduction, Volcano Hazards Program Office, Wildfire Hazards

image related to volcanoes. See description

Date published: December 10, 2020

USGS Reducing Risk Website

The Reducing Risk website under the USGS Natural Hazards Mission Area showcases the USGS Risk Plan and pulls together research and activities from around the USGS that focus on the goals of the plan: to advance USGS capabilities in risk assessment, mitigation, and communication.

Attribution: Natural Hazards

Cliff feature outputs from the algorithm are shown as colored dots and lines on a 3-dimensional rendering of a coastal cliff.

Date published: October 5, 2020

Coastal Change Happens! USGS Has Data and Tools to Help Coastal Communities Prepare

USGS Introduces a National Approach to Coastal Change Hazards (CCH) Science

Attribution: Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

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Publications

Year Published: 2019

The HayWired earthquake scenario—Societal consequences

The HayWired Earthquake Scenario—Societal Consequences is the third volume of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Scientific Investigations Report 2017–5013, which describes the HayWired scenario, developed by USGS and its partners. The scenario is a hypothetical yet scientifically realistic earthquake sequence that is being used to better understand...

Detweiler, Shane T.; Wein, Anne M.

Attribution: Earthquake Science Center, Western Geographic Science Center, Natural Hazards, Earthquake Hazards Program

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Johnson, L.A., Jones, J.L., Wein, A.M., and Peters, J.A., 2020, Analysis of communities at risk in the HayWired scenario, chap. U of Detweiler, S.T., and Wein, A.M., eds., The HayWired earthquake scenario—Societal consequences: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2017–5013–R–W, 139 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20175013v3.

Year Published: 2019

Assessing hazards and risks at the Department of the Interior—A workshop report

On February 27–28, 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey and Department of the Interior (DOI) Office of Emergency Management (OEM) hosted a workshop to gather input from DOI subject matter experts (SMEs), resource managers, facility managers, emergency managers, and law enforcement personnel. Workshop goals were to (1) determine how DOI Bureaus and...

Wood, Nathan; Pennaz, Alice; Ludwig, Kristin; Jones, Jeanne; Henry, Kevin; Sherba, Jason; Ng, Peter; Marineau, Jason; Juskie, John

Attribution: Western Geographic Science Center

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Wood, N., Pennaz, A., Ludwig, K., Jones, J., Henry, K, Sherba, J., Ng, P., Marineau, J., and Juskie, J., 2019, Assessing hazards and risks at the Department of the Interior—A workshop report: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1453, 42 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/cir1453.

Year Published: 2018

Science for a risky world—A U.S. Geological Survey plan for risk research and applications

Executive SummaryNatural hazards—including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, landslides, hurricanes, droughts, floods, wildfires, geomagnetic storms, and pandemics—can wreak havoc on human communities, the economy, and natural resources for years following an initial event. Hazards can claim lives and cause billions of dollars in damage...

Ludwig, K.A.; Ramsey, David W.; Wood, Nathan J.; Pennaz, A.B.; Godt, Jonathan W.; Plant, Nathaniel G.; Luco, Nicolas; Koenig, Todd A.; Hudnut, Kenneth W.; Davis, Donyelle K.; Bright, Patricia R.

Attribution: Natural Hazards

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Ludwig, K.A., Ramsey, D.W., Wood, N.J., Pennaz, A.B., Godt, J.W., Plant, N.G., Luco, N., Koenig, T.A., Hudnut, K.W., Davis, D.K., and Bright, P.R., 2018, Science for a risky world—A U.S. Geological Survey plan for risk research and applications: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1444, 57 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/cir1444.

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