Natural Hazards Vulnerability Assessment for Statewide Mitigation Planning in Rhode Island

Abstract

This article describes a simplified vulnerability assessment model applied to the state of Rhode Island for use in statewide disaster mitigation planning. Working with public data sources and existing community vulnerability assessment tools, a practical scoring approach was developed to quantify vulnerability for multiple hazards and exposures in different regions of the state. Hazards included hurricanes, earthquakes, snowstorms, floods, hailstorms, and temperature extremes. Exposures included economic, social, environmental, and critical facilities. Score combinations were analyzed to identify key hazard/exposure combinations and geographic concentrations of vulnerability. Planners used the output from the study to identify and prioritize mitigation programs, as well as improve public awareness of vulnerability in the state. Lessons learned from the vulnerability assessment in Rhode Island are applicable to other regions and help to illustrate the usefulness and limitations of statewide vulnerability assessment.