Events

The Cascadia subduction zone is a geological fault that lies along the western coast of the United States and Canada, and hasn’t caused a major earthquake since 1700. In the last few decades, the mounting pressure in the fault line has caused an increase in concern among coastal communities as scientists warn that the region is overdue for another devastating earthquake. Studies suggest that the region could expect up to a magnitude 9.0 earthquake in the region in the next 50 years, and suggest planning begin immediately to mitigate the worst of its impacts. Many emergency managers in coastal communities are carrying out the difficult work of planning for a disaster that may take many lives and require considerable reconstruction. Planning for the recovery from such a disaster poses many challenges, as the destruction and debris generated by the disaster will have rippling effects on the infrastructure and vital lifeline networks of the region. Such a complex undertaking will require specific tools tailored to meet the needs of those preparing for it. Our project is a toolset for use by emergency managers in the ArcGIS software suite to provide a system level view of the impact of the earthquake on their jurisdiction’s lifeline networks. Our tools will help emergency managers create robust response plans by identifying critical intersections of lifeline networks that may cause bottlenecks in recovery, as well as by providing estimates of time and resources required for debris clearance.