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Development of Rapid Earthquake Damage Estimation System to Expedite Rescue Efforts in the Post-Disaster Phase

Description: 

In the first several hours following an earthquake, decision makers such as emergency managers have few fast options to gain situational awareness. They are often forced to rely upon calls to overloaded 911 lines, reports from first responders, reconnaissance along disrupted roadways by emergency personnel, or, after a day or two, aerial surveillance performed by the military. However, the first 24 to 48 hours are crucial for life-saving following a major earthquake. Situational awareness can be significantly improved using existing seismic risk modeling tools adapted for use with near-real-time seismic ground motion data typically available within tens of minutes. This work presents a new initiative to develop a Rapid Earthquake Damage Estimation (REDE) tool for earthquakes in Canada, similar to the United States Geological Survey’s TwoPAGER. We explore best practices and determine the feasibility of using rapidly available seismic data from the upcoming Canadian Earthquake Early Warning network in the first-generation Canadian Seismic Risk Model (CanSRM1) framework to model the impacts on people, the built environment, and the economy from an earthquake within 10-20 minutes of a major event. In particular, we focus on results most relevant to life safety and early response: collapsed buildings, entrapment injuries, hospital demand surge, roadway debris which may block response, and immediate mass care needs like shelter requirements. It will help prioritize rescue and reconnaissance efforts, and can serve as a base of evidence for early resource allocation including federal requests for assistance. This tool is expected to be replaced within tens of hours by direct observations and aerial surveys as they become available. Information has been collected about how such a tool might be used by stakeholders: first responders, emergency managers and critical infrastructure operators. Based on the resulting prototype, a viable product is anticipated to be completed by late 2024.

Session: Creating Actionable Earthquake Information Products - II

Type: Oral

Date: 5/1/2024

Presentation Time: 11:15 AM (local time)

Presenting Author: Megumi

Student Presenter: Yes

Invited Presentation: 

Authors