New CA Geologic Map and State Fault Activity Maps

New editions of the Geologic Map of California and the Fault Activity Map of California have been prepared in recognition of the California Geological Survey’s 150th Anniversary.

Geologic Map

Fault Activity Map

UPDATE IN PROGRESS

Because of changes in the Google Blogger system that took place effective May 1, 2010 HAZUS.org will no longer be able to use the Google hosted Blogger system to maintain components of the HAZUS.org site and some of the HUG sites we support.

We are working to transition to WordPress and hope to have things converted as soon as possible. In the mean time we will make do with a work around using the Google Blogger system

DOD Civil Support Guidance Outdated

Two recent reports from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommend the Department of Defense (DOD) make improvements in its homeland defense and civil support operations. READ MORE

DOD Can Enhance Efforts to Identify Capabilities to Support Civil Authorities during Disasters

DOD Needs to Take Actions to Enhance Interagency Coordination for Its Homeland Defense and Civil Support Missions

Is Recent Earthquake Activity Unusual? Scientists Say No.

Even with six major earthquakes striking in the first four months of this year scientists say 2010 is not showing signs of unusually high earthquake activity. Since 1900, an average of 16 magnitude 7 or greater earthquakes — the size that seismologists define as major — have occurred worldwide each year. Some years have had as few as 6, as in 1986 and 1989, while 1943 had 32, with considerable variability from year to year.

USGS Press Release...

Validation of HAZUS Hurricane Model During Ike

FEMA has recently published an independent validation study of wind field, debris estimation, and building damages for Houston, TX of a Level 1 HAZUS-MH analysis for Hurricane IKE. MORE INFO

2010 Huricane Soothsayers ...

The Tropical Meteorology Project at the Colorado State University predicts that the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season is likely to be "above-average" and produce eight hurricanes, four of them major. MORE INFO

Another forecaster, AccuWeather sees a potentially "extreme" hurricane season this year with five hurricanes, two or three of them major, expected to strike the U.S. coast, forming out of an expected 16 to 18 tropical storms, almost all of them in the western Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico. MORE INFO

The NOAA National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center's projection is usually released in late May, before the start of the "official" hurricane season, June 1 - Nov 30th. MORE INFO

MAGIC 2010 Symposium

MAGIC 2010 Symposium

The 2010 Symposium will be held at the Westin Crown Center April 18 - 22, 2010 in Kansas City, Missouri. MORE INFO

The HEARTLAND HUG will hold its April meeting by conference call and a live and in-person meeting at 5:00 pm CDT on Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at the MAGIC 2010 Symposium. The HEARTLAND HUG meeting will be held at the Westin Crown Center Hotel. FEMA will have the HAZUS-MH exhibit and materials at the MAGIC 2010 Symposium.

DHS Mapping Tool Boosts Situational Awareness - iCAV

The DHS National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) has implemented the Integrated Common Analytical Viewer (iCAV), a Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) program, to provide situational awareness to local, state and federal agencies regarding threats to sites classified by the Homeland Security Infrastructure Program (HSIP). READ MORE

A recent review determined that iCAV does not pose any special risk to privacy.
REPORT: Privacy Impact Assessment for the Integrated Common Analytical Viewer.

DHS iCAV

OPINION:

Common sense suggests that the resources of iCAV should be integrated with HAZUS.MH. This would be the obvious way to quickly incorporate the national critical infrastructure database within the HAZUS-MH exposure data. However, iCAV is handled as Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) at the local and state level. This special security handling requirement greatly complicates the utility of the iCAV database.

iCAV is also integrated into the DHS Automated Critical Asset Management System (ACAMS), a tool designed specifically for the emergency responder community.

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