Challenges in Assessing the Seismic Preparedness of the State of New Mexico, USA

摘要

Although vital to any preparedness plan, a comprehensive database of facilities essential in aiding the state of New Mexico, USA, recover from an earthquake does not currently exist. Therefore, as a first step in assisting the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (NM-DHSEM) improve the state's preparedness to earthquakes, the seismic performance of essential facilities in eight counties were assessed using the Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) method developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA 2002). The counties studied were: Valencia, Bernalillo, Sandoval, Santa Fe, San Miguel, Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, and Taos. These counties were selected by the NM-DHSEM due to the vulnerability of the region to seismic events, the population density, and the high number of unreinforced masonry and adobe buildings present in the area. This paper summarizes the findings of this project and more importantly, highlights the challenges encountered in the obtention of data, and the implications of using incomplete or inaccurate data for RVS of facilities. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of inter-agency collaboration in the development of a database of essential facilities and their seismic assessment.