Hazard Identification & Risk Analysis Flashcards
7 cards from real CEM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Hazard Identification & Risk Analysis flashcards as text
A risk matrix that uses a 5×5 grid of likelihood versus consequence is primarily used to:
Answer: Prioritize risks by comparing their relative severity and probability
A 5×5 risk matrix provides a qualitative tool to prioritize which risks warrant immediate mitigation by plotting likelihood against consequence severity.
Which FEMA tool uses a standardized methodology to estimate losses from earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes for mitigation planning?
Answer: HAZUS
HAZUS is FEMA's GIS-based loss estimation software that models physical, economic, and social impacts of natural hazards.
Social vulnerability in risk analysis refers to:
Answer: Characteristics of communities that affect their capacity to prepare for and recover from disasters
Social vulnerability encompasses demographic and socioeconomic factors—such as poverty, age, and language barriers—that reduce a community's ability to cope with disasters.
In event tree analysis, each branch after an initiating event represents:
Answer: A success or failure of a safety system or response action
Event tree analysis branches forward from an initiating event, with each node representing whether a safety barrier or response succeeds or fails.
Which hazard characteristic describes the speed at which a hazard event develops and strikes an area, affecting warning time available?
Answer: Onset speed
Onset speed (or speed of onset) describes how quickly a hazard develops, which directly determines how much warning time is available to protective actions.
A 'cascading hazard' occurs when:
Answer: A primary hazard event triggers one or more secondary hazard events
Cascading hazards occur when a primary event—such as an earthquake—triggers secondary events like tsunamis, fires, or dam failures.
Under the DHS Risk Lexicon, 'consequence' is defined as:
Answer: The effect of an event, incident, or occurrence
DHS defines consequence as the effect—negative or positive—of an event, incident, or occurrence on operations, people, or assets.