Earthquake risk and damage functions: An integrated preparedness and planning model applied to New Madrid

The methodology and the data needed to guide public and private planning and future decision making for earthquake hazard preparedness and risk mitigation are presented. The focus is on the New Madrid Fault region, especially the effect on the St. Louis and Memphis Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas. An interdependent planning simulator model was developed to tie together statistically the seismic risk or physical damage functions to economic damage functions for potential earthquake risk assessment and impact evaluation for the next 50 years.