Question 1

Select a hazard that interests you. Do reading and research to learn more about it (how, where, and when can occur and most often occurs, its consequences, and human and structural vulnerability to it).

Prepare and post a description in your own words of the hazard and the risk generally associated with it (at least 200 words).

Question 2

List five hazards (at least one of which must be human-caused - can be accidental or intentional) that could affect the county in which you live based on a credible published source (such as a local or state hazard analysis, emergency operations plan, etc).

Use APA Style for in-text reference citations and reference list.

Remember: we are talking about hazards (e.g., tornadoes generally) -- not a specific occurrence of a hazard (e.g., 1996 Lexington County tornado).

Select one of the hazards you listed and explain the risk it poses to your community by addressing the following points:

· Describe the characteristics of the hazard and how it would affect the community.

· How often might such an event occur?

· What would be the location of the hazard and the area that it would affect?

· How long would the hazardous event last? It there a seasonal or other pattern?

· How much advance notice of the event is likely? Can warnings be issued before the event?

· Is the hazard likely to affect many or a few people? Are there specific vulnerable populations of concern? Are injuries or deaths likely to result from the event?

· What kinds of property damage might occur?

· What would be the likely impacts on the local economy?

· Name one step or measure the community could take to reduce damage or human health impacts from the hazard.

Question 3

After completing this week's readings, prepare an explanation of several paragraphs, in your own words, on the purpose of pre-disaster and post-disaster mitigation and describe examples (real-world or hypothetical) of each.

Describe the relevance of the Robert T. Stafford Act and the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA2K) to local hazard mitigation.