Disaster Resilience
Disaster resilience is characterized by “reduced probability of system failure, reduced consequences due to failure, and reduced time to system restoration.” These three desired outcomes constitute the essence of the framework proposed by MCEER to quantitatively define resilience.
MCEER’s research activities are predicated on the notion that improvements in resilience are achieved through the application of advanced technologies and decision tools in both the pre- and post-extreme event context. Research activities seek to obtain quantitative data on the extent to which these measures result in improvements in resilience for infrastructure systems, hospitals, and communities and to explore their impacts in test-bed studies.
MCEER has initiated a major area of research called “Definition and Quantification of Resilience – Development and Application of Center-wide Resilience Measures.” This research initiative consists of the development of system-integrated definitions and the quantification of community resilience measures to ensure a set of consistent, practical and workable measures of resilience that are applicable to all MCEER research.
Research activities undertaken as part of this task are furthering MCEER’s objective of providing organizations and communities with a suite of resilience-enhancing tools that will be validated through test-beds and demonstration projects—specifically projects focusing on lifeline services in Los Angeles and hospitals in both Los Angeles and New York State.
This Center-wide approach is designed to ensure the development of reliable, validated, and replicable criteria and measures of resilience at component, network, system, and community levels for a variety of infrastructure.
MCEER's Resilience Framework (pdf)
Current Project Descriptions
News & Publications Archive
Bibliography (pdf)
Presentations and Events
When the next disaster strikes, will our disaster resilience measure up?
The 1994 Northridge Earthquake claimed 57 lives, injured 9000 others, and left an estimated $20 billion in damage in just
15 seconds.
In the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks nearly 3,000 perished in
less than two hours.
Hurricane Katrina claimed over 1,300 lives, wreaked more than $75 billion in damage, and left an estimated economic impact of $200 billion in
only a matter of days.
Our resilience against disasters is not only measured by how well we respond, repair and recapture what’s been lost, it’s also measured by how well we strengthen, prepare and protect what’s already been put in place, before disaster strikes.
