The devastating effects of earthquakes on human life have been demonstrated repeatedly in the past decade, as several moderate and major earthquakes have struck in urban areas. Each of these earthquakes was costly and destructive in their own right. While the dollar amount of damage is difficult to estimate until long after the vent, the human cost, in terms of casualties is even more difficult to estimate.
The current state of casualty estimation models limits their practical applicability. It is recognized that current available data on earthquake-related injuries is not of the best quality and often has insufficient information about structure types and injury characteristics (RMS, 1997). In addition, there is great variability in numbers of deaths and injuries in official reports in the United States and current methodology for collecting data on injuries introduces additional inconsistencies.
In order to conduct research across the many fields relevant to earthquake modeling, it is necessary to build a standardized language and procedure for describing structural damage and injury in earthquake loss estimation. The standardized categories will be compiled in a dictionary of definitions combining engineering and medical data describing loss in the 1994 Northridge Earthquake.
In addition to this dictionary, a standardized protocol for collecting loss-related information following an earthquake will be created. These definitions and procedural protocols will be compared with research on other earthquakes (e.g., Loma Prieta), particularly with collaborators examining the 1995 Kobe, Japan earthquake.
See www.ph.ucla/cphdrLearning Objectives: N/A
Keywords: Disasters, Injuries
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.