Projecting Catastrophic Losses In A Multi-Hazard Environment

Abstract

Event-based scenarios present a valuable tool in calibrating and refining all elements of loss
estimation and visualization. The visualization concept is especially important to the decision makers,
affording them an understanding of inventory, hazard, and vulnerability functions. Using the city of
Mayaguez in the western part of Puerto Rico as a test bed, building inventories are developed to
represent some 33 urbanizations and more than 60 years of construction. Assimilating the outcome
from the analysis tools, retrofitting measures, and uncertainty modeling, seismic and hurricane wind
fragilities are quantified. Long term projections based on the maximum probable loss analysis are also
reported. The changes in existing vulnerability functions are examined to reflect differences in the
building types and construction practice.