Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA)
ABS Group is developing the National Risk Index (NRI) tool for FEMA. This innovative risk tool is online, interactive, map-based platform that incorporates data on social vulnerability, structure and population exposure, community resilience, and 18 natural hazards to create a baseline of natural hazards risk for the United States. Not only can the NRI display the overall risk score of a community but it will also toggle between individual hazard, social vulnerability, and community resilience scores. The data can be viewed at both the county and census tract level across the nation. Our team collected the data from authoritative government agencies and research institutes specializing in each hazard. The individual hazards scores were generated using custom methodology for each hazard to best represent the risk to each census tract. The NRI focuses on the risk conditions present in different communities by applying recent socioeconomic data with historic natural hazard event frequency, rather than making future projections. This makes the tool most valuable for current-state decision-making. The NRI was created to inform decision-makers about a at community’s vulnerability and resilience to natural hazard, creating more effective strategic risk-reduction strategies. The resulting risk tool created by our team produced:
- A consistent, and comprehensive nation-wide risk assessment that is multi-hazard and inclusive of social vulnerability and community resilience did not exist.
- Provides a mechanism by which social equity and future conditions can be explored.
- Allows for easy and effective dialogue around all hazards risk for a community.
