Reauthorization of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program: R&D for Disaster Resilient Communities

Opening Statement By Chairman David Wu

I want to welcome everyone to today’s hearing. This is the third in a series of hearings the Subcommittee has held on programs that address threats to our communities, including wind, fire, and earthquake disasters.

I think we will hear today that the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program—or NEHRP—has made many significant strides in enhancing earthquake safety and is a valuable Federal program. However, the Subcommittee has also found that Federal agencies currently have a stovepipe approach to hazards mitigation research activities. Separate and distinct programs exist for earthquake, tsunami, fire, and wind threats, despite areas of commonality such as prediction research, emergency preparedness needs, and the potential for mitigation via enhanced construction codes. Even more importantly, the key to successful mitigation of any and all potential hazards is a coordinated and effective public education program.

The statistics tell the story—in the United States, wind and fire cause approximately $28 billion worth of damages and kill an average of 4,350 Americans each year. Earthquakes, while periodic, also can be devastating in their impact. For example, the 1994 Northridge Earthquake took 59 lives and resulted in over $40 billion in damages. I think we can all agree that we can and must do a better job of hazards mitigation in order to protect our communities as much as possible from the devastation these disasters can cause.

One question we can raise is whether the current structure of Federal hazards research is optimal and how we could improve it. The 2004 changes to National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program have been widely supported. NIST, via the leadership of Dr. Jack Hayes, has received high marks for its coordination of the program. As we discuss the successes in earthquake mitigation and priorities moving forward, we must note that research for other hazards has yet to produce the same advances. This lag may exist because wind, fire, and tsunami mitigation do not have the same federal R&D structure that has produced our many advances on the seismic front.

Today we will hear from experts on needs for the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. But, I hope to also learn if a program structured like NEHRP might also improve wind, fire, and tsunami research programs.

It is worth exploring whether a coordinated, comprehensive, and fully funded hazards mitigation program could be a more effective approach than the current stovepipe structure, where different hazards communities fight for their own funding priorities and lessons learned are less likely to be shared between those researching various threats.

In the end, the goal of research on all hazards—earthquakes, wind, fire, and tsunamis—is the same—to protect our communities and save lives.

Witnesses

Panel

0 - Dr. Jack Hayes
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) Director National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) National Institute of Standards and Technol
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0 - Dr. Michael Lindell
Professor of Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning Texas A&M University Texas A&M University
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0 - Professor Thomas O’Rourke
Thomas R. Briggs Professor of Engineering School of Civil & Environmental Engineering Cornell University School of Civil & Environmental Engineering Cornell Uni
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0 - Dr. James Robert Harris, P.E.
President J. R. Harris & Company J. R. Harris & Company
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0 - Mr. Kenneth Murphy
Immediate Past President National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) Director, Oregon Office of Emergency Management National Emergency Management Associat
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