Resources for Reducing Risk, Building Resilience
Reducing Risk
USGS provides the expertise, information, and resources to reduce the risk from natural hazards.
Science Application for Risk Reduction
Working to increase public safety and reduce economic losses caused by natural hazards.
Understanding Hazard Exposure
The Hazard Exposure and Reporting Analytics (HERA) website helps communities understand how natural hazards could impact their land, people, infrastructure, and livelihoods.
Science for a Risky World
The USGS Risk Plan includes recommendations for capacity building, case studies, and project ideas.
Natural hazards occur frequently across the globe. Often the situation goes from bad to worse as cascading consequences can complicate response and recovery efforts. USGS hazard research can inform efforts to reduce the risks posed by natural hazards and help communities build resilience to future events.
Each year, dozens, if not hundreds, of natural hazard events take place in the United States. These events can vary in size, with some being incredibly large and affecting people across several states and communities, while others are small and localized. The more we know about hazards, the better we can find ways to help communities prepare for events, stay safe when they occur, and recover once they are over.
Risk Reduction
Because of the potential severity of a single hazard event, reducing risk is a high priority for everyone, including policymakers, community members, emergency managers, resource managers, utility operators, business owners, and planners. These stakeholders demand usable, user-centric information to support decisions for planning a resilient future and for responding to and recovering from unanticipated events in more adaptable and cost-effective ways.
Examples of our risk reduction efforts include:
Preparedness
The USGS helps communities prepare for natural hazards by connecting them with research and tools to help them prepare for the unpredictable. We conduct hazard research that supports preparedness efforts and provides insights into their potential destructiveness.
Serving Diverse Communities
The USGS continues to actively improve the distribution of its valuable hazard research to all communities, particularly those that have been historically underserved, such as rural, minority, and native tribal communities.
Science
Uniting Western Restoration Strategies and Traditional Knowledge to Build Community Capacity and Climate Resilience on the Navajo Nation
Making Regional Climate Model Outputs for Hawaiʻi More Accessible to a Diverse User Community
Coastal Change Hazards - Stakeholder Engagement and Communications
Partnership for Community Disaster Resilience
Debris Flow and Wildfire Evacuation Messaging
Uniting Western Restoration Strategies and Traditional Knowledge to Build Community Capacity and Climate Resilience on the Navajo Nation
Making Regional Climate Model Outputs for Hawaiʻi More Accessible to a Diverse User Community
Coastal Change Hazards - Stakeholder Engagement and Communications
Partnership for Community Disaster Resilience
Debris Flow and Wildfire Evacuation Messaging
Visualizing community exposure and evacuation potential to tsunami hazards using an interactive Tableau dashboard
Assessing Stakeholder Needs for Effective Actionable Science
Bringing Scientists and Stakeholders Together through ScienceTapes (Alaska Voices)
Cultivating a Climate Science Learning Community Amongst Tribal Water Managers
Promoting Coastal Resilience and Adaptation in Alaska: Community Outreach and Engagement
A data management and visualization framework for community vulnerability to hazards
Partnership for Community Disaster Resilience
What are the earthquake hazards/risks where I live? What are the earthquake hazards/risks where I live?
Determining your risk with regard to earthquakes, or more precisely shaking from earthquakes, isn't as simple as finding the nearest fault. The chances of experiencing shaking from an earthquake and/or having property damage is dependent on many different factors. The National Hazard Maps use all available data to estimate the chances of shaking (of different strengths and frequencies) across the...
What can I do to be prepared for an earthquake? What can I do to be prepared for an earthquake?
There are four basic steps you can take to be more prepared for an earthquake: Step 1: Secure your space by identifying hazards and securing moveable items. Step 2: Plan to be safe by creating a disaster plan and deciding how you will communicate in an emergency. Step 3: Organize disaster supplies in convenient locations. Step 4: Minimize financial hardship by organizing important documents...
What should I do DURING an earthquake? What should I do DURING an earthquake?
If you are INDOORS -- STAY THERE! Get under a desk or table and hang on to it ( Drop, Cover, and Hold on!) or move into a hallway or against an inside wall. STAY CLEAR of windows, fireplaces, and heavy furniture or appliances. GET OUT of the kitchen, which is a dangerous place (things can fall on you). DON'T run downstairs or rush outside while the building is shaking or while there is danger of...
Why is it important to monitor volcanoes? Why is it important to monitor volcanoes?
There are 161 potentially active volcanoes in the United States. According to a 2018 USGS assessment, 57 volcanoes are a high threat or very high threat to public safety. Many of these volcanoes have erupted in the recent past and will erupt again in the foreseeable future. As populations increase, areas near volcanoes are being developed and aviation routes are increasing. As a result, more...
What are the Great ShakeOut earthquake drills? What are the Great ShakeOut earthquake drills?
The Great ShakeOut earthquake drills are based on scenario earthquakes that could effect the area if they were to actually take place. Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills are an annual opportunity for people in homes, schools, and organizations to practice what to do during earthquakes, and to improve preparedness. These events are made possible through a collaboration between several agencies...
Natural hazards occur frequently across the globe. Often the situation goes from bad to worse as cascading consequences can complicate response and recovery efforts. USGS hazard research can inform efforts to reduce the risks posed by natural hazards and help communities build resilience to future events.
Each year, dozens, if not hundreds, of natural hazard events take place in the United States. These events can vary in size, with some being incredibly large and affecting people across several states and communities, while others are small and localized. The more we know about hazards, the better we can find ways to help communities prepare for events, stay safe when they occur, and recover once they are over.
Risk Reduction
Because of the potential severity of a single hazard event, reducing risk is a high priority for everyone, including policymakers, community members, emergency managers, resource managers, utility operators, business owners, and planners. These stakeholders demand usable, user-centric information to support decisions for planning a resilient future and for responding to and recovering from unanticipated events in more adaptable and cost-effective ways.
Examples of our risk reduction efforts include:
Preparedness
The USGS helps communities prepare for natural hazards by connecting them with research and tools to help them prepare for the unpredictable. We conduct hazard research that supports preparedness efforts and provides insights into their potential destructiveness.
Serving Diverse Communities
The USGS continues to actively improve the distribution of its valuable hazard research to all communities, particularly those that have been historically underserved, such as rural, minority, and native tribal communities.
Science
Uniting Western Restoration Strategies and Traditional Knowledge to Build Community Capacity and Climate Resilience on the Navajo Nation
Making Regional Climate Model Outputs for Hawaiʻi More Accessible to a Diverse User Community
Coastal Change Hazards - Stakeholder Engagement and Communications
Partnership for Community Disaster Resilience
Debris Flow and Wildfire Evacuation Messaging
Uniting Western Restoration Strategies and Traditional Knowledge to Build Community Capacity and Climate Resilience on the Navajo Nation
Making Regional Climate Model Outputs for Hawaiʻi More Accessible to a Diverse User Community
Coastal Change Hazards - Stakeholder Engagement and Communications
Partnership for Community Disaster Resilience
Debris Flow and Wildfire Evacuation Messaging
Visualizing community exposure and evacuation potential to tsunami hazards using an interactive Tableau dashboard
Assessing Stakeholder Needs for Effective Actionable Science
Bringing Scientists and Stakeholders Together through ScienceTapes (Alaska Voices)
Cultivating a Climate Science Learning Community Amongst Tribal Water Managers
Promoting Coastal Resilience and Adaptation in Alaska: Community Outreach and Engagement
A data management and visualization framework for community vulnerability to hazards
Partnership for Community Disaster Resilience
What are the earthquake hazards/risks where I live? What are the earthquake hazards/risks where I live?
Determining your risk with regard to earthquakes, or more precisely shaking from earthquakes, isn't as simple as finding the nearest fault. The chances of experiencing shaking from an earthquake and/or having property damage is dependent on many different factors. The National Hazard Maps use all available data to estimate the chances of shaking (of different strengths and frequencies) across the...
What can I do to be prepared for an earthquake? What can I do to be prepared for an earthquake?
There are four basic steps you can take to be more prepared for an earthquake: Step 1: Secure your space by identifying hazards and securing moveable items. Step 2: Plan to be safe by creating a disaster plan and deciding how you will communicate in an emergency. Step 3: Organize disaster supplies in convenient locations. Step 4: Minimize financial hardship by organizing important documents...
What should I do DURING an earthquake? What should I do DURING an earthquake?
If you are INDOORS -- STAY THERE! Get under a desk or table and hang on to it ( Drop, Cover, and Hold on!) or move into a hallway or against an inside wall. STAY CLEAR of windows, fireplaces, and heavy furniture or appliances. GET OUT of the kitchen, which is a dangerous place (things can fall on you). DON'T run downstairs or rush outside while the building is shaking or while there is danger of...
Why is it important to monitor volcanoes? Why is it important to monitor volcanoes?
There are 161 potentially active volcanoes in the United States. According to a 2018 USGS assessment, 57 volcanoes are a high threat or very high threat to public safety. Many of these volcanoes have erupted in the recent past and will erupt again in the foreseeable future. As populations increase, areas near volcanoes are being developed and aviation routes are increasing. As a result, more...
What are the Great ShakeOut earthquake drills? What are the Great ShakeOut earthquake drills?
The Great ShakeOut earthquake drills are based on scenario earthquakes that could effect the area if they were to actually take place. Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills are an annual opportunity for people in homes, schools, and organizations to practice what to do during earthquakes, and to improve preparedness. These events are made possible through a collaboration between several agencies...